Prose is often used as a source of entertainment that can include elements of fiction and nonfiction. They are used in myths and legends that tell stories, explaining why things exist and how they are meant to be. Meanwhile, poetry is widely used as a means of expressing the writer's innermost feelings. Inspirations for such poems can come from the poet's past experiences, breathtaking landscapes, or the passage of time. Poetry is often used in prose as a mechanism to show a character's own thoughts and feelings; most of the characters' poems never coincide with the writer's own thoughts, except in rare cases. However, poetry can also be used as a convention to add depth to the story. These types of poems are simpler and do not need much thought to understand their meaning. Izumi Shikibu Nikki, Tosa Nikki, and Taketori monogatari all used poetry mixed with prose and had common but distinct properties. The many poems shared between the prince and lady in Izumi Shikibu Nikki reflect the normal exchanges between two lovers at the time. The first exchange between the Prince and the lady shows that they are interested in each other: “Sooner I would hear your voice…, Is it the same as hers? . . If I hadn't recklessly opened my heart to you and caused this pain. . .” (Izumi 132). As the story progresses, the poems begin to sound similar, as the lady and the prince begin to constantly exchange poems after their first "meeting". The two men loved each other deeply, but they constantly expressed doubts about each other: "When will I hear The Deaf Song...?" . . Such a strange way of loving: meeting, but not being satisfied, all night” (137). The poems were a clear sign of courtship, but the circumstances...... middle of paper ......are in prose, as they tend to focus on a single subject. Love and romance dominated most of the poetic themes of Izumi Shikibu Nikki and Taketori monogatari, while Tosa Nikki used poems to illustrate the writer's despair at losing his daughter, but also included various poems composed by d others that “correspond” to a given situation. Although poems can serve different functions, they are an integral part of the art of storytelling and have played a huge role in Japanese prose. Works CitedKeene, Donald. “Anthology of Japanese Literature”. 82-91. New York: Grove. 1955. Print. Shikibu Izumi. “The Diary of Izumi Shikibu; a romance of the Heian court. Translated by Edward A. Cranston. Cambridge: Harvard University. 1965. the canvas. February 12, 2011. Taketori monogatari. Translated by Donald Keene. Laulima. Internet. February 12 2011.