Classical Japanese

Harvard FAS

In this course, we will learn and practice reading the fundamental grammatical patterns of classical, or literary, Japanese (bungo). From Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji to Bashō’s famous haiku, this linguistic form appears in a wide variety of Japanese literature. In fact, traces of classical Japanese can still be found in modern Japanese and are often employed in news articles and song lyrics. As we read poetry, short stories, diaries, and more, students will not only gain…