The Rise of a New Poetic Form: The Role of Shimamura Hōgetsu in the Creation of Modern Japanese Poetry

Shimamura Hōgetsu was one of the most influential literary figures of modern Japan. He was deeply involved in literary criticism, the study of aesthetics and rhetoric, and the presentation of Western drama to the Japanese public. Yet despite his multifaceted career and the centrality of his influence, little attention has been paid to him since his death, particularly among scholars outside Japan. This study explores the evolution of modern Japanese poetry, describing Hōgetsu's pivotal role in the theoretical progression that led to the history-making acceptance of the vernacular in the process of poetic signification. From the problem of meter to that of style on to the question of language, Hōgetsu facilitated the development of a poetic form of expression that was not anchored to tradition but that reflected the emergence of modern themes and a modern sensibility. Although he was a strong advocate of the importance of meter, he did not believe that the traditional seven-five syllabic alternation should be considered a foregone conclusion, but argued that new meters could be created, and with them new linguistic devices that were not necessarily part of the classical canon. He also repeatedly questioned the authority of the classical medium, campaigning in favor of the vernacular and prompting younger generations of poets to experiment with the contemporary linguistic material available. Hōgetsu was one of the earliest advocates of the use of the colloquial in poetry and, as such, an important figure in the creation of a modern form of poetic expression in Japan. 島村抱月は近代日本文学の進展に最も影響を与えた文学者の一人である。若い頃、修辞学の研究に専念した抱月は後に自然主義文学の評論家として注目を浴びた。晩年時代、積極的に西洋演劇の紹介に務め、日本の演劇の近代化に大きく貢献した。このように抱月は修辞学を始めとして、文学、演劇などの檬々な分野において活躍した日本文化史上見逃すことのできない存在である。 この論文では口語詩における問題を巡っての抱月に焦点を当てながら、彼がどのように近代詩の成立に関わったかを分析する。抱月は和歌や俳句の定型詩の伝統的な修辞の価値を認めはしたが、五七五とは異なる新しいミーターなどの可能性を唱え、周囲の若い弟子達に大きな刺激を与えた。抱月は早くから口語の使用の必要性も主張し、近代的な内容や感覚を表現できる近代詩の誕生に大きく貢献したと言えよう。