Two Poets Who Represent Ukraine and Japan: Taras Shevchenko and Kenji Miyazawa

Abstract

Poetry has a certain impact on people, and countries around the world have produced great poets whose influences have continued to exert their ideas and vision throughout history. In consideration of how distinct poets from different cultural backgrounds compare, one question that arises is what kind of similarities, and perhaps differences, do Ukrainian and Japanese poets have? This paper explores the similarities between them through a comparison of the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko and Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa. It could be considered that these poets share something common in their works, thoughts, and backgrounds. By comparing these elements, the paper demonstrates that both poets shared a love for the nature of their lands, compassion for the poor, and a passion for enriching their respective languages.