
Howling at the Moon
1978
First Published
4.09
Average Rating
148
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Born into a wealthy family, Hagiwara Sakutaro (1886–1942) was able as a young man to devote himself to poetry. Although he did not finish college, he read Western authors, including Poe, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Dostoevsky. His major works of poetry, written in 1917 and 1923, were Howling at the Moon and Blue, collected in this volume. These books transformed modern Japanese poetry, and changed forever the face of the future poetic landscape in Japan. Brilliantly translated by Hiroaki Sato, this book was originally published by the University of Tokyo Press, and has long been out of print.
Avg Rating
4.09
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45
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Author

Sakutaro Hagiwara
Author · 3 books
Hagiwara Sakutarō (萩原朔太郎) was a Japanese writer of free-style verse, active in the Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan. He liberated Japanese free verse from the grip of traditional rules, and he is considered the “father of modern colloquial poetry in Japan”. He published many volumes of essays, literary and cultural criticism, and aphorisms over his long career. His unique style of verse expressed his doubts about existence, and his fears, ennui, and anger through the use of dark images and unambiguous wording.