Celebration of Continuity

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This study of images and themes in classic Korean, Chinese, and Japanese poetry is the first comparative treatment of these three traditions, and of East Asian and Western poetry.

The author surveys a basically formulaic poetry in five broad categories—tributes, poetry of love and friendship, nature poems, and those concerned with time—identifying and analyzing recurring patterns, motifs, and symbolism. Telling analogies are drawn with verse in several Western languages. Awareness of the common features of imagery and thought identified here is essential to an understanding of East Asian poetry.