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Poetic Diary

World Traditional Verse Forms

Poetic diary, or nikki bungaku, is a Japanese literary genre dating back to Ki no Tsurayuki's Tosa Nikki, compiled around 935. Diaries in the genre began as records imitating the daily logs kept by Chinese government officials, but private literary diaries such as the Tosa Nikki, the Kagero Nikki and the Murasaki Shikibu Nikki flourished during the Heian period.

Facts
Place of Origin
Japan 1
Notable Example
Tosa Nikki by Ki no Tsurayuki 1
Defining Trait
Frequent use of poems, breaking away from the daily entry as a formal device, and a stylistic heightening 1
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Nikki bungaku - Wikipedia
  • Introduction
    Poetic diary (uta nikki) or Nikki bungaku is a Japanese literary genre, dating back to Ki no Tsurayuki's Tosa Nikki, compiled in roughly 935.
  • History
    His Tosa Nikki, written in 935, records his journey from Tosa in Shikoku to Kyoto through the alleged perspective of a female companion.
  • General characteristics
    However, three major characteristics of Japanese diary literature, though exceptions abound, are 'the frequent use of poems, breaking away from the daily entry as a formal device, and a stylistic heightening.'
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