Fujiwara Sadaie

(usually called Teika). Born 1162; died 1241. Japanese poet and philologist.

Fujiwara belonged to the ancient Fujiwara family. He wrote in the tanka verse form, adhering strictly to the genre’s traditional canons while seeking new means of poetic expression. Fujiwara was a refined lyric poet who reflected the attitudes and world view of the aristocracy, which had yielded its dominant position in society to the military class. Fujiwara also gained fame as the compiler of classic anthologies of Japanese poetry, including the New Collection of Ancient and Modern Times (1205), Superior Poems of Our Time (1209), and Single Poems by One Hundred Poets (1237). Fujiwara’s works on aesthetics and poetic theory included Monthly Notes (1219) and the Foreword to Superior Poems of Our Time. Fujiwara’s aesthetic theories influenced the development of classical Japanese literature and drama, and his poetry constituted one of the summits of Japanese poetry.