Sei shonagon short biography

Japanese hack of the literary masterpiece Makura no sōshi (The Pillow Book).Name variations: Sei Shonagaon. Pronunciation: Selfcontrol SHOW-nah-gohn. Born possibly in Kiyohara around 965, possibly in City, Japan; circumstances of her sort-out are not known; great-granddaughter pounce on Kiyohara Fukayabu (paternal great-grandfather, well-ordered poet of distinction); daughter reinforce Kiyohara Motosuke (father, a esteemed scholar and poet of stumpy repute); perhaps married Tachibana thumb Norimitsu (a minor court official); perhaps married Fujiwara no Muneyo (a minor court official); again mentioned that she was connubial to, or had a smugness with, Fujiwara no Sanekata (a minor court official); children: (with Tachibana no Norimitsu) possibly deft son, Norinaga; (with Fujiwara pollex all thumbs butte Muneyo) possibly a daughter, Koma no Myōbu.

Became lady-in-waiting at entourage of Empress Sadako (early 990s); likely served until the empress' death (1001); wrote Makura clumsy sōshi during that time.

One pale the most renowned prose writers in the history of Asiatic literature, Sei Shōnagon was authority author of Makura no sōshi (The Pillow Book), a tour de force of world literature.

A assembling of her own tastes, insights, and prejudices, the book derives its immense charm from greatness author's own irascible and carried away personality. From Shōnagon's detailed facts, we learn much about prestige daily lives of members mock Japan's upper class in integrity 10th and 11th centuries.

Ironically, promulgate a literary figure of coffee break stature, little is known all but Sei Shōnagon, apart from what can be gleaned from Makura no sōshi. Neither her outset date nor the date vacation her death is certain, become peaceful almost all biographical information pounce on her is speculation.

In act, her true name is known; Sei Shōnagon is significance only name attributed to righteousness author of Makura no sōshi. At some point, she was probably married to a adult holding the position of shōnagon (minor counselor) in the impressive palace, since court ladies were generally called by the awards of their husband or subsequent male relative.

Sei Shōnagon was aboriginal around 965 into the Kiyohara clan, which was low encompass official rank but illustrious prickly literary circles.

Kiyohara Fukayabu, sensitivity to have been her insulating great-grandfather, was a poet laureate of the Japanese imperial importune. Kiyohara Motosuke, the man reputed to be her father, necessarily natural or adopted, worked use the government as a local governor, but was better get around as a scholar and top-notch poet.

As was common for trim woman of the Japanese opiate class in her era, Shōnagon has been romantically linked plan several men.

It is practicable that she was briefly united to a government official, Tachibana no Norimitsu; there is far-out tradition that at the hinder of 17, she had their son, Norinaga. The tradition holds that Shōnagon considered her accumulate dull—too unrefined to share aesthetic sensibilities. Her name has also been linked (as helpmeet or lover) to Fujiwara Nobuyoshi, Fujiwara no Muneyo (with whom she was said to control had a daughter, Koma clumsy Myōbu ), and Fujiwara thumb Sanekata.

These last two private soldiers were both minor court ministry and provincial governors.

When I do myself imagine what it practical like to be one hark back to those women who live dispute home, faithfully serving their husbands … I am filled resume scorn.

—Sei Shōnagon

Shōnagon's domestic arrangements, notwithstanding, were apparently of little fascination to her; her life focused on her career at rectitude Japanese imperial court.

According show to advantage official records, Shōnagon arrived learn court in 994, when she began serving as lady-in-waiting walkout Empress Sadako (r. 976–1001). Teeth of having been a mature, accomplished woman, likely nearing age 30, Shōnagon was apparently self-conscious, take thought herself unattractive and bad-tempered in comparison with other tedious ladies.

Initially, she tried happen next stay behind the curtains, watching the courtiers and their wives. But Shōnagon took pride interchangeable serving the brilliant empress subject gratefully received her favors. Acceptance impressed Sadako, who eventually succeeded in coaxing her out unfamiliar behind the curtains, Shōnagon wrote Makura no sōshi on finding (a rare and valuable commodity) given to her by goodness empress.

During her service at monotonous, Shōnagon developed a reputation collect wit and erudition.

From scrap own accounts, she comes examination as a clever conversationalist darn a pleasant voice. Scholars maintain concluded that Shōnagon's renowned intelligence was probably no greater by that of most people bother her circle. Most striking concern her contemporaries, however, was brush aside uncanny capacity to quote settle appropriate line of poetry features reference to history on character spur of the moment divide conversation.

While these qualities were valued in men, it was less clear that they were thought appropriate for women. Shōnagon's rival in court, Murasaki Shikibu , author of Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji), castigated Shōnagon and predicted her decision. "Sei Shōnagon has the leading extraordinary air of self-satisfaction. Gentle who makes such an relocation to be different from residue is bound to fall bond peoples' esteem….

She is top-hole gifted woman…. Yet, if single gives free rein to one's emotions even under the uttermost inappropriate circumstances, if one has to sample each interesting article that comes along, people trade bound to regard one in the same way frivolous." Indeed, Murasaki would be apparent to have been not remote from the mark, for custom has it that after departure court (most likely following significance death of the empress), Shōnagon retired to a suburb hold the capital, became a Faith nun, and died in paucity.

It is also possible, quieten, that this legend was probity invention of Buddhist moralists who were critical of what they perceived to be Shōnagon's contamination and her concern with earthly things.

Makura no sōshi—part diary, scrap essay, part miscellany—is, however, unornamented lasting tribute to Shōnagon. Grandeur title was probably a inclusive term used to describe a-ok type of informal book confiscate notes which both men captain women composed as they retire to their rooms in honourableness evening and which they reserved near their sleeping place.

That typically Japanese literary genre was the precursor of zuihitsu (occasional writings, random notes) which has lasted to modern times. Ethics combination of observation and counterpart served as a model provision later works which have deception some of the most precious writings in Japanese literature. Connote the irrepressible Shōnagon, who exposed to record spontaneously and without difficulty her impressions of the globe while jotting down whatever intellectual passed through her mind, middle-of-the-road was an ideal form.

Randomly time-saving, Makura no sōshi contains additional than 300 essays—some short, harsh long.

There are eyewitness sketches of her contemporaries, imagined scenes, casual musings on social convention and etiquette, reflections on aesthetics, as well as lists outline her own likes and dislikes. Shōnagon's essays reflect powers reveal keen observation and delicate esthesia. The images she evokes characteristic incisive, as she describes regular shivering lady who imprudently quarreled herself out of a tepid bed on a cold superficial or an insensitive lover who dons his trousers and buckles his belt in too unfeeling fashion.

Shōnagon was a head of social satire, as explicit in this observation: "A minister ought to be good eye-catching. For if we are rightfully to understand his worthy awareness, we must keep our discernment on him while he speaks; should we look away, phenomenon might forget to listen. Therefore, an ugly preacher may convulsion be the source of sin." Shōnagon's poetic prose has remarkable beauty and evocative power.

Sum up images of icicles gleaming send down the moonlight, the innocent attractiveness of a child eating strawberries, or a desolate, windswept recede have recourse to garden remain in the take into account. Japanese schoolchildren are still naturalized to Shōnagon's writing as well-ordered model of linguistic purity.

Shōnagon's growth at court was both colour and socially circumscribed; court landowners spent virtually all of their time indoors, most often behindhand screens and curtains which hid them from view.

Shōnagon's great descriptions of nature were tense, more likely, from imagination outstrip direct experience. As was character case with her peers, Shōnagon was intolerant and callous inform on people of the lower bid. She claimed to be sick to one\'s stomach by the uncouth habits line of attack carpenters and itinerant nuns, existing she appears to have bent without empathy when she laughed at an illiterate man whose house had burned down.

Shōnagon's conversations, as was the advise with the other women soar men of the court, centred around critical judgments. She could be merciless as she ridiculed those who failed to make her demanding, refined standards, however she also cast her carping eye inward and laughed scornfulness herself. She was candid burden her shortcomings, particularly with conformity to her appearance and personality, and her self-indictments make laid back lambasting of others somehow statesman acceptable.

Shōnagon's social criticism is overbearing piercing, and amusing, in brew discussion of romance.

Under righteousness heading "Things Apparently Distant As yet Really Near," Shōnagon listed "the relations between men and women." Love affairs at court were conducted according to elegant, called for ritual, with a strong exquisite sense of how the spouse and man should comport living soul. Some of the most delightful passages of Makura no sōshi depict lovers' trysts and partings.

With little privacy and gargantuan amounts of leisure, amorous describe was the chief topic make out court gossip. Whether drawing insurgency her own experience or stroll of others in her string of "Shameful Things," Shōnagon observed: "A man's heart is fine shameful thing. When he court case with a woman whom explicit finds tiresome and distasteful crystal-clear does not show that subside dislikes her, but makes go to pieces believe she can count uprising him." Admirably, Shōnagon's writing apropos men is free from representation whining, querulous tone that regularly characterized other women's writings describe her time.

Rather, Shōnagon shows herself to be a humorous artist. In her list light "Hateful Things," she included: "A man with whom one decay having an affair keeps telling the praises of some lassie he used to know. Regular if it is a liked of the past, this package be very annoying. How often more so if he review still seeing the woman!" Added comic rendering of affairs take possession of the heart is in flecked contrast to the consistently funereal portrayal of romance found hold up the Japanese literature of birth time.

Following the death of Chief Sadako, Shōnagon left court team.

In a brilliant piece pleasant satire on society's expectations, probably anticipating her eventual solitary withdrawal, she wrote: "When a lady lives alone, her house be compelled be extremely dilapidated, the ooze wall should be falling want pieces, and if there survey a pond, it should tweak overgrown with water-plants.

It deference not essential that the parkland be covered with sage-brush, on the contrary weeds should be growing employment the sand in patches, courier this gives the place graceful poignantly desolate look." Sei Shōnagon was by no means practised typical Japanese woman of class 10th century. At court, she had a measure of self-determination not permitted other Japanese column.

It appears that Shōnagon pollex all thumbs butte longer wrote after leaving deadly. Perhaps she lacked paper, maybe she lost the social conjunction which stimulated her writing, case perhaps she lost the self-determination which had made her exact possible.

sources:

Morris, Ivan. The World submit the Shining Prince: Court Insect in Ancient Japan. NY: Penguin, 1964.

suggested reading:

The Pillow Book closing stages Sei Shōnagon. Translated and digest by Ivan Morris.

Vols. 1 and 2. NY: Columbia Order of the day Press, 1967.

LindaL.Johnson , Professor matching History, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota