Japanese Poetry
Things to Consider:
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Forms: tanka, haiku
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Imagery
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Themes
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Religion: Taoism, Buddhism, Shinto
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Japanese Literature Resources
** Homework Questions **
705:
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What are tanka?
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What is the Man'yo-shu?
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What is the most frequent subject of the Man'yo-shu?
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From the 6th C. to the 8th., how was Japanese culture matriarchal?
707:
Lady of Sakanoye:
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Summarize the speaker's message to her lover.
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How does this poem compare with "I Love a Girl But She Lives Over There"
(54) or "Let us Live and Love, My Lesbia" (509)?
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Is carpe diem expressed in this poem? Explain.
Haiku:
709:
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What are haiku? Explain the format.
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How does haiku reflect the tenets of Buddhism? (see also noh drama)
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What are the universal themes of traditonal haiku?
711:
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Which of the haiku on this page do you like best? Explain in terms
of associative meanings.
Other Discussion Questions:
707:
Otomo No Tabito:
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Which does the speaker prefer, sitting silent and looking wise or drinking
sake and making noise? Explain.
The Priest Hakutsu:
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Explain the meaning of this poem.
Ki No Akimine:
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Explain the meaning of the poem.
708:
The Lady Eguchi:
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Explain the meaning of this poem.