石川啄木と一九〇九年- 前期の日記と書簡を中心に -

Abstract

This paper focuses on Ishikawa Takuboku's literary career in the first half of 1909, mainly elaborating on his diary entries and letters. When discussing the history of Takuboku research, it is required to grasp the whole picture. This paper focuses on the first half of 1909 to complement the preceding research which has been conducted in relation to the fall of 1909. First of all, it can be said that it was the time when Takuboku's name was announced to the literary world, as the New Year's Day diary entry touches upon his activities related to the comprehensive literary magazine Subaru. His proofreading experience at the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun served as an opportunity to grow significantly in terms of ideological and literary aspects, and it can be said, at the same time, that the writer, who was responsible for supporting his family, created psychological stability to lay the foundation for living in Tokyo. The most notable work of the first half of 1909 is "Romaja Diary," and Takuboku's use of Roman letters in the work shows his pioneering efforts to embrace a new era and is thought to have played the same role as the emoticons used by today's young people. It can be said that "Romaja Diary" was an unusual story of lamentation written by Takuboku to forget his situation with a sense of desperation and with a sense of suffering from literary frustration and responsibility for his family.