KKS 56: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 45: | Line 45: | ||
In a sense this is an inversion of the previous poem: there, Sosei wanted to bring back mountain cherries to the capital. Here, he seems to be looking from the mountains and seeing the cherries that have bloomed in the capital. The poem is based on the more common image of the autumn mountains as scarlet brocade (or the brocade of autumn). The brocade of spring, on the other hand, is this mix of green and pink produced by the willows and cherries. There seems to be precedent in Chinese poetry for the image. | In a sense this is an inversion of the previous poem: there, Sosei wanted to bring back mountain cherries to the capital. Here, he seems to be looking from the mountains and seeing the cherries that have bloomed in the capital. The poem is based on the more common image of the autumn mountains as scarlet brocade (or the brocade of autumn). The brocade of spring, on the other hand, is this mix of green and pink produced by the willows and cherries. There seems to be precedent in Chinese poetry for the image. | ||
McCullough provides an extended appraisal of the poem: "Perhaps the best and certainly the most unusual KKS brocade ''mitate'' occurs not in the Autumn books but in the Spring...this famous composition presents an admirable realization of Tsurayuki’s aesthetic ideal. Within the KKS context, it displays precisely the right degree of originality: Sosei has devised a witty, unanticipated variation on the familiar ''Momiji [autumn leaves] | McCullough provides an extended appraisal of the poem: "Perhaps the best and certainly the most unusual KKS brocade ''mitate'' occurs not in the Autumn books but in the Spring...this famous composition presents an admirable realization of Tsurayuki’s aesthetic ideal. Within the KKS context, it displays precisely the right degree of originality: Sosei has devised a witty, unanticipated variation on the familiar ''Momiji'' [autumn leaves]/brocade play. The wit is subdued, harmonizing with the beauty of the imagery, and the imagery, in turn, is enhanced by the freshness of the willow/cherry blossom combination and by the specificity of the [prose preface], both of which lead the reader to regard the poem as stemming from personal observation. As might be expected of Sosei, the cadences of the lines are smooth and musical” (332-333). McCullough's analysis is typical of Western appraisal of ''waka'' in its emphasis on originality and a preference for poems stemming from direct experience rather than assigned or chosen topics. | ||
[[KKS 55|Previous poem]] | [[KKS 57|Next poem]] | [[KKS 55|Previous poem]] | [[KKS 57|Next poem]] | ||
Latest revision as of 17:37, 23 June 2026
Text
花ざかりに京を見やりてよめる
When the flowers were blooming he looked out at the capital and read this
(Sosei)
見わたせば柳桜をこきまぜて都ぞ春の錦なりける
|
mi-watase-ba |
When I look out |
Notes
- scattered around
- There is some dispute as to the exact nuance of the verb kokimazu. Some commentators say this refers to yanking petals or beads off strings and scattering them around, presenting an image of the willows and cherries mixing together chaotically. Others reject this idea (possibly because the image sounds unpoetic) and simply interpret it as a more neutral "mix" or "all over."
Other sources:
Analysis
In a sense this is an inversion of the previous poem: there, Sosei wanted to bring back mountain cherries to the capital. Here, he seems to be looking from the mountains and seeing the cherries that have bloomed in the capital. The poem is based on the more common image of the autumn mountains as scarlet brocade (or the brocade of autumn). The brocade of spring, on the other hand, is this mix of green and pink produced by the willows and cherries. There seems to be precedent in Chinese poetry for the image.
McCullough provides an extended appraisal of the poem: "Perhaps the best and certainly the most unusual KKS brocade mitate occurs not in the Autumn books but in the Spring...this famous composition presents an admirable realization of Tsurayuki’s aesthetic ideal. Within the KKS context, it displays precisely the right degree of originality: Sosei has devised a witty, unanticipated variation on the familiar Momiji [autumn leaves]/brocade play. The wit is subdued, harmonizing with the beauty of the imagery, and the imagery, in turn, is enhanced by the freshness of the willow/cherry blossom combination and by the specificity of the [prose preface], both of which lead the reader to regard the poem as stemming from personal observation. As might be expected of Sosei, the cadences of the lines are smooth and musical” (332-333). McCullough's analysis is typical of Western appraisal of waka in its emphasis on originality and a preference for poems stemming from direct experience rather than assigned or chosen topics.
