Kenneth Yasuda

Kenneth Yasuda
Born 1914
Occupation Academic writer
Ethnicity Japanese-American
Education University Of Washington, Tokyo University
Genres Poetry, Poetry Criticism
Notable work(s) The Japanese Haiku: Its Essential Nature, History, and Possibilities in English, with Selected Examples

Kenneth Yasuda (born 1914)[1] is a Japanese-American scholar and translator. Graduate of the University Of Washington,[2] and earned his Doctorate in Japanese Literature from Tokyo University.[2] His most well known book is The Japanese Haiku: Its Essential Nature, History, and Possibilities in English, with Selected Examples (1957). His other books include A Pepper-Pod: Classic Japanese Poems together with Original Haiku a collection of haiku and translations in English;A Lacquer Box, translation of tanka and a translation of Minase Sangin Hyakuin, a collection of renga linked poetry.

Yasuda's 1957 book consists mainly of material from his doctoral dissertation (from 1955), and includes both translations from Japanese and original poems of his own in English. These had previously appeared in his book A Pepper-Pod: Classic Japanese Poems together with Original Haiku (Alfred A. Knopf, 1947). In The Japanese Haiku, Yasuda presented some Japanese critical theory about haiku, especially featuring comments by early twentieth-century poets and critics. His translations apply a 5–7–5 syllable count in English, with the first and third lines end-rhymed.

Yasuda's theory includes the concept of a "haiku moment," which he said is based in personal experience and provides the motive for writing a haiku. While the rest of his theoretical writing on haiku is not widely discussed, his notion of the haiku moment has resonated with haiku writers in North America, even though the notion is not widely promoted in Japanese haiku. His indirect influence was felt through the Beat writers; Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums appeared in 1958, with one of its main characters, Japhy Ryder (based on Gary Snyder), writing haiku.

References

  1. ^ Library of Congress, American Library Association. Committee on Resources of American Libraries. National Union Catalog Subcommittee. The National union catalog, pre-1956 imprints: a cumulative author list representing Library of Congress printed cards and titles reported by other American libraries, Volume 360. Mansell, University of Michigan, p200
  2. ^ a b Yasuda, Kenneth. The Japanese haiku: its essential nature, history, and possibilities in English, with selected examples. Tuttle, 1957. Inside back cover.

External links