小杉未醒 「戦友の墓」論

Abstract

「The Grave of Fellow Soldier」 is a poem on war by Kosugi Misei. It is a unique memorial poem with high artistic value. This paper is a full-fledged academic study on this poem which has been little known so far to look at its characteristics and significance as a war poem. Moreover, the study examined the background and process of the creation of this poem from the perspective of interrelation and continuity with relevant poem and the perspective of relation with his war experience as a poet and war correspondent painter. The study findings are as follows; First, 「The Grave of Fellow Soldier」 completes the series of Misei's poem expressing the feelings inside a soldier in a battle field. It described in depth the landscape on the soldier’s inner side, who takes care of the grave of deceased fellow soldier, fully expressing the sorrow, anxiety and terror of war. Second, 「The Grave of Fellow Soldier」 utilized metaphorical expressions based on natural objects such as wild herbs, wild flowers and snow, successfully shaping the inner flow of the poetic narrator, that is, the soldier in the battle field, with delicate and highly artistic poetic expressions. Third, 「The Grave of Fellow Soldier」 is a memorial poem full of mournful affection of remembrance where the poetic narrator, the soldier in the battle field made a grave sign, and offered flowers every day to console his friend's soul. This poem shows a very unique aspect rarely found in other anti-war poems during the Russo-Japanese War. Forth, 「The Grave of Fellow Soldier」 employed mournful poetic words of cherished memories to enlighten the miserableness and irrationality of war in its unique poetic plot while presenting highly artistic poetic expressions. For these reasons, the poem is viewed as a work completing distinctive poetic achievement.