Miki Rofu - Mikirofu

Poet. Real name Misao. Born on June 23, 1889 in Tatsuno Town (now Tatsuno City), Hyogo Prefecture. Dropped out of both the Faculty of Letters at Waseda University and the Faculty of Letters at Keio University. Using the pen name Rofu, he contributed poems to magazines such as Shokokumin and Genbun Itchi early on. After self-publishing his poetry collection Natsuhime (1905), he moved to Tokyo, where he met Kitahara Hakushu, Maeda Yugure, and Wakayama Bokusui. He also participated in the tanka poetry society Shazensosha, and the following year founded the Waseda Poetry Society with Soma Gyofu, Hitomi Toumei, and Noguchi Ujo, and together with Kawaji Ryuko and others, founded the poetry magazine Mirai (1914), and was active in publishing his works in such publications as Waseda Bungaku and Mita Bungaku, marking an era in the poetry world from the end of the Meiji period to the early Taisho period with his symbolic poetry. His collection of lyric poems Haien (1909), mainly written in free verse literary language, was praised alongside Hakushu's Heresy Mon (1909). Other works he wrote include "Lonely Dawn" (1910), "The White-Handed Hunter" (1913), and "Phantom Countryside" (1915), which are symbolic poetry anthologies that show the pinnacle of Japanese symbolic poetry, stating that "symbols are the windows to the soul." After "Conscience" (1915), he turned to the world of religious poetry, such as founding "Faun" (1920). In addition to the monastery poetry anthology "Dawn of Faith" (1922) and the second monastery poetry anthology "God and Man" (1926), he also wrote children's songs such as "Pearl Island" (1921), "Symbolic Poems" (1922), and "Stories of the Open Air" (1915). He died in a traffic accident on December 29, 1964. He is known as the lyricist of the children's song "Akatonbo" (composed by Kosaku Yamada), and there is a monument to him in his birthplace, Tatsuno City.

[Hara Koro]

"The Complete Works of Miki Rofu, 3 volumes (1972-1974, Complete Works Publishing Association)" ▽ "Japanese Poetry 2: Miki Rofu and Other Works" (1979, Shueisha)" ▽ "Complete Works of Meiji Literature 59: Miki Rofu and Other Works" (1969, Chikumashobo)" ▽ "Abe Chunosuke's Studies on Miki Rofu and Continued Studies on Miki Rofu" (1964, 1969, Mokusei Shobo)" ▽ "Research Materials for Contemporary Japanese Literature 7: Poetry" (1980, Meiji Shoin)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

詩人。本名操。明治22年6月23日、兵庫県龍野(たつの)町（現たつの市）に生まれる。早稲田(わせだ)大学文科、慶応義塾大学文学部をともに中退。露風と号し早くから『少国民』『言文一致』などに詩歌を投稿した。詩歌集『夏姫』（1905）を自費出版後上京、北原白秋(きたはらはくしゅう)、前田夕暮(まえだゆうぐれ)、若山牧水(わかやまぼくすい)らを知る。また短歌結社車前草社(しゃぜんそうしゃ)に参加、翌年相馬御風(そうまぎょふう)、人見東明(ひとみとうめい)、野口雨情(のぐちうじょう)らと早稲田詩社をおこし、川路柳虹(かわじりゅうこう)らと詩誌『未来』（1914）を創刊、『早稲田文学』『三田文学』などを発表舞台として旺盛(おうせい)な活躍をみせ、象徴詩の立場から明治末期から大正初期の詩壇に一時代を画した。文語自由詩を主体とした叙情詩集『廃園』（1909）は白秋の『邪宗門』（1909）と並称された。ほかに『寂しき曙(あけぼの)』（1910）、「象徴は魂の窓である」とした、日本象徴詩の一頂点を示す象徴詩集『白き手の猟人(かりゅうど)』（1913）、『幻の田園』（1915）などがあるが、『良心』（1915）以後、『牧神』（1920）を創刊するなど宗教詩の世界へ向かった。修道院詩集『信仰の曙(あけぼの)』（1922）、第二修道院詩集『神と人間』（1926）などのほかに、童謡集『真珠島』（1921）、『象徴詩集』（1922）、『露風話』（1915）などがある。昭和39年12月29日交通事故により死去。童謡『赤とんぼ』（山田耕筰(やまだこうさく)作曲）の作詞者として知られ、生地のたつの市にその碑がある。

［原　子朗］

『『三木露風全集』全3巻（1972～1974・同全集刊行会）』▽『『日本の詩2　三木露風他集』（1979・集英社）』▽『『明治文学全集59　三木露風他集』（1969・筑摩書房）』▽『安部宙之介著『三木露風研究』『続・三木露風研究』（1964、1969・木犀書房）』▽『『研究資料現代日本文学7　詩』（1980・明治書院）』

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