20 A Haiku to Consider
A Haiku to Consider:
“When composing a verse let there not be a hair’s breath separating your mind from what you write; composition of a poem must be done in an instant, like a woodcutter felling a huge tree or a swordsman leaping at a dangerous enemy.”
早く咲け 九日も近し 菊の花
Hayaku sake Kunichi mo chikashi Kiku no hana
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Translation into English
Bloom quickly.
The ninth day is very soon.
The chrysanthemum.
Reflection
I love the voice of the poet in this poem, communicating to the little flower. It’s time - bloom! Connecting with the seasons, alluding to an important day of festivity.
This poem alludes to the the Cho (doubled) yo (activeness) or Kiku no Sekku (the Chrysanthemum Festival) which held traditionally on September 9th, the season of the chrysanthemum, each year.
This day was set aside to celebrate because of an ideology of numbers which suggests that because odd numbers are active numbers, the dual 9, 9 being the ultimate number, would lead to extremely negative energy. The festival activities would counter that negativity.
On this day, in order to dispel negative energy and achieve long life, people would decorate their houses and their sake with the flower of the season, chrysanthemums. They would also cleanse their bodies with cotton swabs imbued with chrysanthemums and climb to great heights to enjoy views while picnicking.
Basho wrote several poems alluding to this time of year. Here are two additional ones:
Kusa no to ya, higurete kuresi, kiku no sake
Sunset beyond the grassy doors of my hut, a great spot to sip chrysanthemum sake
Yamanaka ya, kiku wa taoranu, yu no nioi
With chrysanthemum unplucked, breathes fragrance of a hot spring at Yamanaka spa
Questions
What type of ode is this?
How many lines are in this poem?
Do you see any repeating words or phrase?
What imagery stands out to you?
Does the writer employ figurative language? If so, explain.
What is your interpretation of this poem?
How do the words make you feel?
Does this work inspire you in any way?