About Our Site
This is a website that was created in order for others to learn about Japanese literature and different types of poems, such as the Haiku and Tanka poems. This website is full of interesting information, examples, and pictures of Japanese literature. This website can be useful for research or just for learning some fun, interesting facts. We hope you enjoy using our website and learn a lot about ancient and modern Japanese literature and poetry.
Website creators and editors:
Nicole and Jessica
Japanese Poetry
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan
Poetry has been an important part of Japanese culture and history for thousands of years. There are some common themes or topics that Japanese poets tend to write about, such as nature and love. The two types of poems that are most often seen are called the Haiku and Tanka. Tanka poems have a specific structure of five lines, with the syllables of each line being 5-7-5-7-7. Most Tanka poems include one or several caesura(s), which is a slight pause. The authors choose their words carefully, in order to create a strong sense of imagery for the readers. Haiku poems have a structure of three lines, with the syllables of each line being 5-7-5. This type of poem evolved from a form of poetry known as renga. Most haiku poems contain a kigo, or a seasonal word. The reader has to use his/her imagination a little more in order to interpret a haiku since it is so short.
The link below will give you some examples of modern tanka poems...
http://tankapoems.com/
This link will give you some examples of ancient tanka poems...
http://sherp.relline.ru/jphome/poetry/tanka.htm
The following link can give you some examples of haiku poems...
http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/haiku/
The link below will give you some examples of modern tanka poems...
http://tankapoems.com/
This link will give you some examples of ancient tanka poems...
http://sherp.relline.ru/jphome/poetry/tanka.htm
The following link can give you some examples of haiku poems...
http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/haiku/
Japanese Literature
http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=682
The Essays of Idleness, In The Sea of Iwami, I Loved Her Like The Leaves, and The Pillow Book are all ancient Japanese pieces of literature. All of these stories are not very long and have a moral/message that is revealed near the end.
You can read some excerpts from the Essay of Idleness at the link below... http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1000ce_idleness.htm
You can read some excerpts from the Essay of Idleness at the link below... http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1000ce_idleness.htm
Movie Soundtrack
The River- Merchant’s Wife: A Letter
While my hair was still cut straight across my forehead
I played about the front gate, pulling flowers.
You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse,
You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums.
And we went on living in the village of Chokan:
Two small people, without dislike or suspicion.
At fourteen I married My Lord you.
I never laughed, being bashful.
Lowering my head, I looked at the wall.
Called to, a thousand times, I never looked back.
At fifteen I stopped scowling,
I desired my dust to be mingled with yours
Forever and forever and forever.
Why should I climb the lookout?
At sixteen you departed,
You went into far Ku-to-yen, by the river of swirling eddies,
And you have been gone five months.
The monkeys make sorrowful noise overhead.
You dragged your feet when you went out.
By the gate now, the moss is grown, the different mosses,
Too deep to clear them away!
The leaves fall early this autumn, in wind.
The paired butterflies are already yellow with August
Over the grass in the West garden;
They hurt me. I grow older.
If you are coming down through the narrows of the river Kiang,
Please let me know beforehand,
And I will come out to meet you
As far as Cho-fu-Sa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqjfvD-qbmw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqU9-0uuGAU
I two songs I chose to describe this poem are Here Without You by 3 Door Down and Far Away by Nickelback. I chose these songs because they are both about long distance relationships and wanting to be back in each other’s arms. Each song would be playing at different parts of the movie. While she’s maintaining the garden, Far away would be playing in the background, more specifically the line “On my knees I’ll ask last chance for one last dance cause with you I’d withstand all of hell and hold your hand.” This line of the song would fit the scene because she’s reflecting on her marriage for example, their first dance as husband and wife. Meanwhile, while his wife is reminiscing, her husband is fighting overseas he’s probably thinking to himself “I miss and love my wife so much I hope I make it out alive.” the scene would be taking place as he’s lying awake at night in his bunker, that’s when you’d hear the verses from Here Without You “A hundred days will make me older since the last time I saw your pretty face, all the miles separate disappear now as I’m dreaming of your face.” Days later a general from the army knocks on the wife’s door and says “I’m so sorry ma’am your husband has been killed in battle.” This is the closing scene movie and the verse from Here Without “As the last one falls and it’s all said and done it gets hard, but it won’t take away my love” would play as the wife is on her knees crying and then the screen fades to black.
The Hill
No one can be seen on this silent hill, But one may hear distant voices.
The rays of the sun filter through the deep foliage And fall refreshingly on the mosses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYy6nw9AlAA
The song Voices by Chris Young is a good song for this poem because I can picture the movie perfectly. The movie takes place while a 16 year old girl is taking a walk two weeks after mom passed away fro cancer. As she’s walking to her boyfriend’s house, whom her mom didn’t not approve she hears her her mom’s voice in the back of her head say “Your grandma came to greet me at the gates and she told me to tell you that Nathan may be the one for you, but he better treat you right.” After Abby’s mom says that you hear the verse “Grandma say if you find the one you better treat her right.” Moments later she arrives at Nathan’s house and kisses him and says “Nathan my mom just talk to me and said that my grandma said you were the one.” Nathan looks at her saying “You're crazy how can you mom and grandma can’t talk to you because they’re dead. As he’s yelling at her she says “You can say I’m a little bit crazy you can call me insane running round here in my brain, I just can’t help hear em, but can’t avoid it I hear voices all the time.” Hours later Abby returns home, runs in her room and cries while she’s praying as she does this you hear the verse “Sometimes I try to ignore em, but I thank God for em they’ve me who I am.” After Abby’s done praying her dad hears her crying and comes in her room and sits on her bed wrapping his arms around his only daughter embracing her.
The River- Merchant’s Wife: A Letter
While my hair was still cut straight across my forehead
I played about the front gate, pulling flowers.
You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse,
You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums.
And we went on living in the village of Chokan:
Two small people, without dislike or suspicion.
At fourteen I married My Lord you.
I never laughed, being bashful.
Lowering my head, I looked at the wall.
Called to, a thousand times, I never looked back.
At fifteen I stopped scowling,
I desired my dust to be mingled with yours
Forever and forever and forever.
Why should I climb the lookout?
At sixteen you departed,
You went into far Ku-to-yen, by the river of swirling eddies,
And you have been gone five months.
The monkeys make sorrowful noise overhead.
You dragged your feet when you went out.
By the gate now, the moss is grown, the different mosses,
Too deep to clear them away!
The leaves fall early this autumn, in wind.
The paired butterflies are already yellow with August
Over the grass in the West garden;
They hurt me. I grow older.
If you are coming down through the narrows of the river Kiang,
Please let me know beforehand,
And I will come out to meet you
As far as Cho-fu-Sa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqjfvD-qbmw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqU9-0uuGAU
I two songs I chose to describe this poem are Here Without You by 3 Door Down and Far Away by Nickelback. I chose these songs because they are both about long distance relationships and wanting to be back in each other’s arms. Each song would be playing at different parts of the movie. While she’s maintaining the garden, Far away would be playing in the background, more specifically the line “On my knees I’ll ask last chance for one last dance cause with you I’d withstand all of hell and hold your hand.” This line of the song would fit the scene because she’s reflecting on her marriage for example, their first dance as husband and wife. Meanwhile, while his wife is reminiscing, her husband is fighting overseas he’s probably thinking to himself “I miss and love my wife so much I hope I make it out alive.” the scene would be taking place as he’s lying awake at night in his bunker, that’s when you’d hear the verses from Here Without You “A hundred days will make me older since the last time I saw your pretty face, all the miles separate disappear now as I’m dreaming of your face.” Days later a general from the army knocks on the wife’s door and says “I’m so sorry ma’am your husband has been killed in battle.” This is the closing scene movie and the verse from Here Without “As the last one falls and it’s all said and done it gets hard, but it won’t take away my love” would play as the wife is on her knees crying and then the screen fades to black.
The Hill
No one can be seen on this silent hill, But one may hear distant voices.
The rays of the sun filter through the deep foliage And fall refreshingly on the mosses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYy6nw9AlAA
The song Voices by Chris Young is a good song for this poem because I can picture the movie perfectly. The movie takes place while a 16 year old girl is taking a walk two weeks after mom passed away fro cancer. As she’s walking to her boyfriend’s house, whom her mom didn’t not approve she hears her her mom’s voice in the back of her head say “Your grandma came to greet me at the gates and she told me to tell you that Nathan may be the one for you, but he better treat you right.” After Abby’s mom says that you hear the verse “Grandma say if you find the one you better treat her right.” Moments later she arrives at Nathan’s house and kisses him and says “Nathan my mom just talk to me and said that my grandma said you were the one.” Nathan looks at her saying “You're crazy how can you mom and grandma can’t talk to you because they’re dead. As he’s yelling at her she says “You can say I’m a little bit crazy you can call me insane running round here in my brain, I just can’t help hear em, but can’t avoid it I hear voices all the time.” Hours later Abby returns home, runs in her room and cries while she’s praying as she does this you hear the verse “Sometimes I try to ignore em, but I thank God for em they’ve me who I am.” After Abby’s done praying her dad hears her crying and comes in her room and sits on her bed wrapping his arms around his only daughter embracing her.
Life After You by Daughtry
I chose this song because it talks about losing the person you love and trying to get back to them. Japanese Poetry often has love themes in them and this song represents that. In the lyrics he talks about losing the girl he loves and is trying as hard as he can to get back to her.
I chose this song because it talks about losing the person you love and trying to get back to them. Japanese Poetry often has love themes in them and this song represents that. In the lyrics he talks about losing the girl he loves and is trying as hard as he can to get back to her.
When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne
I chose When You're Gone because it is about someone who lost the person they love. She had to try to keep living her life even though she lost the person she loved. This song connects to the themes seen in Japanese poetry. Authors often write about the loss and sadness between people in love and this song shows that.
I chose When You're Gone because it is about someone who lost the person they love. She had to try to keep living her life even though she lost the person she loved. This song connects to the themes seen in Japanese poetry. Authors often write about the loss and sadness between people in love and this song shows that.
Love Story by Taylor Swift
Some Haikus are about love that has a positive connotation. This song is about a love story that is positive and has a happy ending rather than a sad one. This song stands for all of the haikus written about love in a positive and happy way.
Some Haikus are about love that has a positive connotation. This song is about a love story that is positive and has a happy ending rather than a sad one. This song stands for all of the haikus written about love in a positive and happy way.