Poetry

Early Japanese poetry was heavily influenced by Chinese poetry and initially written in Chinese, later evolving to distinct poetic forms such as haiku (a poetry form consisting of three lines, the first line with five syllables, the second line with seven syllables and the third with five syllables) and waka (a poetry form with five lines following the pattern of five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables, seven syllables and finally seven syllables) which are recognised and written today.

Explore our collection of Japanese poetry, from classical anthologies to experimental contemporary works.