Toge San!
1 media/toge-poem-read_thumb.jpg 2019-09-04T15:21:04+00:00 Maxwell Mitchell 5fec7a6574d32fe574c01ba927cd57c749ceca69 13 1 Shikoku Gorō’s poem “Toge san!” with images similar to those in the first edition of Atomic Bomb Poetry, in Shikoku Gorō shigashū: Boshizō (Hiroshima: Hiroshima Shijinkaigi, 1970). plain 2019-09-04T15:21:04+00:00 Maxwell Mitchell 5fec7a6574d32fe574c01ba927cd57c749ceca69This page is referenced by:
- 1 2019-09-04T16:10:38+00:00 Toge San! 2 plain 2019-09-04T16:11:08+00:00 On the top half of the spread, Shikoku’s poem “Tōge san!” expresses sadness over the sudden loss of Our Poem’s mentor, who worked “with a passion that couldn’t be contained in your weak body.” The speaker pledges to “carry on your many efforts/ crying out in the spirit of Hiroshima people with painful keloids/singing the hopes of people of the world who wish for peace.” This printed version of the poem in a 1970 book by Shikoku is paired with sketches similar to those in the first edition of Atomic Bomb Poetry. Shikoku originally composed this poem to be read at the memorial gathering for Tōge after his unexpected death in 1953. Just as Tsuchiya Kiyoshi’s play Rivers about Our Poems circle held deep meaning to audiences in turbulent times, “Toge san!” resonated with Shikoku and readers during the Vietnam War.
