Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death

by Yoel Hoffmann

Book Overview

"A wonderful introduction the Japanese tradition of jisei, this volume is crammed with exquisite, spontaneous verse and pithy, often hilarious, descriptions of the eccentric and committed monastics who wrote the poems." --Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

Although the consciousness of death is, in most cultures, very much a part of life, this is perhaps nowhere more true than in Japan, where the approach of death has given...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 4805314435
• ISBN13: 9784805314432
• Release Date: April 2018
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.1" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

interesting tales

This book should be a very good read to you if you are interested in japanese culture and history. I have not yet finished the book but so far it has kept me wanting to return to its pages. In most cases it explores the lives of various interesting people and then gives you their last written words which you can find your own meaning in, it sets the mood for reflection. It is very refreshing and calming to read.

We Are All Getting Ready To Have To Take The Ride!

A superb collection of "last words" in poetry, this volume should be savoured and returned to - repeatedly. It has an impressive range of contributors from various traditions and the variety of expression in the poems compensates in part for the lack of a bilingual text. A book that belongs on poetry bookshelves as well as by the bedside during the thin gauzy hours with faint moonlight casting shadows of doubt...

a rare view of situational poetry

While I agree that a bilingual text would have been better, this is an excellent selection of poetry written for a particular situation - the death of the author. One strength of the collection is that it is not limited to Zen masters but includes samurai, Shinto followers, women ... The result is a collection which includes a broad range of emotional flavors - from sassy to hopeful anticipation, from expectations of heaven (pure land) to dissolution ...The organizational principle (alphabetic) results in some curious juxtapositions. The explanatory text is useful, thought-provoking and non-intrusive. The introduction provides excellent background material on death in Japanese culture. Everything works together to create an excellent book.

Grace under pressure

An excellent collection of haiku and classical poetry composed in the face of immediate death. Some funny, some wrathful, some incredibly sad. This book is a fine reminder of a time and place where concentration and clarity of mind were condsidered paramount assets.