Long before Rupi Kaur existed (and every second girl suddenly had an interest in poetry), the Heian period in Japan knew many great aristocrats and artists. Known as the Golden Age in Japan, The Heian period existed from 794 to 1185. It got it's name from the location of the imperial capital. The period was most well-known for flourishing culture, pursuit of aesthetic refinement and art & literature.
Two of the most well-known poets of the time were Izumi Shikibu and Ono no Komachi. Izumi Shikibu was a member of the Thirty-Six Female Immortals of Poetry and combined eroticism and romanticism with Buddhist philosophy. Ono no Komachi was also regarded among the Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry and was known for writing emotionally charged poetry. She was also a figure of ideal beauty. It was thought that the ability to write beautiful poetry reflected the external beauty of the writer.
Poetry in the Heian period was highly regarded. It actually served as a way of courtship for men and for women, it was public representation outside the home. Heian poetry was not only a reflection of women's beauty, but also a man's attractiveness. With their beauty ideals being so closely linked, poetry was inherently meaningful in society.
Poetry and romanticism were so closely linked in the Heian period, making looking back at it extremely interesting. They held different gender ideals back then. It's hard to imagine now poetry being so significant, but should we perhaps try to integrate it back into our lives?
So as exhibited in the texts above, poetry did in fact exist before Rupi Kaur. In specific, this romantic style of poetry expressing aesthetic refinement was once pivotal to life in Japan.
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