“I am a poet”. What does this mean to you if somebody says it to you?
Is it possible to make a living as a poet? Under what circumstances?
Poetry as tourism inducer.
About Nakahara Chuya … There is the usual information about him on Wikipedia, but here is his memorial museum in Yamaguchi city. There is an English pamphlet.
And given the “cool Japan” treatment …
An example of “serendipitous contents tourism”. Two years ago after we taught this class I went here. I thought, “this is the place from Chuya’s poem”, and it immediately became my image of 輝く波の美しさ。Chuya’s poem does not give the location of the waves that reminded him of his father … I will not give you this location … or who it reminds me of … that would spoil it … but it has become a “sacred site” with meaning for me …
And after the class last year I set this poem to music. I do not have a recording yet, but there is a strong possibility I will have one in time for next year’s class …!