Book Review: A Kiss for the Absolute // Shuzo Takiguchi

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A Kiss for the Absolute: Selected Poems of Shuzo Takiguchi, translated by Mary Jo Bang and Yuki Tanaka, offers a rare, captivating experience for English-speaking readers, inviting us to see the world through the eyes of a poet deeply rooted in mythology and French surrealism.

Typically, poetry benefits from close analysis, but Takiguchi’s lines call us to pause and experience them as they unfold, to be open to their vivid, almost cinematic wonder. His poetry bridges cultural myths, from Cleopatra to Japanese spirits, creating a journey through mythic landscapes and the subconscious.

The translation of Takiguchi’s work into English by Bang and Tanaka has opened a window for English speakers into his unique world. This bilingual collection, the first of his poetry available in English, includes 35 carefully selected poems, displaying the Japanese text alongside the English translation side by side. The contrast between the spacious Japanese verses and the denser English ones serves as a visual reminder of how language nuances shift in translation. 

Takiguchi’s path to poetry was unique and shaped by global events and influences. Bang and Tanaka’s introduction reveals how his studies at Tokyo’s Keio University were interrupted by the Great Kanto Earthquake. After resuming school two years later, Takiguchi discovered French surrealism, which became a lifelong influence. He not only wrote poetry but also translated surrealist writers and served as a critic, eventually painting and writing about visual art. His work became a bridge between Western surrealism and Japan’s avant-garde movements, leaving a profound mark on Japanese art and poetry.

In A Kiss for the Absolute, Takiguchi’s poems reveal a sensuality reminiscent of French surrealism. Figures like Venus appear frequently, symbolising desire and idealised beauty. Through surreal imagery, Takiguchi explores themes of myth, beauty, and the mystical. 

One of my personal favourites is the title poem, ‘A Kiss for the Absolute’, which overflows with adoration for a feminine muse—a goddess-like figure who inspires reverence. Here, the narrator, a persona separate from Takiguchi, expresses an intense, almost worshipful fascination. The poem builds to a crescendo in the closing lines:

“All was overflowing. Everything was singing. Supreme delight was glowing like noctiluca sea sparkle on the leftover tea leaves of an untrodden path…”

The poem’s unfinished nature adds to its sense of boundlessness, suggesting an admiration too vast to be fully expressed. Takiguchi’s language is colourful  and often hyperbolic, inviting readers to feel his awe and reverence—a central theme throughout his work as curated by Bang and Tanaka.

I’m also drawn to Takiguchi’s shorter poems, which serve as mini-odes to surrealist artists he admired. In these compact tributes, Takiguchi captures the essence of icons like Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, and Man Ray. These brief pieces, though simple, resonate with deep admiration, each line an homage to the artists who influenced him, giving readers a glimpse into his personal connections with their work.

A Kiss for the Absolute introduces Shuzo Takiguchi’s surreal, mythical world to English readers, inviting them into a poetic landscape where Japanese culture and French surrealism meet in a celebration of beauty, desire, and wonder. This collection is more than an introduction to Takiguchi’s poetry; it’s an invitation into a cultural and linguistic dialogue that feels deeply mysterious and illuminating. 

Words by Georgia McInnes

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