From 794 AD to 1184 AD, the Heian era was widely known for its innovative art, poetry, prose, and other forms of literature; most of which was contributed by the imperial court. Of the different types of literature from the Heian era, nikki, monogatari, and setsuwa are used today as excellent examples of traditional Japanese literature. Although these are different forms of literature, different topics and of different lengths, most authors applied applied poetry within nikki, monogatari and setsuwa and used poetry as a means to embellish the pieces. Monogatari, translated as "talking about things", is a retelling of folk stories, myths, romantic stories, etc. like prose. Famous monogatari include Genji Monogatari, Heike Monogatari, Ise Monogatari, and Taketori Monogatari to name just a few. Among monogatari there are various genres, such as uta monogatari, reikishi monogatari, tsukuri monogatari and uta monogatari, gunki monogatari, setsuwa monogatari and giko monogatari. Each different genre of monogatari covered topics such as romance, folklore, historical narratives, war stories, and more. Although they were an important part of Japanese literature, monogatari were not popular during the Heian era. Typically written in what was the new Japanese character at the time, kana, monogatari was associated with women. This was largely because women were looked down upon and were not educated in Chinese, what was once considered an academic and upper-class language for the Japanese. For example, Lady Murasaki Shikibu, a member of the court, wrote the famous Genji Monogatari. The authors of other monogatari such as Ise Monogatari are never known. The Monogatari were written in prose, however, many authors included...... half of the document ......ons. Much of Japan's valuable traditional literature arose during the Heian era, although many of its literary forms were undervalued at the time. Not all authors used poems in their pieces, however, for those who did, the poems were used as an extension of a character's emotions and beliefs. Actions could have easily expressed character, however, during a peaceful period like the Heian era, expressing oneself through literary form had a higher value and esteem. Some works may have been embellished with poems than others; however, both literature with and without poetry would later influence other forms of Japanese art and literature in the future. Works Cited Keene, Donald. Anthology of Japanese literature, from the early to the mid-19th century. New York: Grove, 1955. PrintClass Handouts from Laulima