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A review by tsushimashu
River of Stars: Selected Poems of Yosano Akiko by Yosano Akiko
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
my food and water and the air i breathe. the only poet ever
akiko yosano was one of the most influential feminist writers of her time, and even today her work continues to have a profound impact on her readers.
from the first few tanka, i was stunned into silence and brought to tears from the sheer emotion emanating from her words. her poems deliver a sense of desperation in her unyielding love, and do not fail to leave a lasting impression. a quote from the introduction written by sam hamill says, "her gift to humanity was her passionate undying love--erotic love, spiritual love, familial love."
i thumbed through a few pages over the course of a few months, but only now did i actually sit and read all of it. i only planned to read the introduction and then head to bed, but i ended up finishing it in one sitting, which i rarely do for any books. her style of writing draws the reader in and i felt such a strong connection to her and her experiences.
yosano is a beacon for poetry of her era and even now the themes shown in her poems are still relevant today. from each line there emenates the feeling of youth, love, eroticism, and melancholy. they range from love poems to poems about the raw truth of the lonely world we live in, and i could see myself in each one. she captures the simplicity and the complexities in love both at the same time, and whether it was a strong poem describing her intense longing or a humble poem about how her lover is sitting by the river reading poetry, i love them all.
The little lamb's eyes,
desperate for forest water,
must resemble mine.
O you whose love I long for,
how can you understand me?
akiko yosano was one of the most influential feminist writers of her time, and even today her work continues to have a profound impact on her readers.
from the first few tanka, i was stunned into silence and brought to tears from the sheer emotion emanating from her words. her poems deliver a sense of desperation in her unyielding love, and do not fail to leave a lasting impression. a quote from the introduction written by sam hamill says, "her gift to humanity was her passionate undying love--erotic love, spiritual love, familial love."
i thumbed through a few pages over the course of a few months, but only now did i actually sit and read all of it. i only planned to read the introduction and then head to bed, but i ended up finishing it in one sitting, which i rarely do for any books. her style of writing draws the reader in and i felt such a strong connection to her and her experiences.
yosano is a beacon for poetry of her era and even now the themes shown in her poems are still relevant today. from each line there emenates the feeling of youth, love, eroticism, and melancholy. they range from love poems to poems about the raw truth of the lonely world we live in, and i could see myself in each one. she captures the simplicity and the complexities in love both at the same time, and whether it was a strong poem describing her intense longing or a humble poem about how her lover is sitting by the river reading poetry, i love them all.
The little lamb's eyes,
desperate for forest water,
must resemble mine.
O you whose love I long for,
how can you understand me?