With many forms of literary work, there is bound to be similarities among them. The Japanese in particular are no exception. For example, they honor past literary works by commissioning literary pieces in their name. To the Japanese, imitation is regarded as a form of flattery. In particular, it is no surprise that Matsuo Basho’s traveling diary, Oku no Hoso Michi, shows any resemblance to Ki no Tsurayuki’s Tosa Nikki.
Unlike any other works of its time, Tosa Nikki is a fictional travel diary written by Ki no Tsurayuki’s point of view as a woman. At the beginning of the diary, he clearly states he is a woman, as “diaries are things written by men.” However, through Tsurayuki’s notes, people were able to deduct his actual gender. This is somewhat groundbreaking in Japanese literature at the time as he is not only one of the first to do this, but one of the first great pieces to be written in kana prose, a writing system that was created by the Japanese based off of Chinese kanji. Between Tsurayuki and Basho’s time, about six centuries have passed. By then, kana has become more of a commodity in Japan. It is actually Basho who writes differently from others of his time.
As one of the first known literary diaries, Tosa Nikki retells of events day by day. It is easy for readers to follow along, as events are linear. Events in diaries such as Kagero Nikki and Murasakishikibu Nikki are not as easy to follow along as diaries evolved over time to be more of a personal collection of thoughts and memories than a literal recollection of events. Unlike Tsurayuki, Basho approaches Oku no Hoso Michi as a diary than a journal; however, his thoughts are easy to follow as he recalls dates and his location throughout the diary.
Coincidenta...
... middle of paper ...
...e very literal. There are no words for interpretation nor poems by Tsurayuki’s character herself. Oku no Hoso Michi is without a doubt an evolved version of the Tosa Nikki.
Tosa Nikki and Oku no Hoso Michi may be centuries apart in age, however, there are a number of similarities between these literary works. Matsuo Basho set out to see the beauty of Japan that he had read about and makes a plethora of references to other literates such as Saigyo. Although Basho makes little to no reference to Ki no Tsurayuki throughout his journey, I do not think it was necessary to do so. Imitation, by Japanese standards, is one of the finest ways to show appreciation.
Works Cited
Keene, Donald. Anthology of Japanese Literature, from the Earliest Era to the Mid- nineteenth Century. New York: Grove, 1955. Print
Class handouts from Laulima¬¬
Oku no Hoso Michi on Laulima
There are various things that make up a piece of literature. For example: choice of diction, modes of discourse, and figurative language. Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano were great examples of authors that used these elements of literature. There are similarities and differences in A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson and From Africa to America. Though Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano shared similarities in experiences, they had different writing personalities, purposes, attitudes, tones, and relations with their communities.
Finally, the last similarity was being great at writing. Both authors were able to show strong
and symbolism shown in both of these stories. Her style is unique to other writers but
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.
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery is a common saying. If it is in fact true, then modern writers sure do love fairytale authors of the past! However, in the modern versions, many things are changed drastically, most notably the characters and their actions! One such example of this is the many different adaptions of what is now known as Rapunzel, the original is an Italian fairytale that is very different from the tales by the Brothers Grimm or Disney that most people are familiar with. Not only plot points but also what certain characters do and how they influence the story. Recently, a novel has been published that takes the Italian and French version of the story and mixes them together. Another story with many interpretations,
Ogawa, D. (1993) The Japanese of Los Angeles. Journal of Asian and African Studies, v19, pp.142-3.
21 Pitts, Forrest R., Japan. p. 113. -. 22. Davidson, Judith. Japan- Where East Meets West, p. 107.
... of Heike, is replaced by female spirit with an air of loneliness, sadness, and regret. The noh play took away Tomoe’s integrity as a warrior and replaced it with a pale idea of her greatness. A samurai, who could defeat a thousand men, rode with valor, and display the power that Tomoe should not have to wander the world in death looking for pacification. Like Lord Kiso, Tomoe should have her own shrine. In future depictions of her life Tomoe deserves to be portrayed as the person she was brash, brave, and godlike, just as she was portrayed in the Tale of Heike.
Matthew Gerber. “The Importance of Poetry in Japanese Heian-era Romantic Relationships”. 2007 May. 2011 June 3.
Fiction often imitates life, as well as life imitates fiction, as we will see in the following comparison between a newspaper article in the Philadelphia Inquire in 1987 and a short story written by William Faulkner in 1930. Although there are some differences such as the time, place and circumstance, the two studies are chillingly similar.
Munsterberg, H. (1985) The Arts of Japan An Illustrated History Charles E. Tuttle, Tokyo, Japan.
In the same way Japanese poetry often alludes to or derives from the canon of poetry that precedes it, noh plays are often based off of classical Japanese literary sources that form the framework for the play’s themes and moral message. Many of these plays reference poems from revered anthologies, such as the Shinkokinshū, within the play’s dialogue, but it is the monogatari or tales that provide the foundation for certain noh plotlines because of their vast array of character references and plotlines. These tales are the primary sources of information for two plays in particular written by the famous Japanese playwright Zeami: Atsumori and Matsukaze. The warrior-play Atsumori draws from the famous war epic The Tale of Heike to further an anti-war message grounded in the original text, as well as to further explore Buddhist themes of attachment and karmic ties. Matsukaze draws its origins and background from Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji and Ariwara no Narihira’s The Tales of Ise for location, tone, and themes of longing in order to juxtapose the Buddhist duality of attachment and detachment from this world.
By this time in the era of Kokinshū Paul Varley explains that “refinement, taste, and decorum took absolute precedence over candor and vigorous emotional expression” (59). As can be seen the time of the Kokinshū took on a very different view point from those poets in the time of the Man’yōshū. The Kokinshū was not only known for its poetry but also it gave birth to the first literary criticism in the history of Japan. Ki no Tsurayuki who was
Denison. B. (2002, January 1). A Basic Overview of Japanese Culture . . Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.mizukan.org/articles/culture.htm