"In this volume, literary scholars and critic Koji Kawamoto analyzes and explains the mechanics of Japanese poetic forms, looking behind the "mystic aura" that surrounds the traditional forms of haiku and waka to show just how the deceptively simple metrics of seven and five syllables that are the building blocks of traditional Japanese poetic forms pack information and intense emotional content into a short space. The author's purpose is to demystify Japanese poetry by examining its conventions and demonstrating how they work. The author dissects the themes, diction, and forms of Japanese verse, using copious examples from both classical and modern literature, and compares these elements with those of Western and Chinese verse. This volume's presentation of the history of Japanese poetic forms, its detailed analysis of dozens of examples, and its presentation of the critical discussion that has surrounded poetry in Japan over the centuries combine to form a rich discussion of the subject."--BOOK JACKET.