Introduction
ever, the greatness of this man to live through any bitter experience and attain a higher spiritual level.
The period of storm and strife was over by 1910. He had quietly borne the death of his father and mother, and the tragic death of his little daughter. In the spring of 1910, a tea-arbor was built in the small garden of his house in Honjo. The timber used was the gift of his friend, Shinichiro Warabi (1876–1922), who appears in the Keeper of the Hills. Retiring here, Sachio found the solace and spiritual peace which he had long sought in vain. Here all the disturbing problems of his life found their own solution, and he was determined to dedicate the remaining years of his life to the service of the muse. This singleness of purpose made him unwilling to confine his efforts to one style, but impelled him from one discovery to another. In such essays as “Expression and Presentation,” “Life of New Poetry,” and “Cries” which discuss the use of exclamation in lyric poetry, he touches upon the most profound problems in poetry. They are valuable as the by-product of his quest for truth and permanent value.
In April, 1912, the dairy was moved from
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