Who is Masaoka Shiki

Masaoka Shiki (正岡 子規, October 14, 1867 – September 19, 1902), pen-name of Masaoka Noboru (正岡 升), was a Japanese poet, author, and literary critic in Meiji period Japan. Shiki is regarded as a major figure in the development of modern haiku poetry, credited with writing nearly 20,000 stanzas during his short life. He also wrote on reform of tanka poetry.Some consider Shiki to be one of the four great haiku masters, the others being Matsuo Bashō, Yosa Buson, and Kobayashi Issa.

Early life

Shiki, or rather Tsunenori (常規) as he was originally named, was born in Matsuyama City in Iyo Province (present day Ehime Prefecture) to a samurai class family of modest means. As a child, he was called Tokoronosuke (處之助); in adolescence, his name was chan...
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Spring 16 Autumn 14 Moon 14 Haiku 14 Rain 12 Water 11 Night 10 Winter 10 Tree 9 Wind 7


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Poem of the day

Felicia Dorothea Hemans Poem
Night-Scene In Genoa
 by Felicia Dorothea Hemans

In Genoa, when the sunset gave
Its last warm purple to the wave,
No sound of war, no voice of fear,
Was heard, announcing danger near:
Though deadliest foes were there, whose hate
But slumber'd till its hour of fate,
Yet calmly, at the twilight's close,
Sunk the wide city to repose.
...

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