CJS Thursday Noon Lecture Series | Poetry, Class, and Politics: Making Haiku into “Literature” in Meiji Japan

Known for its emphasis on nature and the seasons, as well as its accessibility and broad appeal, haiku is now one of Japan’s best-known cultural exports. These ideas, though, as well as the scholarly narratives that have accounted for haiku’s rise, are very much a victor’s history, one formulated by men such as the famous poet Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902). In this talk, Robert Tuck provides a revisionist history of modern haiku, highlighting both its widespread use as political discourse in Meiji media and the divisive rhetoric of social class that accompanied its rise to the status of “modern literature.”

Robert Tuck is Assistant Professor of Modern Japanese Literature and Culture at Arizona State University. His research centers on 19th and 20th century literature, especially poetry, media, and Sino-Japanese genres of writing. His most recent work is Idly Scribbling Rhymers: Poetry, Print, and Community in 19th Century Japan (Columbia University Press, 2018).

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this event, please reach out to us at least 2 weeks in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.