some wise words and refined ideas, no 19th century flowery beauty-bullshit, the condensed sum of lifelong conscious experience. 
 The result of these uncompromising learned reflections is that i had problems accessing a few poems, some almost completely, which probably depend on a lot of ideas i don't know or haven't experienced yet. This is most prominently and easily shown in his mournings over his passed wife, Michiko, whose name can be found often in the poems. 
 But this personal insight is still interesting, you appreciate the raw intimate openness, and the rest easily makes up for it in awe and lessons learned. 
 I love how in many poems we get to explore ideas instead of flowery glorifications and metaphors, as in the poems of Billy Collins. A good example for that is Theoretical Lives, or in his words: 
 "Truth becomes visible, the architecture of the soul begins to show through. 
 (...) 
 We are returned to what lay beneath the beauty." 
 these 8 lines of "Eating With the Emperor" could easily be my review and my regret for anyone not reading this or similar things: 
 it reminds me of the banquets of Japanese emperors. 
 Each dish of marvelous food was put in front of 
 the guest and, after a while, taken away untouched. 
 Course after course. I remember that youth I was 
 and wonder if it is the same way with the soul.