Japanese poetry—graceful, laconic, and so unlike the work of Western poets—is a unique phenomenon. Many experts believe that the Silver Age (late 19th to early 20th centuries) represents the period of Japanese verse's greatest flourishing.

This anthology, compiled by renowned orientalist and translator of Japanese poetry Alexander Dolin, includes works by the greatest poets of the Silver Age (including such celebrated writers as Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Natsume Soseki).

The book is supplemented by extensive introductory articles that provide a panorama of the numerous poetic schools and movements of the Silver Age.