'' (drawing by
Hishikawa Moronobu) As Shunzei's father and grandfather and a number of other relatives were all men of
literature and
poetry, he began writing and composing poetry at a young age. He tended to hew to an older style of poetry such as that seen in the ''
Man'yōshū and even wrote his first poetic commentary on Man'yōshū—Man'yōshū Jidaikō''—but he also drew upon recently imported and translated
Tang dynasty Chinese poetry. From a
literary criticism perspective, he notably was an early supporter of the
Tale of Genji, and after his 30s and 40s, he was especially known for his criticism and judgments at various poetry gatherings and contests, where he favored poems that displayed his preferred poetic style of
yugen (one of the ten orthodox styles of poetry which focused on conveying romantic emotion, with characteristic undertones of nostalgia and regret). His style was sometimes summarized as "old diction, new treatment". He wrote that poems "should somehow... produce an effect of both charm and of mystery and depth. If it is a good poem, it will possess a kind of atmosphere distinct from its words and their configuration and yet accompanying them." An example: His style was disciplined, determinedly sensitive and emotional. The poet
Shinkei (1406–1475) wrote the following about his composition of poetry: :
"Very late at night he would sit by his bed in front of an oil lamp so dim it was difficult to tell whether it was burning or not, and with a tattered court robe thrown over his shoulders and an old court cap pulled down to his ears, he would lean on an armrest, hugging a wooden brazier for warmth, while he recited verse to himself in an undertone. Deep into the night, when everyone else was asleep, he would sit there bent over, weeping softly." == Monk ==