Its opening section, which begins haru wa akebono, or spring, dawn, is arguably the single most famous passage in japanese literature. One of the great classics of japanese literature, the pillow book of sei shonagon is by far our most detailed source of factual material on life in eleventhcentury japan at the height of heian culture. She would have been in her late twenties when read analysis of sei. Introduction sei shonagon s pillow book makura no soshi is the private journal of a ladyinwaiting to the empress of japan written during the 990s. She says that in the spring, dawn is the most beautiful. A contemporary of murasaki shikibu, who wrote the tale of genji, sei shonagon reflects the same concern with style and taste typical of the period. Thanks for exploring this supersummary study guide of the pillow book by sei shonagon. The main characters of this cultural, japan story are. A woman with a body writing fetish seeks to find a combined lover and calligrapher.
Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. In the tenth century, japan stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. Oct 30, 2007 the classic portrayal of court life in tenthcentury japan written by the court gentlewoman sei shonagon, ostensibly for her own amusement, the pillow book offers a fascinating exploration of life among the nobility at the height of the heian period, describing the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion, and whim dominated, while harsh reality was kept firmly at. Written by a lady of the court at the height of heian culture, this book enthralls with its lively gossip, witty observations, and subtle impressions. Textual variants and early modern readers the pillow book is frequently identified as the japanese literary work with the largest number of textual variants. Sei shonagon character analysis in the pillow book litcharts. The first edition of the novel was published in 1002, and was written by sei sh. Jun 28, 2011 the pillow book is an extreme example of a work that has lived past its time, and attained the deathless status that writers dream of as they labour over their page or screen, transmuting their moment into momenttranscending language. The pillow book is the diary of sei shonagon, a courtesan at the imperial court of japan in the late 10th and early 11th century. The pillowbook of sei shonagon translated by ivan morris.
The pillow book is a journal written by a tenthcentury ladyinwaiting to the empress of japan. A precursor of the genre zuihitsu random jottings the more literal meaning to proceed, or follow, with a brush, this literary form made its appearance under the title makura. Apr 11, 2014 a pillow book is an openended and spontaneous collection of fragments, and as such may include lists, observations, poems, short personal essays and diary entries. Summers are most beautiful at night, autumns are beautiful in the evenings, and winter is most beautiful in the early morning. The pillow book of sei shonagon by ivan morris 9780231073370. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Shonagons life consists of taking care of the empress, preparing for festivals and special occasions, and going on pilgrimages to temples. Sei shonagon mostly tells us stories of her daily life, gossips about her peers, comments on fashion and the. Take a firsthand journey into a time, society and world full of intrigue. Many of the translations are made readily available for the first time in this study. Sei shonagon s pillow book makura no soshi is the private journal of a ladyinwaiting to the empress of japan written during the 990s. Shonagon demonstrates her attention to nature from the very first chapter of the book. The pillow book, written about 1002, is a collection of impressions of court life by the court lady sei shonagon. She is a thirtyyearold ladyinwaiting to the empress of japan.
The pillow book of sei shonagon is a fascinating, detailed account of japanese court life in the eleventh century. The pillow book of sei shonagon in searchworks catalog. Sei reveals relatively little about her life and relationships within the pillow book itself. Ones only relief is in the serene clearness of the moon, and on clouded nights, not even that. Translating a classic 2011 by meredith mckinney for kyoto journal. It is also the best source of information on japanese court life in the heian period 7941185. Sei shonagon, diarist, poet, and courtier whose witty, learned pillow book makura no soshi exhibits a brilliant and original japanese prose style and is a masterpiece of classical japanese literature. The pillow book study guide literature guide litcharts. The pillow book, by sei shongaon, is a first hand account of what life was like in japan.
Find the quotes you need in sei shonagon s the pillow book, sortable by theme, character, or section. Sei shonagon writing styles in the pillow book of sei sh. The pillow book, by sei shonagon mayberry bookclub youtube. I also love their literature but i had not read this famous book the pillow book of sei shonagon translated and edited by ivan morris until recently. The pillow book quotes explanations with page numbers. Free download or read online the pillow book of sei shonagon. The classic portrayal of court life in tenthcentury japan written by the court gentlewoman sei shonagon, ostensibly for her own amusement, the pillow book offers a fascinating exploration of life among the nobility at the height of the heian period, describing the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion, and whim dominated, while harsh. Though her world would have been familiar to her audience, which experienced her reflections only after they were unintentionally released, parts of the pillow book may seem opaque to 21stcentury readers unfamiliar with japans 11th. Sei served her empress during the late heian period a particularly vibrant time for japanese arts and the beginning of japans feudal age and was a contemporary of. The pillow book makura no soshi is a personalised account of life at the japanese court by sei shonagon which she completed c. The pillow book of sei shonagon asia for educators.
The pillow book, makura no soshi is a book of observations and musings recorded by sei shonagon during her time as court lady to empress consort teishi during the 990s and early s in heian japan. The pillow book of sei shonagon is a poetic biography of the life of a legendary alpha female courtesan in the palace of the omega emperor of. Three lives, three worlds, the pillow book pinyin lyric duration. The pillow book of sei shi 1 2 onagon translated from. Ive been meaning to give it a go ever since my friend becca blogged about it wow, that was three years ago. When shonagon writes, at the end of the pillow book, that all moonlight is moving, wherever it may be, she distills a major theme of her text 254. It begins with a poetic admiration of the four seasons, then a list of pet peeves called hateful things such as tiresome visitors, annoying inkstick. The films title, the pillow book is a reference to an ancient japanese diary written by sei shonagon. The pillow book, by sei shonagon the war on loneliness. In section 1, shonagon describes the four seasons and tells which time of day is most charming in each season.
May 16, 2012 the pillow book, by sei shonagon i finally got around to reading this diary about courtly life in heian era right about the year japan. The pillow book by sei shonagon ivan morris oxford press 1967 2530 hateful things section 27 one is in a hurry to leave, but ones visitor keeps chattering away. The author is sei shonagon, and she was given some notebooks that were lying around the palace that no one else wanted. The pillow book as applied business unit 3 courseworks of sei shonagon is a fascinating, detailed account of japanese court life in the.
Though its the same it sounds differentthe language of priests. Unlike the wistful and sometimes tragic mood of the tale of genji, however, the author of the pillow book expressed the feeling of. In relation to many of the female courtiers, she is old, but she is very quickwitted and she is sought after because she is such good company and so entertaining. A pillow book is a sort of diary filled with the days observations. Whenever considering fabrics, scenes in nature, or scenes from her own life, shonagon deliberately notes the quality of light directly connected to the time of day in order to convey a clear image of the special effect light can.
Shonagon sustains her interest in mens visits to womens homes across the pillow book. The pillow book, makura no soshi is a book of observations and musings recorded by sei shonagon during her time as court lady to empress consort. The pillow book sei shonagon works archive of our own. Things which catch the eye petrichoral the pillow book. She describes her excitement when expecting a visitor pb, 51 82, notes the. The pillow book is an extreme example of a work that has lived past its time, and attained the deathless status that writers dream of as they labour over their page or screen, transmuting their moment into momenttranscending language.
Thus, like other heian classics, sei shonagon s work challenges the assumption that there exists an authentic text, which is definitive and remains stable through time. The following is an excerpt from the pillow book, a japanese classic. She would have been in her late twenties when read analysis of sei shonagon. Its still mostly deadon accurate, over a thousand years later, and it always cheers me up when im having a most hateful day. Sei shonagons hateful things the pillow book by sei. Gender issues in the pillow book and the essays in idleness grin. The title of this book is the pillow book of sei shonagon and it was written by ivan morris translator. She is a gentlewoman in the service of empress teishi. A modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes. Sei shonagon this study guide consists of approximately 32 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the pillow book of sei sh.
Its always nice to find a classic thats entertaining. The pillow book of sei shonagon book wellington county. This pillow book is a blend of short narratives, personal musings, and many lists of observations and experiences which sei finds beautiful or interesting. Sep 14, 2006 hateful things is an excerpt from sei shonagon s pillow book. Instant downloads of all 1427 litchart pdfs including the pillow book. Worlding sei shonagon guides the reader through the remarkable translation history of the pillow book in the west, gathering almost fifty translations of the spring, dawn passage, which span onehundredandthirtyfive years and sixteen languages. She would have been in her late twenties when she became a courtier, and she remained in teishis court until the empresss death around the year c. The diary of a courtesan in tenth century japan pdf epub book.
She was a tremendously witty lady of the court in 10th century japan who kept a private diary of various lists and commentaries, and this is one of them. In her journal, sei shonagon describes events that happened in her daily life, e. The pillow book is her journal, and the topics she covers are varied. Shonagon fixates on the blazing sun and its low position very close to the mountain rim, or the unutterably delightful sight of snow in the winter morning 3. If it is someone of no importance, one can get rid of him by saying, you must tell me all about it next time. Written by the court gentlewoman sei shonagon, ostensibly for her own amusement, the pillow book offers a fascinating exploration of life among the nobility at the height of the heian period, describing the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion, and whim dominated, while harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance.
The pillow book of sei shonagon columbia university press. There are plenty of novels out there, plenty of poetry collections, popular philosophy books, essay collections, lots of literary criticism, memoirs and so on. The pillow book was compiled after teishi gifted sei shonagon a bundle of paper pillow book probably refers to a diary kept at ones bedside. Images overview summary it begins with a poetic admiration of the four seasons, then a list of pet peeves called hateful things such as tiresome visitors, annoying inkstick mistakes sleepy priests performing exorcists, and random conversations. Series 1 episode 1 of 5 by robert forrestfirst broadcast on bbc radio 4, monday 11 august 2008robert forrests thriller and love story set. Chapter 1 begins with lyrical descriptions of the sky in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The pillow book of sei shonagon is a poetic biography of the life of a legendary alpha female courtesan in the palace of the omega emperor of japan. Its even nicer when that classic can be read in ten minute increments just before bed, and i recommend that everyone do precisely that with the pillow book. The pillow book is a collection of reflections written by japanese gentlewoman sei shonagon as a kind of journal during the 990s and early s. Sei shonagon is the author of the diary entries that comprise the pillow book. The pillow book of sei shonagon the diary of a courtesan in tenth century japan book.
Overall, sei shonagon describes secret romances with men as very pleasant. Oct 02, 2018 the pillow book by sei shonagon was written in the 11th century, but its basically a modern day blog 2018 by charlotte ahlin for bustle. Sei shonagon a young courtesan of the heian periodkept a diary, which provides a highly personal account of the. Theres nothing more boringly unromantic than a place where the lady has got down to business and had everything repaired and smartened up. The film is narrated by nagiko, a japanese model living in. Sei shonagon sei shonagon is the author of the diary entries that comprise the pillow book. This very enlightening book came from sei shonagon who was a court lady in tenthcentury japan.
The seasons, their sounds, and the light that highlights natures best attributes are her most common intereststhe interests that fill the pillow book. Mckinney, who has also translated sei shonagons the pillow book for penguin. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 144 pages and is available in ebook format. Sei served her empress during the late heian period a particularly vibrant time for japanese arts and the beginning of japans feudal age and was a.
Sei shonagon, diarist, poet, and courtier whose witty, learned pillow book makura no soshi exhibits a brilliant and original japanese prose style and is a. I call it a diary but the pillow book is so much more. The pillow book summary and study guide supersummary. Japanese and edited by ivan morris by sei shonagon summary study.
1385 130 1351 1507 1211 1359 695 960 1190 592 297 1721 745 1730 346 242 1638 388 869 1682