The World of Haiku (Volume D)

Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) The Tokugawa shogunate helped to stabilize Japanese society after a long period of civil wars and social disorder. Its many cities became vibrant, bustling places, especially as the elite samurai (the warrior class), left with no wars to fight, settled in urban centers to work (and play). Though the shogunate imposed strict social order, they also provided education to common classes of people. This in turn produced demand for new literatures that reflected common, everyday life. This map represents a reunified Japan and the Tokugawa clan.

Background Popular during the 17th century merchant, samurai class – economic and cultural force Commercial printing and bookstores Growth of literacy popular reading—haikai and Buddhist devotional texts Hakai became popular during the seventeenth century, a period of drastic change in Japan. The military clan of Tokugawa brought back order and prosperity when they established themselves as shoguns in Edo (Tokyo). A new class of urban commoners, including merchants and samurai, became a driving economic and cultural force. Commercial printing took off, bookstores targeted the new commoner class, and the literacy rate dramatically grew. During the second half of the century, 650 haikai titles were published, and they represented the second most popular category of printed books after Buddhist devotional texts. The image is a portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The image is a portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Unorthodox Poetry Haikai - “comic” or “unorthodox” poetry; it is the origin of haiku haibun (prose essay) haiga (ink paintings) Haiku - 3 lines, seventeen on (sound units) containing a kiru (juxtaposition), a kireji (cutting) and kigo (seasonal reference) Haikai can mean “comic” or “unorthodox” poetry, and is the origin of haiku. Haikai poets wrote not only popular linked verse, they also pioneered a new style in writing prose essays (haibun) such as travelogues, and they produced ink paintings (haiga). The image is titled A Little Cuckoo Across a Hydrangea, an example of haiga by Yosa Buson (1716–1784).

Haiku Style kiru, juxtaposition, and kireji, cutting word kigo, seasonal reference on, phonetic unit “An old pond— A frog leaps in, The sound of water” Bashō Haiku is distinguished by three qualities: it consists of seventeen on and contains a kiru (cutting) and kigo (seasonal reference). An on is a Japanese phonetic unit that is often mistaken for a syllable in English. While an on in haiku poetry often equals one English syllable, they are not necessarily the same. A haiku consists of seventeen on, 5-7-5, divided into three lines. Kiru is usually represented as the juxtaposition of two ideas or images, with a kireji (cutting word) between them. The kireji can appear at the end of any of three lines and is drawn from a prescribed list of words. It serves to divide the poem into two parts. The kigo is a word or phrase associated with a particular season and is a remnant of haiku’s place in renga poems, as the opening triplet would always contain a seasonal reference. The majority of kigo, but not all, are drawn from nature. The image is a haiga of Basho’s haiku on frogs (ca. 1820), translated on the left panel by Yokoi Kinkoku. The caption states that this is a portrait of Basho with his most famous poem, from a collection of portraits of Basho and his disciples along with their respective haiku poems.

Matsuo Bashō’s haiku http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXvzgR3A9_I The image is an artwork showing a terakoya (ca. 1842–45), by Issunshi Hanasato. The terakoya were private temple schools of reading and writing for commoners’ children during the Edo Period.

Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) marginal figure like people who feature in his poetry 1680 retreat to “Banana plant hut” – pen name 5 month journey with Sora The Narrow Road to the Deep North - pilgrimage through nature Basho was not part of the prominent haikai circles in the major cities but was rather a marginal figure like the travelers, outcasts, beggars, and old people who feature in his poetry. He made his living teaching poetry after his former samurai family lost its stature, and in 1680 retreated to a “Banana plant hut” (Basho-an) from which he took his pen-name, on the Sumida River in the outskirts of Edo. In 1689 he set out to travel with his companion Sora on a five-month journey, which inspired him to write The Narrow Road as a pilgrimage through nature; the collection acts as a travelogue in verse form. The image is a statue of Basho in Hiraizumi, Iwate (near Ueno).

Morikawa Kyoriku (1656–1715) A disciple of Basho, Morikawa Kyoriku’s treatise on poetry develops and theorizes the idea of kiru, or juxtaposition. He demonstrates the process of creating a haiku by starting with two elements he wants to contrast, “scent of plum blossoms” and “blue lacquer bowl,” and he works through various possibilities for a middle line before settling on one. He creates his juxtaposed image and then lets the reader infer emotion from it . A disciple of Basho, Morikawa Kyoriku’s treatise on poetry develops and theorizes the idea of kiru, or juxtaposition. He demonstrates the difficult process of creating a haiku. Like Kitamura Kigin, Morikawa Kyoriku was a disciple of Matsuo Bashō’s who wrote treatises and literary theory in addition to poetry. In Haikai Dialogue, Morikawa Kyoriku argues that the kiru is the most important element of Matsuo Bashō’s school of haiku poetry. He demonstrates the process of creating a haiku by starting with two elements he wants to contrast, “scent of plum blossoms” and “blue lacquer bowl,” and he works through various possibilities for a middle line before settling on one. He creates his juxtaposed image and then lets the reader infer emotion from it .

Yosa Buson (1716–1783) Combines popular haiku poetry with more highbrow and traditional forms of Chinese poetry to create serious, spiritual poetry. Haiku as spiritual and contemplative poetry. The haiku at the end of The Badger still uses a Matsuo Bashō-style juxtaposition, between a badger and Buddha but uses it to deliver a spiritual message: even the most humble creatures can eventually achieve transcendent peace. Buson came from a peasant family living outside of Osaka and studied poetry in Edo with a student of one of Basho’s students. Yosa Buson combines popular haiku poetry with more highbrow and traditional forms of Chinese poetry to create serious, spiritual poetry. Yosa Buson combined haiku with the more traditional poetry to create poetry that was spiritual and contemplative. The haiku at the end of The Badger still uses a Matsuo Bashō-style juxtaposition, between a badger and Buddha but uses it to deliver a spiritual message: even the most humble creatures can eventually achieve transcendent peace. The image is a photograph of Yosa Buson’s grave.

Yosa Buson (1716–1783) “To depart from the common in painting, they must throw away their brushes and read books. In this case, how can there be a distance between Chinese poetry and haikai” (p. 630). Buson came from a peasant family living outside of Osaka and studied poetry in Edo with a student of one of Basho’s students. Yosa Buson combines popular haiku poetry with more highbrow and traditional forms of Chinese poetry to create serious, spiritual poetry. Yosa Buson combined haiku with the more traditional poetry to create poetry that was spiritual and contemplative. The haiku at the end of The Badger still uses a Matsuo Bashō-style juxtaposition, between a badger and Buddha but uses it to deliver a spiritual message: even the most humble creatures can eventually achieve transcendent peace. The image is a photograph of Yosa Buson’s grave. The image is a photograph of Yosa Buson’s grave.

Test Your Knowledge With no wars left to fight, the numerous elite samurais often became _________ . a. bureaucrats b. artists c. farmers d. warriors Answer: A Section: The Tokugawa Clan Feedback: The preeminent samurai—the warrior class—took up posts in the vast Tokugawa bureaucracy.

Test Your Knowledge Which of the following works is the diary of a poet’s travels? Life of a Sensuous Woman Matsu Bashō c. The Narrow Road to the Deep North d. Collection of Myriad Leaves Answer: C Feedback: The Narrow Road to the Deep North chronicles the travels of Matsu Bashō, one of the era’s most prominent and famous literary figures.

Test Your Knowledge Which of the following statements is true? a. Writers of the period were not highly regarded. b. Theater was not considered a literary form. c. Writers often mixed elements of classical and popular literature. d. Writers were not allowed to mix elements of classical and popular literature. Answer: C Section: The Tokugawa Clan Feedback: Writers of this period were particularly sensitive to the dynamic between popular (zoku) literature and refined (ga) literature. However, there was nothing that forbade them from mixing elements of the two styles. Famous poets, like Bashō, often experimented by combining elements of each: high and low diction, for example, or classical themes expressed in new poetic language.

Now you are the poet! In pairs, choose one of the texts we have previously discussed in class. Think about two elements or images in this text that you would like to contrast. Somehow, add a seasonal element or reference to nature. Link ideas together. Now polish it up so that you have 17 syllables. Congratulations on your first haiku!