Captain Shunsui Kyōraku (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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fandomhigh2023-05-23 05:15 am
sake_shinigami) wrote in fandomhigh2023-05-23 05:15 am
Entry tags:
The Art of Bashō; Tuesday, Second Period [05/23].
It appeared to be another excellent day for poetry in the park, and so Shunsui was, of course, already quite settled underneath the large tree by the pond, with a pot of tea and a drawling lecture ready to go. Now, all he needed was his students, and he would give them all his usual pleased, sleepy smile when they all gathered and got settled.
"Ohayō once more, my fellow logophiles ♥," he greeted, with a duck of his head and a gesture to the tea set before him. "Please, get comfortable, have some tea, and we'll get started in on today's lesson, which will, of course, be focused a bit on our man of the hour, but also on the types of poetry he was known to create. Naturally, Bashō is known as a great haikuist, but his notoriety was spread through other means as well. Last week, we discussed his travelogue, and, this week, we will talk about two prominent forms that really established him in the world of Japanese art and words: the renku and the renga ♥.
"Now," he continued, looking rather pleased with himself, if only just to have words to say that sounded marginally educational, "both are forms of collaborative poetry, where one poet would begin with a first line as a prompt, and another poet would respond in kind. The renku is a bit more casual and less structured, usually with a focus on haikai, which puts an emphasis on wit and cleverness and quite often a very cheeky sense of vulgarity in its humor, which I cannot help but appreciate greatly ♥. Meanwhile, the renga is a bit more structured, following either the 5-7-5 syllable structure that most are familiar with when it comes to modern haiku, or a 7-7 mora syllable structure. These poems were often composed during gatherings of poets...." Here, he trailed off with another grin toward the students, "...much like this one, neh ♥? It was a good way to bounce creative ideas off of your peers...as well as enjoy their company, as there was usually quite a bit of drinking and carousing along with these gatherings as well ♥.
"Ahhh, but we'll of course need to look at some examples ♥! We will focus more on the renku, which allows us a bit more freedom; I've never been one for too much structure, after all ♥. So let's take, for instance, this one, in which one poet begins:
"Shio kosu iwa no /kakure-araware
"And Bashō responds:
"Uchi-yagamu /matsu ni mo nitaru/ koi o shite.
"Waves cover the rock
then they reveal it
As the pines
are battered and twisted
such is love."
There was a pause, filled with a sip of tea, as he left the students to contemplate that for a moment before continuing.
"And another, with one poet offering:
"Touji no en ni /mono omoimasu
"And Bashō response:
"ewae domo /yosoe domo kimi /kaeri-mizu:
"Winter solstice on porch
my desperation for love!
No matter how
I make up and dress
he gazes not back"
"And finally, two examples of renku wherein Bashō provided the prompt, and other poets respond:
"Wakai mono yoru /nouren no name
Koi no fuchi / mizu ni oboruru / ninsou ari
"Young guys are drawn to
waves of doorway curtain
Faces of men
drowned in the watery
pool of love"
"Heso no o o / Yoshiwara ga yoi / kire-hatete
Kaminari no taiko / urameshi no naka
"Like a navel cord
his visits to the Yoshiwara
shall be cut off
He resents the thunder
of the midnight drum"
And, again, Shunsui paused, to let the words exist in a state of appreciation, before continuing with the last part. "Of course," he said, "these are just a few examples, and I'd be happy to share more if you'd like ♥. But let us discuss, shall we, the concepts of collaborative poetry and their benefits, or perhaps even some of the disadvantages, and then, perhaps, if you're feeling inspired, we might try a little renka of our own. Any thoughts to share, to start us out ♥?"
"Ohayō once more, my fellow logophiles ♥," he greeted, with a duck of his head and a gesture to the tea set before him. "Please, get comfortable, have some tea, and we'll get started in on today's lesson, which will, of course, be focused a bit on our man of the hour, but also on the types of poetry he was known to create. Naturally, Bashō is known as a great haikuist, but his notoriety was spread through other means as well. Last week, we discussed his travelogue, and, this week, we will talk about two prominent forms that really established him in the world of Japanese art and words: the renku and the renga ♥.
"Now," he continued, looking rather pleased with himself, if only just to have words to say that sounded marginally educational, "both are forms of collaborative poetry, where one poet would begin with a first line as a prompt, and another poet would respond in kind. The renku is a bit more casual and less structured, usually with a focus on haikai, which puts an emphasis on wit and cleverness and quite often a very cheeky sense of vulgarity in its humor, which I cannot help but appreciate greatly ♥. Meanwhile, the renga is a bit more structured, following either the 5-7-5 syllable structure that most are familiar with when it comes to modern haiku, or a 7-7 mora syllable structure. These poems were often composed during gatherings of poets...." Here, he trailed off with another grin toward the students, "...much like this one, neh ♥? It was a good way to bounce creative ideas off of your peers...as well as enjoy their company, as there was usually quite a bit of drinking and carousing along with these gatherings as well ♥.
"Ahhh, but we'll of course need to look at some examples ♥! We will focus more on the renku, which allows us a bit more freedom; I've never been one for too much structure, after all ♥. So let's take, for instance, this one, in which one poet begins:
"Shio kosu iwa no /kakure-araware
"And Bashō responds:
"Uchi-yagamu /matsu ni mo nitaru/ koi o shite.
then they reveal it
As the pines
are battered and twisted
such is love."
There was a pause, filled with a sip of tea, as he left the students to contemplate that for a moment before continuing.
"And another, with one poet offering:
"Touji no en ni /mono omoimasu
"And Bashō response:
"ewae domo /yosoe domo kimi /kaeri-mizu:
my desperation for love!
No matter how
I make up and dress
he gazes not back"
"And finally, two examples of renku wherein Bashō provided the prompt, and other poets respond:
"Wakai mono yoru /nouren no name
Koi no fuchi / mizu ni oboruru / ninsou ari
"
waves of doorway curtain
Faces of men
drowned in the watery
pool of love"
"Heso no o o / Yoshiwara ga yoi / kire-hatete
Kaminari no taiko / urameshi no naka
his visits to the Yoshiwara
shall be cut off
He resents the thunder
of the midnight drum"
And, again, Shunsui paused, to let the words exist in a state of appreciation, before continuing with the last part. "Of course," he said, "these are just a few examples, and I'd be happy to share more if you'd like ♥. But let us discuss, shall we, the concepts of collaborative poetry and their benefits, or perhaps even some of the disadvantages, and then, perhaps, if you're feeling inspired, we might try a little renka of our own. Any thoughts to share, to start us out ♥?"
Listen to the Lecture - AoB, 05/23.
Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoB, 05/23.
But she was glad it was one now, and this was nice, and she idly tried to think of something that might make a good line of poetry for someone to try and build from.
Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoB, 05/23.
But perhaps there could be something about the tea as a first line? Or about the park? Or about lovely mornings in general? She was looking quite thoughtful as she sipped her tea.