Exercises in the translation of contemporary Chinese and Japanese poetry

English translations of poems by two contemporary male Asian poets--Kurihara Shun of Japan and Zheng Chouyu of Taiwan--are presented in separate sections. Each section is preceded by a brief introduction to the poet and a discussion of some of the chief characteristics of his work. In the case of the Taiwanese poet, this discussion also examines several of the challenges facing the English translator of the modern Chinese poem, with reference to the difficulties encountered in translating this particular poet's work. A general introduction analyzes the subject of translation from a broader perspective, and includes observations about the different motivational forces and creative objectives found among translators of foreign literature, the various methods used, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The creation of these translations was intended primarily as a learning process. Consequently, the analyses that accompany them are presented from a highly personal standpoint throughout.