Takarai kikaku

Takarai Kikaku ( Jap. 宝 井 其 角 , 1661 - 1707 ) , also known as Enomoto Kikaku - the Japanese poet of the Basho school, was one of the most influential poets of his time. He was born in 1661 in the family of a doctor; At about 16 years old he began to study Chinese poetry and philosophy, became a student of Matsuo Basho. The first Kikaku poems were published in 1679 ; in 1683 he compiled the anthology "Hollow Chestnuts" ("Minasiguri"), which became an event in the history of haiku. The poet forms his own unique style - Kikaku’s poems are brilliantly executed technically, romantic, and permeated with sensuality: in the afterword to the Minasiguri, Basho compared him with such authorities as Saigyo , Li Bo and Du Fu , emphasizing the ability of the young poet to see beauty in everyday life. In 1691, Kikaku, along with other students of Basho, took part in the creation of the collection “Sarumino” (“The straw cloak of a monkey”). At one time, Kikaku was very popular - the poet visited almost all corners of Japan, leaving behind a lot of students.