In class,we have talked about two poetry collections: the Man'yōshū and the Kokinshū, both of which are significant in pre-modern literature. Completed within 150 years of each other, one could say the purpose and presentation of both anthologies differ as the country of Japan became more solidified as time went on. The two collections are very different from each other in many aspects, such as organization, presentation, and purpose; thus, both contribute to Japanese literature in different ways.
First of all, there are the technical differences between the two works pertaining to their authorship and date of completion. Man'yōshū was compiled by a few poets, but the main compiler was Ōtomo no Yakamochi. Man'yōshū's last poem is dated circa New Year's Day AD 759, and although the collection is attributed to spanning two centuries prior, it cannot be said that is true. The Kokinshū was also compiled by a few poets, namely Ki no Tsurayuki, Ki no Tomonori, Ōshikochi no Mitsune, and Mibu no Tadamine. Ki no Tsurayuki is considered to be the main compiler and editor, who helped complete the work around 905 AD.
In relation to the technical differences, the poetry organization within each collection is where the division of the two anthologies seem to take place. The Man'yōshū contains over 4500 poems: around 4200 tanka, 265 chōka, and 60 sedōka. The poems are divided into twenty volumes, but with seemingly little organization; the first two books are considered to be halves of each other, while the last four are all works by Ōtomo no Yakamochi, but the organization in the middle seems to lack in terms of theme of the poetry. The poetry could be termed one of three types in the Man'yōshū: banka (an elegy based on the death of a roya...
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...I find the selection in Keene's anthology to be more appealing than the Man'yōshū collection—the Man'yōshū collection has its strong points as well; I liked the “completion” of poems since they are chōka and can tell a story within one poem. However, with metaphors, one can have a little more room when interpreting a poem, which was more evident in the Kokinshū.
Works Cited
Citko, Malgorzata. Handouts 2 and 4.
Katō, S., & Sanderson, D. (1997). A history of japanese literature: from the man'yōshū to
modern times. Psychology Press. (Accessed on Google Books)
Keene, Donald. (Ed.). (1955). Anthology of japanese literature from the earliest era to the mid
nineteenth century. New York, NY: Grove Press.
Wixted, J.T., Rodd, L.R., Grzanka, L., & Henkenius, M.C. (1996). Kokinshu: a collection of poems ancient and modern. Cheng & Tsui. (Accessed on Google Books)
This does not make up for the lack of other poetic elements, and the simplicity of the writing. The differences between the two pieces is still very vass. The two pieces have two totally different objectives, which makes them have different writing styles. Claire Dederer writes “Song lyrics do a fine imitation of poetry, but they’re not quite the same thing. Lyrics are a vessel, designed to hold a singer’s voice.
Both these poems do indeed have unique interpretations, depending on the reader. However, the methods that the two great poets used to make send those powerful messages are sometimes similar, but in this case largely different. Once one looks past the similarities of man entering water, the two poems have entirely different stories to tell, in very contrasting ways. Each poet has used effective diction, as well as very striking symbolism and imagery. The fact that they are different just shows how many ways there are to write a great poem, the only thing needed in common is the desire, feeling and will.
Throughout history artists have used art as a means to reflect the on goings of the society surrounding them. Many times, novels serve as primary sources in the future for students to reflect on past history. Students can successfully use novels as a source of understanding past events. Different sentiments and points of views within novels serve as the information one may use to reflect on these events. Natsume Soseki’s novel Kokoro successfully encapsulates much of what has been discussed in class, parallels with the events in Japan at the time the novel takes place, and serves as a social commentary to describe these events in Japan at the time of the Mejeii Restoration and beyond. Therefore, Kokoro successfully serves as a primary source students may use to enable them to understand institutions like conflicting views Whites by the Japanese, the role of women, and the population’s analysis of the Emperor.
Gatten, Aileen. "Review: Criticism and the Genji." The Journal of the Association of Teachers of Japanese 22.1 (1988): 84. JSTOR. Web. 26 Feb. 2011.
21 Pitts, Forrest R., Japan. p. 113. -. 22. Davidson, Judith. Japan- Where East Meets West, p. 107.
Secrets of the Samurai: A survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook
...Yamamoto’s ‘The Legend of Miss Sasagawara’.” Notes on Contemporary Literature 39. 2 (2009). Student Resources in Context. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.
When considering the structure of the poems, they are similar in that they are both written loosely in iambic pentameter. Also, they both have a notable structured rhyme scheme.
Every story, poem, or anthology alike has a part of the author’s feelings or past between their lines, which dictates their origins. The Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters is not anything different in that regard. Every piece of writing has it’s origins and those origins can be not only interesting, but change the way the reader views the writing. This paper will not only discuss the origins of the famous Anthology, but show Edgar Lee Masters’ personal side of the origins and how those instances influenced his writing of The Spoon River Anthology.
..., they are somewhat similar in comparison because they both have an inevitable ending, death. Both of the poems also used rhythm to give the reader a better insight and experience. The use of rhythm helps to set the tone right away. The use of symbolism and tone helped to convey an overall theme with both of the poems.
Allison, Barrows, Blake, et al. eds. The Norton Anthology Of Poetry . 3rd Shorter ed. New York: Norton, 1983. 211.
Shirane Haruo. et al. Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology 1600-1900. New York: Colombia University Press, 2002. Print.
Therefore, although both poems are written on similar topics, the poems are quite different, mainly only agreeing on the fact that war is wrong.
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.
Both poems where written in the Anglo-Saxton era in Old English and later translated into English. As well as both poems being written in the same time period, they are both elegiac poems, meaning they are poignant and mournful.