Poem of the Week – The Moon Glows the Same by Matsuo Bashō
Matsuo Bashō was a 17th-century Japanese poet. He is chiefly remembered for his prose and verse travel diary, The Narrow Road to the Deep North. He is often described by literary historians of the region as the finest and most accomplished composer of haikus.
Haikus consist of three short phrases across seventeen syllables and usually include a seasonal reference of some kind. The composition and mastery of these succinct arrangements is an old poetic custom in Japan, but Bashō’s treatment of the structure left an indelible influence on the practice thereafter. His elegant ability to verbally illustrate a simple yet symbolic occurrence in nature earned him national fame and even inspired a cult following.
The Edo period in which he worked, was a cultural renaissance for Japan, producing seminal figures in mediums as diverse as painting, fashion and architecture. To many, Hokusai, the famous printmaker and painter of the iconic Wave, was to the visual arts what Basho was to verse.
This week’s choice is a highly celebrated poem of Basho’s. It is said to have sparked the stylistic shift in the history of haiku poetry from humorous observations to philosophical reflections. The lunar vignette he limns with seventeen syllables pithily divulges the difference between constancy and transience.
The obligatory briefness and optionally basic language of eastern poetry can seem strangely subdued compared to western lyrics. Still, the brevity of oriental verse has the extraordinary effect of intensifying the beauty of ordinary instances and routine occasions. The compressed style of that tradition concentrates a reader’s attention on the sublimity of natural life and the inherent truth of astute insights.
We hope you enjoy this week’s poem as much as we did.
The Moon Glows the Same (1687)
The moon glows the same:
It is the drifting cloud forms
Make it seem to change.