Principles of Poetry

What distinguishes poetry from prose, and why does a poem speak differently from a painting or a piece of music? Hagiwara Sakutarō follows these questions from the feelings of everyday life to the foundations of artistic expression.

Principles of Poetry considers subjectivity and objectivity, romanticism and realism, epic and lyric poetry, and the difficult freedom of free verse. Its examples move among Japanese waka and haiku, European poetry, music, painting, and philosophical argument. Poetry emerges as more than a form: it is a longing for what is absent, a force capable of transforming how people live.

One of modern Japan’s influential poets, Hagiwara also turns a sharp, frequently provocative eye toward his own literary world and its relationship with the West. His arguments preserve the tensions and broad cultural judgments of their period. This complete new English translation includes the prefaces, original author notes, conclusion, and appended publication essay, with concise explanatory notes for terminology and textual details.