Poetry

PoetryHaikuA brief, unrhymed poem three lines long. In Japanese each haiku has 17 syllables: the 1st and last lines have 5 syllables each and the middle line has 7. This strict, compressed form challenges haiku poets to convey their feelings and observations in few vivid images.Haiku RulesYou can ignore the 17-syllable rule, but you must have 3 lines The poem must contain a word or images suggesting a season of the yearThe Haiku must not explain itself; the images must suggest their meaning to the reader, w/ the end result being a flash of understanding- a moment when all the parts come togetherHaiku PoetsMatsuo Basho (1644-1694)The greatest of the classical haiku poetsSon of a samurai and spent his youth in the service of a local lordBegan writing when he was 9His poetry is shaped by his devotion to Zen Buddhism and his travelsIn 1684, he set out on the first of his many journeys through Japan in which he endured great discomfort and lonelinessHaiku PoetsUejima Onitsura (1660-1738)-one of Bashos greatest admirers-his poems are generally more exuberant than Bashos and somewhat less philosophical

Haiku PoetsTaniguchi Buson (1715-1783)A younger contemporary of OnitsuraHis haiku are generally regarded as second only to BashosAlso was an accomplished painterHis poems reflect his fascination with light and color

Haiku PoetsKobayashi Issa (1762-1826)-one of the most beloved of Japans haiku masters-lived a sad life-his mom died when he was an infant and he was sent from home to study when he was 14-his wife bore 5 children, all of them died in infancy, then his wife fell ill and died-Issas poems are filled with barely suppressed emotion, though they are rarely sentimental.Tanka PoemsMeans short songs; brief lyrical poemsTraditional tanka consists of exactly 31 syllables, divided among 5 lines3 of the poems lines have 7 syllables each, and the other 2 have 5 syllables eachAll tanka evoke strong images and emotions, and the best are subtle and indirectTanka PoemsWhat the poet does not say is as important as what he or she does sayIt is up to the reader to connect what is stated directly with what is implied

The earliest known tanka appeared in a collection of poems called the Manyoshu, or Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves. Most of the tanka in the Manyoshu describe nature, the impermanence of life, and the joys and sorrows of solitude and love

Tanka PoetsLady Ise (late 9th mid-10th centuries)-born into a highly educated family of scholars and poets-her father served as governor of various provinces- During his tenure, Lady Ise entered court service, where she became lady in waiting to the emperors consort and later a lover of the emperor himselfTanka PoetsOshikochi Mitsune (late 10th century)Among the greatest poets of the 9th century Heian era in JapanOne of the editors of the Kokinshu, the 2nd great anthology of tanka verseHis poems were often melancholy, but never sentimentalTanka PoetsKi no Tsurayuki (884-946)Became a high court official as well as an accomplished writer and calligrapherIn his time most cultured Japanese men wrote in ChineseSince Tsurayuki preferred to write in Japanese but wanted to avoid ridicule, he wrote his diary under a womans nameTanka PoetsOno no Komachi (mid 9th century)Probably the most revered of the poets whose tanka appeared in the Kokinshu.Her great physical beauty and the emotional power of her verse made her a celebrated figure in mid-9th century JapanAfter her death, she was the subject of many popular legends, due primarily to the intensity and passion of her poemsTanka PoetsSaigyo (1118-1190)Sometimes referred to as Priest Saigo, was among the most accomplished of the 12th century writers of tankaHe abandoned his position as a royal bodyguard at the age of 23 to become a priestHe wrote tanka during his years of wandering through the Japanese countrysideSonnets A sonnet is a 14 line lyric poemThe word sonnet is derived from the Italian word sonetto, meaning little sound, or songOne of the most difficult forms for a poet to master because of its rigid structural requirements It must conform to strict patterns of rhythm and rhymeThe Petrarchan Sonnet In Italy the sonnet form was perfected by Francesco Petrarca, known in English as PetrarchThe form he popularized is known as the Italian, or Petrarchan, sonnet. It has 2 parts: an 8 line section, called the octave, followed by a 6 line section, called the sestet.The Petrarchan Sonnet The octave rhymes abbaabba, and the sestet ryhmes cdcde, cdcdcd, ccdeed, or cdcdeeThe transaction between the 2 parts, called the volta, or turn, is usually found in the 9th line- the beginning of the sestetThis structure makes the Italian sonnet the ideal form for a 2 part statement: question-answer, problem-solution, or theme-commentThe Petrarchan SonnetAlso known for its use of the Petrarchan conceit- a metaphor or simile that makes a striking and sometimes fanciful comparison, usually to describe the beauty of women or the pangs of loveThe Shakespearean Sonnet14 lines longThis sonnet form uses 3 four line units, called quatrains, followed by a final coupletThe typical rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef ggIs written in meter, or rhythmic pattern, called iambic pentameter, with each line consisting of 5 unstressed syllables alternating with 5 stressed syllablesRenaissance Sonnet WritersFrancesco Petrarch (1304-1374)A man of 2 worlds: the dying Middle Ages and the emerging RenaissanceHe suffered considerably as he tried to balance his own worldly ambitions and desires with the religious values of medieval lifeHis first series of sonnets set the fashion throughout the Renaissance for bittersweet love lyricsRenaissance Sonnet WritersPierre de Ronsard (1524-1585)-served as a page in the court of the Scottish King James V-became deaf at age 16 and began studying the classics- With 6 other poets, he founded a group called Pleiade, that used the French vernacular in their odes, elegies, and satires, which were based on the works of classical Greek and Roman poetsLyric PoetryPoetry that focuses on expressing private emotions or thoughtsDerived from lyre, the stringed instruments on which poets accompanied themselvesMost lyric poems are short, and they usually imply rather than directly state a single strong emotion Lyric poets often write to express their feelings about the people closest to themLyric PoetsSappho (late 17th century B.C.)Born on the Greek island of LesbosShes considered a supreme Greek Lyric poet of this periodComposes most of her poems in a style called monody- the poems were meant to be sung by a single voice, rather than by a chorusLyric PoetsCatullus (@ 84-54 B.C.)- turned away from the models of the Roman epics, and found inspiration in the lyric poetry of the ancient Greeks@ 57 B.C., he left Rome to visit the tomb of his brother and during his travels he wrote much about his feelings of love and lossHe popularized the use of the elegiac couplet- a pair of lines consisting of a hexameter (6 metrical feet) and a pentameter (5 metrical feet)Tang Dynasty PoetsLi Po (701-762)Although he was probably born in central Asia, he grew up in the providence of Szechwan in southwestern ChinaHis journeys served to spread his fame as a poetHe abandoned his nomadic life at one point to become an imperial court poetTang Dynasty PoetsTu Fu (A.D. 712-770)Born into a noble family of scholar-officialsWhen a violent rebellion ended the Tang dynasty, Tu Fu was often in search of work, and his remaining years were marked by loss, hardship, and poor healthHis poetry is often tinged with bitterness and melancholyTang Dynasty PoetsPo Chu-i (772-846)Grew up in Shensi province as the son of a minor government officialDuring his lifetime he was in and out of government positions, sometimes banished to the provinces and then later recalled to the capitalMuch of his poetry is lighthearted and deals with his personal experiences and feelingsTang Dynasty PoetsHan-shan (late 8th century)Lived alone in China for most of his lifehis real name and the time and place of his birth and death are unknownHis poems are the main source of info about himHis best-known poems describe the beauty and ruggedness of his mountain retreat, but they also have a symbolic, spiritual dimension, representing the struggle for true knowledge and peace

Romantic Writers often looked to nature and rural settings to explain complex feelings about themselves and to explore universal themes Narrative PoetryTells a story