Tō no Yume

Tō no Yume [棟の菌, c. 1210s - c. 1270s] was an early Kantonese female poet, and by far the most highly-regarded and respected of her time. She was renowned for her unusual beauty, her intelligence and wit, and her remarkable command of language. To this day, Tō no Yume is considered a symbol of ideal Kantonese femininity.
== Biography ==
Almost nothing of Tō's life is known for certain, save for the names of various men with whom she engaged in romantic affairs; some of her correspondences and exchanges of poetry with them have been recovered. She was probably born between 1203 and 1210, and she was most active in composing poetry around the middle of the thirteenth century.
Extensive study has gone into trying to ascertain her place of birth, her family and so on, but without conclusive results. Legends have always said that she was born in Hamae Prefecture, although there is no evidence of this. Some scholars have posed the theory that Yume may have been multiple women, a mythical figure to whom the qualities of numerous women were attributed. It has also been theorised that she worked as a courtesan in the Imperial courts during her adolescence, thus allowing her to study of poetry and literature.
According to one tradition, Yume was born in eastern Hamae Prefecture, and was the daughter of a poor merchant family. The 1367 play Yume Ryōji by Yōsaka describes her as a "middle-class lady, born sixth to an unfortunate merchant'. However, historians do not know if this is a factual detail, or if Yōsaka made it up on a whim. Today it is believed that she was most likely a woman of middling lineage who travelled to the capital in order to gain opportunities, and became a court performer, courtesan or lady-in-waiting.
== Poetry ==
Legend says that Tō was well aware of her beauty and allure to men, and had many lovers during her life. Poem #98 in her first anthology begins with a line which references a poem by her contemporary Nenu no Kanjū; they apparently had frequent correspondence. In her second anthology Tō writes of 'excellent health' (the homophonous word kanjū) as being her 'most sought-after goal' (perhaps suggesting that she wished to marry him, or at least become romantically involved with the poet).
Indeed, Tō no Yume is almost inextricably linked with eroticism, romantic love and desire. Her poems cover a number of strong feelings in great detail: desire, love, passion, melancholia, loneliness and introspectiveness. Some of her major works are:
* Under the Peach Blossoms (塙花の导, Momohana no Ku)
* Road Along a Beautiful Mountain (亮山煮迂, Ryōsan Niren)
* Waves Meeting on a Distant Shore (批代の连波, Tendai no Keinō)
* Lighting A Candle (標条, Rintana)
* Twilight (沒物, Meiyū)
Category:People