Matsuo Bashō

(View this video to understand this week's post.)

In the introduction, readers are informed that Matsuo Bashō’s goal “was [to] always [be] on the move in search for new poetic themes, new language, and new objects. In his travel diaries he accomplished nothing less than influencing how people saw some of the most defining sites of Japanese identity” (325).  Through this video, the creator includes Bashō’s ability to intertwine simplicity with deepness and mood with the season.

The creator of this video depicts various scenes of Japan, from a woman brushing her hair to the cherry blossoms in spring. There seems to be no lack of images for Bashō’s poetry. More significant, many of the images depict the mood, if not the same season Bashō mentions in his poetry. For instance, there is a poem from this week’s reading very similar to one found in the video. From the anthology:

                                                Loneliness---

                                                an autumn beach judged

                                                superior to Suma’s* (336)

*The footnote describes this as “a coastal town well-known for people who spent their time in exile” (336).

Bashō uses autumn to deepen the level of loneliness being felt, something he describes prior to the poem: “We drank tea, warmed up sake, and were overwhelmed by the loneliness of the evening” (336). This poem arranges autumn next to a city well-known for people being exiled away from everything they knew to. Another poem within the video also uses autumn as a depiction of loneliness:

                                                this autumn-

                                                old age I feel,

                                                in the birds, the clouds

While the first poem was referring to something larger, a town, this poem is focusing on birds and clouds. However, both poems have sad tones and contain a reference to autumn. Previous to this poem in the video, viewers are shown a very depressing photo of a stream of water. Although there is no solid indication of autumn, the mood of both poems in captured. The only bright color is that of the stream. Otherwise, the trees and background are earth tones of brown, tan, and black. There is no action or figures of people. Viewers are left with only a feeling of loneliness.

In the course of this video, it is obvious that the creator was not simply influenced by the poetry, but sought to prove how proficient of a poet Bashō was by aligning his poetry with images of Japan. The ability of art and literature to depict a view and/or experience is shown in this video.

Works Cited

“Matsuo Bashō.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner. Vol. II. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2013. 324-5. Print.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner. Vol. II. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2013. 325-336. Print.