Mayumi Itoh

Haikus of All Seasons V Mayumi Itoh

This book is the fifth anthology of the original haikus written by this author. The themes for this anthology embrace three of the seven major themes of haiku: 1) the seasons and the weather; 2) astronomy or the heavens; and 3) geography or the earth. This volume is dedicated to the poet/writer Miyazawa Kenji (August 1896-September 1933), whose works are marked by an expansive and profound interest in the earth, the heavens, the humanities, and religion, and many of the haikus in this collection feature his life and works. This is a unique bilingual anthology and presents each haiku in both Japanese and English so that non-Japanese-speaking readers can appreciate it. In order to enhance understanding, the identification of the season word of the haiku, as well as some explanations of the cultural and historical backgrounds are given where applicable. Enjoy!