Moji-e is undoubtedly a curious type of interweaving between writing and image in Japan. The word, which combines moji (writing) and e (image), first appeared in the Edo period (1603-1868), to designate motifs, usually human beings, created using written characters. Poets are not absent from the moji-e. They form a group characterized by two important features: the presence, in a significant number of cases, of a poem in the character's clothing, and the extreme complexity of some productions. How was a poetic moji-e read? This article attempts to provide some answers using a selection of moji-e depicting the poet Hitomaro, one of the most commonly portrayed poets up until the Meiji era (1868-1912).