Man'yōshū and Kokinshū are two of the most important anthologies in Japan. Both of them have had great impacts on traditional Japanese poems, as well as contemporary writings. Although both of Man'yōshū and Kokinshū are extant collections of Japanese poetry, they are very different in various aspects. Differences in their forms, techniques, contents, expressions and aesthetic principles are possibly due to the time of completion. By comparing the aforementioned aspects in Man'yōshū and Kokinshū, distinct characteristics of each of them will be ultimately explained and revealed.
Man'yōshū is the earliest collection of Japanese poetry completed in 759. The genre has a total of 20 books and it contains 4,516 waka poems. Prior of examining its distinguished traits, it is necessary to note that Japan had stopped sending missionaries to Tang Dynasty of China in 835. Therefore, it is understandable that Man'yōshū had been greatly influenced by Chinese literal writing styles. Japanese natives considered Man'yōshū is a “literature of their own” (Japanese knowledge). The most distinct parts of Japanese poetry are that it composes in a syllabic pattern such as 5-7-5-7-7 in tanka instead of uniformity of kanji number in Chinese poems; moreover, the use of Japanese language in makurakotoba (fixed epithet), kakekotoba (homonym) and kotodama (word-soul), and lastly, the use of Kana rather than that Kanji in compilation. Despite the fact that Japan had developed some of its native techniques in poetry, techniques such as parallelism and repetition being used in Japanese poetry are definitely residues from Chinese literature.
Perhaps the most prominent poetic form of Man'yōshū is chōka. It composes in a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5-7-5…7-7 and...
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...idst of sadness. The composition of the poem has slightly touched the sentimental part of human, which connects the readers and the girl through skillful elaborations.
In conclusion, through the facts, explanations and examples I have given on Man'yōshū and Kokinshū, they are proved to be very different anthologies from each other. Poems in both of them have different forms, techniques, contents, expressions and aesthetic principles, as well as time of completion. However, they are equally important to the attribution of traditional Japanese poems and contemporary literate achievements.
Works Cited
Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry: Composed on the first day of spring by Ki no Tsurayuki.
Encyclopedia of Japan, available though Japan Knowledge.
Keene, D. (1955). Man'yōshū: Climbing Kagu-yama and looking upon the land. New York: Grove Press
Comparing Ben Bertram’s [Response] and Kogawa’s Road Building by Pick Axe is an interesting exercise. There are two primary points of comparison : First, why did each author choose to use the form of poetry that they did, haiku for Bertram and blank verse for Kogawa; Secondly, what using that form of poetry accomplished for their poem. The reason that these poems should be read together is because Bertram raises several important questions about Kogawa’s writing that will help you to better understand Kogawa’s message.
Strand, Mark and Evan Boland. The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms. New
To help Year Twelve students that are studying poetry appreciate it's value, this pamphlet's aim is to discuss a classic poem and a modern song lyric to show that even poetry written many years ago can still be relevant to people and lyrics today. By reading this may you gain a greater knowledge and understanding of poetry in general, and not just the two discussed further on.
69. Print. Strand, Mark, and Eavan Boland. The Making of a Poem: a Norton Anthology of Poetic
Riichi, Yokomitsu. Shanghai. Michigan: The Center for Japanese Studies, The University of Michigan , 2001.
During the Han dynasty, a particular style of poetry was formed, this was known as the ‘Han Poetry’. The Han poetry (Chinese literature) reflected great cultural achievement, many of these poems have survived until today, thanks to the creation of paper.
Kakinomoto begins by describing the history of the land and the rulers and then shifts his gaze to the physical ruin emphasizing the effect and return of nature in the place where the palace once stood. “Where now spring grasses Choke the earth in their rife growth, and mists rise up” (31-33). We see a reversal of the meaning of nature, whereas in princess Nukata’s poem she uses nature to symbolize both death and rebirth, Hakinomoto uses it to emphasize the inevitability of loss. This emphasis on nature further showcases the cultural awareness of time and its inevitability. It’s this awareness of loss that seems to affect the poet’s perception of the past and what exactly is lost. The poet laments, speaking the grandness of the palace and the rulers who were located there only to be reminded that even the most beautiful palace and sage rulers eventually fade away. While the Kakinomoto acknowledges this loss, he is still emotionally moved, “Where once the mighty palace stood, And it is sad to see.” (35-36) It’s also important to note that this questioning of values and meaning in relation to the inevitability of time is a very prominent theme that’s surfaced throughout the ages even in today’s modern western literature. Further questions are posed or implied while observing life through the context of loss as in the Man 'yōshū. For example, with the
The Kokinshū is the first of the Nijūichidaishū, the 21 accumulations of Japanese verse assembled at Imperial ask. It was the most powerful acknowledgment of the thoughts of verse at the time, directing the shape and organization of Japanese verse until the late nineteenth century; it was the principal compilation to separation itself into regular and love lyrics. The power of lyrics about the seasons spearheaded by the Kokinshū proceeds even today in the haiku tradition.The Japanese introduction by Ki no Tsurayuki is likewise the start of Japanese feedback as particular from the significantly more predominant Chinese poetics in the artistic circles of its day. (The compilation likewise incorporated a Classical Chinese prelude composed by Ki no Yoshimochi.) including old and in addition new lyrics was another essential development, one which was broadly embraced in later works, both in exposition and verse. The lyrics of the Kokinshū were requested transiently; the adoration sonnets, for example, however composed by various writers crosswise over huge ranges of time, are requested in a manner that the pursuer may comprehend them to portray the movement and vacillations of a cultured relationship. This relationship of one lyric to the following imprints this compilation as the progenitor of the renga and haikai conventions. The text discusses that, “The book
Short stories like Hisaye Yamamoto’s Seventeen Syllables, reveals something about the time period and how the author lived; we recognize these connotations in her essay “Seventeen Syllables” -- A Symbolic Haiku, through her logical outlook of everything. Yamamoto wants to educate American readers of the multicultural struggles that are brought upon by the immigrated, (mostly women), to America for freedom. She shows her purpose of everything through her special attention, the roles in woman, both Japanese and American, the metaphorical meaning of haikus, the seasons figurative meanings, the number three and seventeen and finally, the social obstacles between both the West and eastern hemispheres.
The Heian period(794-1185), the so-called golden age of Japanese culture, produced some of the finest works of Japanese literature.1 The most well known work from this period, the Genji Monogatari, is considered to be the “oldest novel still recognized today as a major masterpiece.”2 It can also be said that the Genji Monogatari is proof of the ingenuity of the Japanese in assimilating Chinese culture and politics. As a monogatari, a style of narrative with poems interspersed within it, the characters and settings frequently allude to Chinese poems and stories. In addition to displaying the poetic prowess that the Japanese had attained by this time period, the Genji Monogatari also demonstrates how politics and gender ideals were adopted from the Chinese.
While reading early Japanese literature, it is apparent that poetry embedded within the prose is a significant part of the overall experience of the storylines. There are times at which, in the case of Ise Monogatari, it is apparent that the story, written in prose, is not the main focus of the entry. The poetry is a delicate form of self-expression that was the only form of expression in the time before fiction and journal entries. “The seeds of Japanese poetry lie in the human heart and grow into leaves of ten thousand words. Many things happen to the people of this world, and all they think and feel is given expression in description of things they see and hear. […] It is poetry which, without effort, moves heaven and earth, stirs the feelings of the invisible gods and spirits, smooths the relations of men and women, and calms the hearts of fierce warriors” (Rodd 35) The “leaves of ten thousand words” is in reference to the literal meaning of “Man'yōshū”, a very famous, large compilation of Japanese poems that has influenced many things following it.
"Japanese literature :: The significance of the Man'yoshu -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. 15 Feb. 2011 .
In his preface of the Kokinshū poet Ki no Tsurayaki wrote that poetry conveyed the “true heart” of people. And because poetry declares the true heart of people, poetry in the minds of the poets of the past believed that it also moved the hearts of the gods. It can be seen that in the ancient past that poetry had a great importance to the people of the time or at least to the poets of the past. In this paper I will describe two of some of the most important works in Japanese poetry the anthologies of the Man’yōshū and the Kokinshū. Both equally important as said by some scholars of Japanese literature, and both works contributing greatly to the culture of those who live in the land of the rising sun.
The Man’yoshu was one of the earliest texts using tanka poetry form. Tanka poetry which is written as 5-7-5-7-7 is ...