Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
There’s a strange property about poetry. If you don’t read it regularly, poetry transforms into a foreign language. You can read lines and stanzas that don’t translate at all in your mind.
As a result, the process of reading poetry becomes arduous and frustrating.
And that’s why many people stop reading it.
However, the more poetry you read the easier it is to understand. The words suddenly flow. The images conjured by the poet take shape and the experience can be an exhilarating one.
I don’t read a lot of poetry so I fall into the camp where it often feels like I’m muddling through text written in Russian. But I’ve learned to be patient and give my mind time to fold around the poetry until it starts to click. Another trick is to start with poetry that’s more accessible, especially in these fast-paced days of tweets and Facebook status updates.
So start with Japanese poetry. Not all Japanese poems are strictly haiku, but do share the same qualities. I recently bought a used copy of “One Hundred Poems from the Japanese” edited and translated by Kenneth Rexroth in 1955. Japanese poetry differs greatly from Western styles, but as Rexroth notes in the forward:
“Japanese poetry does what poetry does everywhere: it intensifies and exalts experience.”
Japanese poetry is simple and elegant. The short verses are accessible – especially for non-poetry readers – but don’t mistake the simplicity for easy or undemanding. The depth and intensity of Japanese poetry can be impressive as with this poem exploring aging and loneliness by The Monk Eikei:
“Autumn has come
To the lonely cottage,
Buried in dense hop vines,
Which no one visits.”
And any father or mother can feel the emotional stirrings in this poem by The Abbot Henjo:
“If the winds of heaven
Would only blow shut the doors
Of the corridors
Of the clouds, I could
Keep these beautiful girls
For a little while.”
I highly recommend the quiet power of Rexroth’s collection.
If you’ve wanted to start reading (or return to reading) poetry then Japanese poetry is an excellent and welcoming way to do so. Think of it as a wonderful experience on its own, but also a gateway to Western poetry styles.
BUY “ONE HUNDRED POEMS FROM THE JAPANESE AT AMAZON.COM
Link:
Photo by Midorisyu (via Flickr)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
