Japanese death poems = 辭世
written by Zen monks and Haiku poets on the verge of death ; compiled with an introduction and commentary by Yoel Hoffmann, Yoel Hoffmann (Compiler, Writer of introduction, Writer of added commentary) / written by Zen monks and Haiku poets on the verge of death ; compiled with an introduction and commentary by Yoel Hoffmann
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 rise to a centuries-old tradition of writing jisei, or the ""death poem."" Such a poem is often written in the very last moments of the poet's life.Hundreds of Japanese death poems, many with a commentary describing the circumstances of the poet's death, have been translated into English here, the great majority of them for the first time. Yoel Hoffmann explores the attitudes and customs surrounding death in historical and pr
eBook, English, 1986
C.E. Tuttle Co., Rutland, Vt., 1986