Akazome Emon

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She is considered to be the daughter of Akazome Tokimochi, but her biological father is the former husband of her mother, Taira Kanemori, and she was delivered before her marriage to Tokimochi in the Akazome family. Her husband Oe no Masahira was a famous literary scholar, and the couple were considered to be nihongo|"lovebirds"|おしどり夫婦|oshidori fūfu. She is the mother of Oe no Takachika and Gōjijū, and the grandmother of Ōe no Masafusa. In 1012, after her husband drowned, she lost her religion and interest in raising her children.

Akazome Emon served Genrinshi and Fujiwara no Shoushi, respectively the wife and daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga, which made her an equal of Izumi Shikibu. However, in contrast to Izumi Shikibu's passionate writing style, Akazome Emon's poetry was marked with calm and grace. She was a contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shōnagon. She took part in two poetry matches in 1035 and 1041.

A collection of her poetry is published as the nihongo|Akazome Emon Collection|赤染衛門集|Akazome Emon Shū. She is believed to be the chief author or compiler of the Eiga Monogatari.

Poetry examples

• Akazome Emon composed this poem upon learning that Oe no Tamemoto was headed to the nihongo|Eastland|しかすが|shikasuga. This is a nihongo|poem of parting|離列(の)哥|wakare (no) uta; several official poetry anthologies followed the lead of Kokin Wakashū in having entire chapters devoted to such poems of parting. While the poem appears on the surface to be a trivial remark, she had no hope of Oe no Tamemoto ever returning; thus this poem is an unsaid goodbye.:惜ともなき物ゆへにしかすがの
  渡と聞けばたゞならぬ哉:"woshimu tomo nakimono yuhe ni shikasuga no watari to kikeba tada naranu kana" (classical kana orthography):loosely: Though I have no reason for regret, upon hearing that you are headed to Shikasuga I am not completely indifferent.:(Shūi Wakashū 6:316, written c. 985)
• This poem was composed on the anniversary of Oe no Mashashira's death. This is a classic example of explicit seasonal reference, pioneered in the poems on seasons in the Kokin Wakashū, that is typical of Heian poetry.:こぞの春ちりにし花も咲きにけり
  哀れ別のかゝらましかば:"kozo no haru chirinishi hana mo sakinikeri ahare wakare no kakaramashikaba" (classical kana orthography):loosely: The fallen blossoms of last spring are in bloom again. Oh if it were so with our painful parting!:(Shika Wakashū 10:402)

References

*cite book
author = Earl Miner
coauthors = Hiroko Odagiri; and Robert E. Morrell
title = The Princeton Companion to Classical Japanese Literature
year = 1985
publisher = Princeton University Press
pages = 141