Bashō

The embedded YouTube video “Matsuo Basho” posted by RaulSantiagoSebazco is a clever juxtaposition illustrating the journey, both literally and aesthetically, of the historical Basho. In essence the video is a form of “Modern Haiga” complimenting both the art of Basho’s words, Japanese Shamisen music, and the Haiga paintings of Basho himself.

 The video opens with a map of “Basho’s Trail” beginning in Edo (current day Old Tokyo) and ending near the city of Nara. Norman Howard of National Geographic notes the duration of this trek stating, “[Basho] walked for five months through the uplands and lowlands, villages, and mountains north of Edo and along the shores of the Sea of Japan” (Howard). This image opens the video to give the audience an understanding of the physical length of Basho’s wandering and alludes to the vast array of experiences and sights he would have seen along the way. Adding an additional layer of reverence for the master of the Haiku. Throughout the rest of the video Haikus are juxtaposed with Haiga paintings helping to compliment, but not explain, the poetic verses of Basho.

            As stated by Poets.org “Haiga paintings, like the haikus accompanying them, are usually restrained, with minimal ink brush strokes and light color” (Poets.org). During Basho’s lifetime he studied the art of Haiga; mixing the visual manifestations of his poems with the reality it depicted. It’s important to keep in mind that these two mediums were meant purely as compliments to one another; not as explanations. As poets.org states, “in some cases the Haiku and the painting have nothing to do with one another” and that if the Haiga did indeed “copy” the Haiku it wouldn't be an acceptable medium to convey their poetic message. As, Susumi Takiguchi—founder of the World Haiku Club—states, “if the painting and haiku are [similar], it would mean that one has been added because the other is not adequate” (Poets.org). This could be interpreted as a form of disrespect for the artist(s) or their given artform(s).

            Often times the poems and the paintings would be by the same artist, or by friends/pupils of the poet; such as the relationship between Basho and Morikawa Kyoriku in which they would share their expertise in their given art forms for mutual benefit (Wikipedia). If one looks close they can see the Haiku elegantly written on each of the Haiga; each component is working their own forms of aesthetic magic upon the audience for an enhanced effect. The Haiku’s were to be written in a calligraphic nature in order to add more aesthetic value to the work as a whole. Poetry.org states, “calligraphy—determines the look of the poem on the page and communicates its essence” (Poetry.org). Unfortunately the video uses simple fonts to convey the essence of each Haiku; detracting from the intended effect of the digital Haiga. This video pays homage to all facets of Haiga and Haiku while giving them a twenty-first century medium in which to be conveyed.

 

Works Cited:

"Haiga." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Mar. 2016. Web. 23 May 2016.

 

Howard, Norman. "Basho." On the Poet's Trail. National Geographic, Feb. 2009. Web. 23 May 2016.

 

"The Haiga: Haiku, Calligraphy, and Painting." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 24 May 2016. 

RaulSantiagoSebazco. “Matsuo Basho”. Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 9 Apr.  2010. Web. 23 May 2016

If you are interested in Basho please check out the following Video by "School of Life"!

Classic of Poetry

The umbrella term “education” has taken on many shapes and sizes throughout recorded history. I hasn’t always been long lines of uncomfortable desks with plastic chairs made in the pits of hell. There have been, and continue to be places, where education has been carried on through oral traditions. In fact a majority of historical education has been purely through cultural modes of conveyance; for example poetry. In classic Chinese poetry all one needed to know, or so they said, was written among the lines of eloquently composed poems. There are poems helping to incite social order, those displaying traditional familial roles, others giving a sense of historicity to a powerful group of people and even the structure of the poems themselves helped aspiring poets and readers (both past and present) to bathe in their unique construction and elegant styles. Education, for an untold amount of souls, was to be found in the Classic of Poetry.

Many of the original author’s names have been lost to history and a great number of works have been honorably attributed to Confucius. As stated in the Norton Anthology of World Literature, “Confucius believed that political order depended on the ability of individuals in society to cultivate their moral virtue and thus contribute to social order” (“Classic of Poetry” 756). Throughout many of the works varying cultural niches are displayed giving all facets of society routes in which to help the society in which they live. This use of “feng” allows poetry to sway the opinions of those who are the poem’s audience (757). One such cultural norm displayed throughout many works is the role of a young woman.

One example can be found in “VI. Peach Tree Soft and Tender,” in which a young woman goes from being a blooming bride to a mother and progenitor of future generations. The initial stanza uses the images associated with springtime blossoms and a beauty that is fresh and fertile. This is followed by a tree beginning to bear fruit (an allusion to children) and finally “[her] leaves begin to spread thick and full” (“Peach Tree Soft and Tender” 760). In the final stanza we see her family tree branching further and further out into the future. The values shown here are that women were needed and expected to be the “soft and supple” peach tree of familial life; as they married, made and raised babies, they honor their home and family (760). By first blooming, then bearing fruit, then being the strong tree holding up the rest of the family a woman was capable of fulfilling her role in the family and in the world.

Other types of moral lessons can be found in “CCXLV. She Bore the Folk” in which we are able to see the birth of a tradition, the inherent goodness of hard work, and the roles of men and women through the birth and life of Lord Millet. It’s important to note that this work is also closely tied to the ancestry of the Zhou clan which also helps to create a social cohesion of sorts (758).  The use of rhetorical devices is imperative in legend establishing longer works such as “She Bore the Folk”.

The works created their own styles effectively using a certain style of rhetoric in order to create cultural adherence to acceptable values and ideas; one important mechanism was enumeration. “Enumeration [is] the telling of sequences of events in a straight forward narrative fashion” (758). By utilizing rhetorical tools such as this authors and readers could mimic or expound upon standards already set. Although not everyone was capable of reading these works there was still a large significance to their oral power as well.

These poems have lived on for over 1300 years and have influenced common people and prolific poets since their creation, Ezra Pound being one of the most notable in contemporary times. These works, some now nearing their 3000^th birthday, are still alive both in their native land and all across the globe; a true testament to their skill and ability to give some insight into the past and the human condition.

Works Cited:   

Puchner, Martin Et. Al.. “Classic of Poetry” The Norton Anthology of World Literature: Shorter Third Edition. Two-Volume Set. W.W. Norton. Ed. M Puchner. 2013. 756-766. Print.       

“VI. Peach Tree Soft and Tender”. Classic of Poetry. The Norton Anthology of World Literature: Shorter Third Edition. Two-Volume Set. W.W. Norton. Ed. M Puchner. 2013. 760. Print.  

   

“CCXLV. She Bore the Folk”. Classic of Poetry. The Norton Anthology of World Literature: Shorter Third Edition. Two-Volume Set. W.W. Norton. Ed. M Puchner. 2013. 756-766. Print.       

Somadeva : The Desires and Disguises

            Disguises can offer a whole host of interpretations yet all can agree that those who wish to disguise themselves are trying to either hide something they are or they are trying to be something they’re not. Within the works of Somadeva, particularly in The Red Lotus of Chastity, disguise is used to accomplish both. In particular women utilize the art of disguise as an extension of the cunning they already possess in order to obtain that which they desire. Through the masterful use of disguise wickedness is hidden behind the veil of the innocent and the holy, servants are raised to the status of masters, and women are given the free-ranging abilities of men. In each instance the woman is taking charge of a matter and, through disguise, becoming more powerful than their “normal” self appears to be.

            The first encounter with the art of disguise is seen in its use by Siddhikari in her heist of a wealthy merchant’s money. Disguised as a maid she was able to situate herself close enough to her employer until her evil intentions were played out. As the story states, “as soon as the merchant had come to trust her, she stole all the gold he had in his house and sneaked away at dawn” (Somadeva 1276). Afterward she dawned the robe of feigned suicidal thoughts and killed a potential rival for the money. Finally she uses an Eros disguise and bites the tongue off of a servant whom had come to retrieve her. Through each trial she disguises herself to be something she isn’t to gain the upper hand. Disguise is her hidden dagger that remains unseen until it is too late.

            The second use of disguise is by the wandering nun Yogakarandika. Her disguise is one she is always publicly wearing. Being a nun she should be trusted and held in high esteem, yet she is more than willing to do evil deeds simply for the fun of doing them. In The Red Lotus of Chastity she is offered money to help a few malevolent men to commit infidelity with Devasmita. It’s important to note that Yogakarandika refuses any monetary payment. She states, “I have no desire for money” (1275). Her object of desire is pride in her cunning and the use of wickedness to gain some sense of power within the world. So without payment of any kind she enters Devasmita’s home in an attempt to bring wickedness upon her. She then disguises each of the four men as one of her own pupils who all end up being deceived by the cleverest character within the work, Devasmita.

            Devasmita dresses up her own servants to play her role within the household. Each faux-suiter is drugged, branded, and left to sleep in the gutter. Devasmita in her wisdom recognizes the wicked nature of the nun and her pupil and punishes them for their actions. She punishes them by drugging them and “cut[ting] of their noses and ears [then] toss[ing] them outside in a sewage pit” (1278). Then, fearing for her husband’s safety she hatches a plot to protect her husband from the revenge of those who challenged her fidelity.

            As any great woman does in times of need she visits her mother who recites an old folk tale about a woman who disguises herself to save her husband’s life (1278). She decides to embark upon a similar path and disguises herself and her servants as men to cross the sea in safety. As the text states, Devasmita and her maids disguised themselves as merchants, boarded a ship on the pretext of business, then departed for Cathay where her husband was staying” (1279). Had she attempted to cross alone, with a band of servants, she would have most definitely been stopped before reaching her husband. Through the art of disguise she is able to temporarily hide her “womanness” and convey a convincing masculine aura of power despite her feminine features.

            Her disguise even befuddles her husband Gusahena upon arrival when viewing her from a distance he “drank deep of the make image of his beloved wife. He wondered what such a delicate person could have to do with the merchant’s profession” (1279). In the end she uses the power of her disguise to gain an audience with the king and set everything right. Her cunning and physical disguises allow her to obtain money, her husbands adoration, and a continued presence with her beloved.

            In each instance women wear physical or immaterial disguises to [attempt to] obtain that which they desire. Essentially this is a tale in which “good” desires ultimately trump the “evil” desires. The use of disguise reflects on both the real benefits of being something else and the necessity of having to be something else in front of men. Regardless the disguise doesn’t mask the cunning nature of the powerfully driven women in The Red Lotus of Chastity.

Works Cited

Somadeva. The Red Lotus of Chastity. The Norton Anthology of World Literature: Shorter Third Edition. Two-Volume Set. W.W. Norton. Ed. M Puchner. 2013. 1274-1279. Print.

Biography

Born late into the year of the Rabbit Josh Nieubuurt exited the womb and entered the world on December 12, 1987. The rabbit being a sign of luck has proved to be true throughout his nearly three decades of life. From growing up in a semi-rural area enjoying the great gifts of nature to living and traveling through some of the biggest cities in the Eastern world he has been blessed with a plethora of experiences.He currently resides in a sub-tropical paradise with his wife and is in pursuit of  a Master's degree from Tiffin University.  This specific site is a space dedicated to the study of World Literature throughout the summer 2016 semester... and perhaps beyond...

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Memento Vivere:

Remember to live

Even while the deafening pace of life increases

Even when the bills are stacked high

and the bank account is low

Memento Vivere

Remember to live

 even when time is short

and work is long

When the things to do

outnumber the time to do them

Memento Vivere

Remember to live

before life forgets you live

before your descendeants forget

you ever existed

Memento Vivere