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Works cited

Kenji Miyazawa. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 June 2017.

1925

Kenji's work begins to pay off. He is allowed to join many different Poetry Magazines, such as "Kao" and "Dora". His poetry begins gaining mild success after being exposed. Also he begins teaching himself how to play the cello and organ by himself. This would later be more important to him, with music

Literature, Culture Trip. "Kenji Miyazawa: The Japanese Writer Who Echoed The Natural World." Culture Trip. N.p., 06 July 2012. Web. 05 June 2017.

1924

1921

Cimarelli, Massimo. Kenji Miyazawa: A Short Biography. N.p.: Volume Edizioni, 2013. Print.

Kenji Miyazawa: A Short Biography

Book Analysis

In 1921, Kenji Miyazawa, having returned back to Iwate Prefecture, became an agricultural scientist and worked at Hanamaki Agricultural School. He was considered to be very eccentric, but was deeply loved by his students, who affectionately remembered his hands-on techniques. They would go outside for most lessons, unusual even for an agricultural scientist.

In 1924, Kenji Miyazawa published his first set of children's literature, The Restaurant of Many Orders. It gained mild success and (posthumously) was considered a fairy tale classic.

1928

Would you recommend this book to a person who hates your person?

Shakespearean Analysis Continued

Kenji Miyazawa

1926

I would recommend this book to someone who hates Kenji, because of its rather unbiased perspective of him. This is evident in places like, "furthermore the ideal of salvation is congenial to his participation in the suffering of other beings, first of all for those farmers which since childhood he has seen crowding the pawnshop of his father". Despite being neutral, it provides a sympathetic light to Kenji, and may make people think otherwise who hate him.

1922

In 1928, Kenji becomes severely ill with Pneumonia. Despite this, he continues to write and publish poetry. At this time, he had worked tirelessly to educate and to teach the farmers of more resistant forms of rice and of music. He founded many societies to assist this effort, and constantly participated in meetings.

1919

Kenji Miyazawa- A Short Biography

In 1926, Kenji resigned from his position, dedicating his life to the poor farmers of Iwate. Using his experience as an agricultural scientist and geologist, he studied to assist them in crops and in efficient ways to farm.

In 1921, Kenji Miyazawa graduated, and moved to Tokyo, pursuing a career of writing children's literature as an author. Six months later, he had to subsequently return home to take care of an ailing sister. Her name was Toshi. He also began writing fairy tales at the same time.

Kenji's sister, Toshi, dies from her illness.

Kenji then writes three poems, titled, "Voiceless Lament" as a result of this tragedy. It deeply affected Kenji, who never managed to get over it until his death.

Did this book do a good job telling this person's story?

1916

1903

What would be the audience?

Overall, this book did a fantastic job on explaining the life of Kenji Miyazawa in exquisite detail. Despite the book's title, it went into in-depth detail of the various factors within Miyazawa's life, for example, his deep-seated religious beliefs, its point of origin being the "religious atmosphere of the house: his father, a devout practitioner of jodoshinshu, in 1898 founded an association organizing summer gathering at which intervened monks and scholars of Buddhist thought" (Cimarelli 2). This explained Kenji's religious views and his variety of beliefs, like vegetarianism.

What lesson could be taught?

Kenji Miyazawa: A Short Biography

Book Analysis

Kenji is admitted into the Hanamaki Kawaguchi Primary School.

1937

1915

The lesson that could be taught from Kenji's life is that good doesn't always prevail. The reason I say this is because Kenji, who tried to help and assist many people, did not succeed much. He had attempted, yet failed, to try and teach his father about helping others and joining Buddhism, yet this did not work out until after his death. This is because Kenji's father, a pawnbroker, was especially ruthless when it came to handing out debts and collecting them, even when they were poor and suffering. Also, when Kenji tried to help the farmers his father had indebted to him, he was scorned, being called a city slicker and was even bluntly ignored and never appreciated for his efforts. And his works gained mild success, and were never appreciated fully until after his death. This shows that despite one's efforts, they may never have success, even if they go in with good intentions and good actions.

Kenji Miyazawa finds inspiration from foreign works in Europe, inspiring him to create poetry and works of art. During this time, he made a variety of poems and other pieces he is known for.

The best audience for this play I feel would be teenagers and young adults. I believe this because I see people being hopeful, even idealistic of the future and others being downtrodden and gloomy around my age. This play would help both sides out, showing that Kenji hoped the best and did his efforts courageously, yet also had met with failure and disaster. This would teach people my age an important lesson: to hope for the best, yet expect the worst.

In 1937, Kenji passes away.

He had died from Pneumonia, which was said to have been caused by him working too much on himself.

1920

Did this book present opinions or let the reader decide?

On 1915, Kenji Miyazawa entered the Morioka Agricultural and Forestry college. He studied to become a geologist, exploring areas around Japan. This is because of his childhood wandering through the forests and mountains of Japan.

In 1920, Kenji joins Chigaku Tanaka's sect of Buddhism, Kokuchukai. This was a point of contention for him and his family, resulting in them becoming distant. It was reported Kenji wandered the streets homeless, but preached the teachings of Buddhism nonetheless.

1896

The book did not seek to give an opinion, but rather give facts about the Japanese poet. This is evident from the book giving facts about Kenji's life like his birthplace, "In the Tohoku region in the far north of Honshu where the crops, the highest source of livelihood for the local population, are under the constant threat of a climate hospitable at all". Despite this, there are examples of opinion in this, like, "they haven't the strength of subsequent works" when comparing his younger works to his older and when comparing him to another Japanese poet.

On 1896, August the 27th, Kenji Miyazawa was born in Iwate Prefecture, in Hanamaki Town, in the Hienuki District, now known as Toyosowa Town, in Hanamaki City, to a wealthy family. These people were pawn-brokers. In the same year, the Riku-u Earthquake occurred, resulting in many poor farmers coming to Kenji's residence in search of a payment, and is reportedly why Kenji assisted them later on in life.

Kenji Miyazawa: A Short Biography

Book Analysis

1914

In 1914, Kenji graduated from the Iwate Morioka Junior High School. He graduated with full honors from the school, just as before in Primary School.

1909

Was this book biased?

Would you recommend this book to someone who loves your person?

In 1909, Kenji enrolled in the Iwate Morioka Junior High School. In the same year, he began composing poems, specifically tanka,gaining an interest and eventual career from doing so.

The book is unbiased, as it does point out some flaws of Miyazawa, for example, his "works are valuable but they are influenced by Ishikawa Takuboku, native poet of the same prefecture, and they haven't the strength of the subsequent works in verse and prose" (Cimarelli 3). This shows that the book does not take a side, but seeks to serve a neutral purpose.

Kenji Miyazawa: A Short Biography

Book Analysis

I would not recommend this book to a person who loves Kenji. Despite the book being rather detailed, it is thoroughly strict, with no prose or descriptions. An example is, "Kenji has the awareness that the farmer's condition can be improved with the help of science". A rather informative but only factual sentence, explained by Kenji's later actions and past experience. Thus, I would not recommend it for people who loved Kenji.

What would you include or leave out?

Shakespearean Analysis

Despite the book's exquisite detail, there are some things that should noe be mentioned, like comparing his poetical works to be similar to unrelated poets, like a certain "Ishikawa Tokuboku" as being an influence on him. "These works are valuable but they are influenced by Ishikawa Takuboku". I feel like this goes a bit too far and delves into unrelated territories.

Who would be against him?

Would it be a comedy or tragedy?

Who would be on his side?

If Shakespeare had written a play on Kenji's life, then it would certainly be a tragedy. From the time of his birth, Kenji's life was troubled, with his father's religious conflict with him and the farmer's, who Kenji tried to help, shunning him. It ended with Kenji's death at the age of 37, unable to convert his father to the Lotus sect, with sickness rendering him frail and winded even from talking.

People who would be on Kenji's side would be people like Chigaku Tanaka, who supported Kenji and converted him to the Lotus sect of Buddhism. Another would be Kenji's fellow poets, who (posthumously) spread his works throughout Japan, inspiring them and giving Kenji recognition. Such were people like Tokuya Sakawa, a close friend of Kenji. And lastly would be his sister, who he deeply cared of and wrote many poems about, as well as creating fairy tales when she was sick.

However, there were many against him. A prominent example is his father, who was less charitable than Kenji and was a point of religious contention when it came to trying to convert him to the Lotus sect of Buddhism. Yet another would be the farmer's Kenji tried to help, who dismissed his efforts. And most traumatically was Kenji's sister, Toshi, dying. This deeply affected Kenji, who carried the burden with him all his life afterwords. Also, Kenji's own desire to help would be his downfall, resulting in him getting sick after working too hard in perilous conditions, and subsequently never recovering.

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