Poetry plays a vital role in the Heian period prose narrative, Izumi Shikibu Nikki, written by Izumi Shikibu. This is evident not only from the large number of poems written, but also from the context of the poems, which characterize and reveal the feelings and desires of the two main characters. The poems are very private exchanges between the prince and the lady, who is believed to be Izumi Shikibu herself. Because they are so personal, readers can connect to the journal on a deeper level. Without the poetry, this piece of literature would be incomplete and probably not as valuable as it is considered today. Simply by taking a look at the Izumi Shikibu Nikki, one can conclude that poetry plays an important role in the diary. There are about three poems, tanka, per page. In contrast, Taketori Monogatari, written by an unknown author, and Fujiwara no Michitsuna's mother's Kagero Nikki have much less. This is certainly not to say that the poetry in these other works is insignificant, but only that by simply counting the number of poems before even starting to read the diary, one can assume that poetry plays a key role in Izumi Shikibu Nikki. the poetry in this Heian period prose narrative acts as a window into the depths of the hearts of the prince and the lady, who will be referred to as Izumi for clarity. Referring to The Izumi Shikibu Diary: A Romance of the Heian Court translated by Edwin A. Cranston, the very first poem expresses Izumi's uncertainty in communicating with the prince, half-brother of her deceased lover: “First I would hear your voice - / Is it the same as his?" (132). The poems reveal every emotion arising from desire: “This evening full of desire / Intense Beyo...... in the center of the paper...... the readers and the characters, but in the case of this Nikki, it is not so. Poetry is a wonderful literary art and in this nikki its greatness is demonstrated. Works cited "Shikibu, Izumi - Introduction". vol. 33. Gale Cengage, 1999. eNotes.com. 13 February 2011 shikibu-izumi>. "Taketori monogatari." Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1978. Michitsuna's Mother, "Kagerō Nikki." Comp and Ed. Donald Keene. New York: Grove Press, 1955. Print.Shikibu, Izumi. The Diary of Izumi Shikibu: A Novel of the Heian Court. Trans. Edwin A. Cranston. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1969.