Editor Constance Brewer as you see, is giving us insights into writing Japanese short form poetry for the next couple of months so I decided for our inspiration this week to refer to haiku too and try to show how the thought is expanded by a master and just how long a short form really is.
Matsu Basho was one of the great masters of haiku. This Basho, is a favourite of mine.
Clouds come from time to time –
and bring to men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon.
“Clouds come from time to time”
The literal nature reference is clear here, we all know clouds in that sense, but this is also metaphorically true of our common experience of life. Clouds blot the horizon, make the day dark; cover the Sun. We all have dark times in our lives.
But “from time to time,” suggests hope. The second half of this line cleverly leads the reader towards an optimistic view – from time to time is unlike;
Clouds come often…
Clouds come always…
Clouds obscure the sky…
It’s something we can cope with.
“and bring to men”
emphasises the universality of experience Basho is trying to relate and the aspect of all nature being a gift so that even the clouds bring us something. Again there is that positive implied outcome.
They bring:
“a chance to rest”
There we have the gift and you might think now of the gift of rain and rest from work in the fields. Perhaps Basho pauses the thought at the word rest in order to lead us in that direction. Of course this is in translation so I cannot affirm that.
But Basho has an “a-ha” moment for you – he doesn’t mean the clouds come as a respite from physical work. He is going much deeper into the metaphysical.
“from looking at the moon.”
From looking at the moon? Yes because the moon is bright. It is all very well to have brightness — but brightness all the time? No. Basho is saying is that we all need contrasts in our lives. Perpetual brightness and happiness are no more desirable than the unbroken misery of clouds. So Basho’s clouds come to allow us to appreciate the light.
Is not that truly masterful?
The Moon in haiku is a seasonal word. That is, a word that reminds us of a season – in this case it is autumn so the poem may well be refering to gathering in the harvest. In English poetry we can use these shortcuts too; daffodils might signify spring, as does cherry blossom. Roses might be used to replace references to summer. An egg might be a short-cut to Easter. Haiku uses cultural referents as shortcuts all the time. It is a convention of the form.
In all your future attempts at haiku, strive to find that universal thought and get to its essence — the a-ha moment.
Just one haiku more – from master Issa?
the sumo wrestler apologizing, releases the sparrow -Issa, 1825
Oh — and ignore the 5-7-5 count. What works in one language often doesn’t work so well in another. We prefer minimalist haiku in the e-zine.
Remember there is no time limit on our inspirations and the resulting poems may be submitted in the ordinary way but please do put on a note that it was us who inspired you.
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February 22nd, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Enjoyed this piece. :]