Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Book part
- A note on Romanization and conventions
- Glossary
- General introduction
- Part I The ancient period (beginnings to 794)
- Part II The Heian period (794–1185)
- Part III The medieval period (1185–1600)
- 21 Introduction to medieval literature
- 22 Japanese poetic thought, from earliest times to the thirteenth century
- 23 Shinkokin wakashū: The New Anthology of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry
- 24 Waka in the medieval period: patterns of practice and patronage
- 25 Hyakunin isshuand the popularization of classical poetry
- 26 Medieval recluse literature: Saigyō, Chōmei, and Kenkō
- 27 Medieval women’s diaries: fromTamakiwarutoTakemukigaki
- 28 Setsuwa (anecdotal) literature:Nihon ryōikitoKokon chomonjū
- 29 The rise of medieval warrior tales:Hōgen monogatariandHeiji monogatari
- 30 The Tales of the Heike
- 31 The late medieval warrior tales: fromSoga monogataritoTaiheiki
- 32 Literature of medieval Zen temples: Gozan (Five Mountains) and Ikkyū Sōjun
- 33 Renga (linked verse)
- 34 Noh drama
- 35 Noh drama theory from Zeami to Zenchiku
- 36 Kyōgen: comic plays that turn medieval society upside down
- 37 Late medieval popular fiction and narrated genres: otogizōshi, kōwakamai, sekkyō, and ko-jōruri
- Part IV The Edo period (1600–1867)
- Part V The modern period (1868 to present)
- Bibliography of English secondary sources and translations
- Index
26 - Medieval recluse literature: Saigyō, Chōmei, and Kenkō
from Part III - The medieval period (1185–1600)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2016
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Book part
- A note on Romanization and conventions
- Glossary
- General introduction
- Part I The ancient period (beginnings to 794)
- Part II The Heian period (794–1185)
- Part III The medieval period (1185–1600)
- 21 Introduction to medieval literature
- 22 Japanese poetic thought, from earliest times to the thirteenth century
- 23 Shinkokin wakashū: The New Anthology of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry
- 24 Waka in the medieval period: patterns of practice and patronage
- 25 Hyakunin isshuand the popularization of classical poetry
- 26 Medieval recluse literature: Saigyō, Chōmei, and Kenkō
- 27 Medieval women’s diaries: fromTamakiwarutoTakemukigaki
- 28 Setsuwa (anecdotal) literature:Nihon ryōikitoKokon chomonjū
- 29 The rise of medieval warrior tales:Hōgen monogatariandHeiji monogatari
- 30 The Tales of the Heike
- 31 The late medieval warrior tales: fromSoga monogataritoTaiheiki
- 32 Literature of medieval Zen temples: Gozan (Five Mountains) and Ikkyū Sōjun
- 33 Renga (linked verse)
- 34 Noh drama
- 35 Noh drama theory from Zeami to Zenchiku
- 36 Kyōgen: comic plays that turn medieval society upside down
- 37 Late medieval popular fiction and narrated genres: otogizōshi, kōwakamai, sekkyō, and ko-jōruri
- Part IV The Edo period (1600–1867)
- Part V The modern period (1868 to present)
- Bibliography of English secondary sources and translations
- Index
Summary
Recluse literature, and the related label "thatched hut literature" are terms coined in the twentieth century to describe works in a variety of genres, such as waka, setsuwa, and zuihitsu, by a broad array of authors of the medieval period. Saigyo, Kamo no Chomei, and Yoshida Kenko exemplify the recluse ideal while problematizing the idea and practice of isolation. By the end of the Heian period, the trope of reclusion in waka was dominated by nuns, many of whom had been imperial women at court. Chomei's language reflects the trend in recluse literature to conflate the poetic diction of the four seasons with the language and concepts of Buddhism making nature not only the great mirror of human emotion but also a manifestation of the Buddhist Dharma. Kenko came from a Shinto family of priests and diviners. Medieval recluse literature chronicles the numerous forces that pulled hermits and travelers both toward and away from the poles of the sacred.
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- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature , pp. 259 - 267Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2015