Reginald Horace Blyth papers, 1885-2010, bulk 1940s-1960s
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Summary
- Creator:
- Blyth, Reginald Horace
- Abstract:
- Reginald Horace Blyth popularized Japanese poetic forms such as haiku and senryū within English-speaking audiences by publishing widely read English translations. Notably, Blyth helped draft the Ningen Sengen declaration, which stated that Emperor Hirohito was a human being and not divine. Blyth also served throughout the post-WWII era as a tutor to Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko. In addition, Blyth was an associate of Zen teacher D.T. Suzuki and other Buddhist practitioners and authors who, along with him, introduced Zen to Western audiences. The Reginald Horace Blyth papers include manuscript drafts, notes, and notebooks for published and unpublished works. Many of the files relate to his books on Japanese poetry, humor, and Zen, as well as to his works about British and American Literature. Other files relate to unpublished works and to research interests about animism, culture and mysticism, the British poet John Clare, language, love, and satanism. The bulk of the Printed Materials series includes an incomplete selection of Blyth's published books as well as newsletters and commentary from the Diamond Sangha in Honolulu.
- Extent:
- 5.75 Linear Feet
- Language:
- Materials in English, Japanese, and Korean
- Collection ID:
- RL.11762
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection includes manuscript drafts, notes, and notebooks for published and unpublished works by Reginald Horace Blyth, along with correspondence, photographs, and published work by others. Many of the files relate to Blyth's books on Japanese poetry, humor, and Zen, as well as his works about British and American literature. Some materials are written in Japanese. Of note, there are 20 folders of notebooks about senryū poetry, which are written in Japanese and translated into English with explication. Other files relate to unpublished works and research interests about animism, culture and mysticism, the British poet John Clare, language, love, and satanism. The bulk of the Printed Materials series includes an incomplete selection of Blyth's published books as well as newsletters and commentary from the Diamond Sangha in Honolulu.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Reginald Horace Blyth popularized Japanese poetic forms such as haiku and senryū within English-speaking audiences by publishing widely read English translations. Born in Essex, England, Blyth studied literature and went to Korea in 1925 to teach at the newly established Imperial University in Keijo (present-day Seoul) and moved to Japan in 1940. During WWII, he was interned in a Japanese camp as a noncombatant alien. After the war, Blyth served as an intermediary between American Occupation leaders and the Japanese. Notably, Blyth helped draft the Ningen Sengen declaration, which stated that Emperor Hirohito was a human being and not divine. Blyth also served throughout the post-war era as a tutor to Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko. In addition, Blyth was an associate of Zen teacher D.T. Suzuki and other Buddhist practitioners and authors who along with him introduced Zen to Western audiences. Blyth's own books include Zen in English Literature and Oriental Classics, the series Zen and Zen Classics, Senryu: Japanese Satirical Verses, and Oriental Humor. The bulk of Blyth's work was first published between 1942 and 1963. Blyth died in Tokyo in 1964.
Norman Waddell is a scholar of Japanese Zen Buddhism. Akiko Kobayashi was Blyth's longtime secretary.
- Acquisition information:
- The Reginald Horace Blyth papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2019.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Laurin Penland, August, 2019, and Elliot Mamet, February 2022
Accessions described in this collection guide: 2019-0082, 2021-0140.
- Arrangement:
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Organized into the following series: Correspondence, Personal Materials, Writings and Research, and Printed Materials. With few exceptions, Japanese names in this collection guide have been written following Western naming conventions, with the given name first and family name last.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
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Contents
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Some materials closed by donor request until 2041.
- Terms of access:
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The donor asserts copyright interest in this collection. Contact Rubenstein Library Research Services regarding publication permissions.
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- Preferred citation:
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[Identification of item], Reginald Horace Blyth papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1hw2n