Japan is also known as the Land of the Rising Sun. Its capital city is Tokyo. The four main forms of Japanese poetry are kanshi, waka, tanka, and haiku. Haiku are 3-line verses with a 5-7-5 pattern. The periods of Japanese literature include the Nara, Heian, Cloistered Rule, Kamakura, Nanboku-cho, Sengoku, and Pre-Modern periods. The Nara period established the Great Buddha at Todai-ji temple in Nara by order of Emperor Shomu.
3. JAPANESE POETRY FORMS
KANSHI - literally means "Han poetry" and
it is the Japanese term for Chinese
poetry in general as well as the poetry
written in Chinese by Japanese poets.
WAKA - has the general meaning of
"poetry in Japanese", sometimes also is
used in the more specific and restrictive
sense of poetry
TANKA - are poems written in Japanese
with five lines having a 5-7-5-7-7 metre
4. HAIKU
Haiku are a short, 3-line verse form, which
have achieved significant global popularity,
and the haiku form has been adapted from
Japanese into other languages. Typical of the
haiku form is the metrical pattern of 3 lines
with a distribution of 5, 7, and 5 on (also
known as morae) within those lines. Other
features include the juxtaposition of two
images or ideas with a kireji ("cutting word")
between them, and a kigo, or seasonal
reference, usually drawn from a saijiki, or
traditional list of such words.
5. Periods in Japanese Literature
Nara Period
Heian Period
Period of Cloistered rule
Kamakura Period
Nanboku-cho Period
Sengoku Period
Pre-modern Period
6. Nara Period (710 – 794)
It was the period when Chinese
influence reached a culmination. During
the Nara period, Todai-ji ("Great Temple
of the East") was established together
with the creation of the Great Buddha of
Nara, by order of Emperor Shōmu. The
significant waka poets in this period
were Ōtomo no Tabito, Yamanoue no
Okura, and Yamabe no Akahito.
8. Heian period (794 to 1185 )
was one of both extensive general linguistic and mutual
poetic development, in Japan. Developments include
the Kanbun system of writing by means of
adapting Classical Chinese for use in Japan by using a
process of annotation, and the further development of
the kana writing system from the Man'yōgana of the
Nara period, encouraging more vernacular poetry,
developments in the waka form of poetry. The Heian era
was also one in which developed an increasing process
of writing poems (sometimes collaboratively) and
collecting them into anthologies, which in the case of
the Kokin Wakashū were given a level of prestige, due to
imperial patronage.
9. Period of the cloistered rule
The period of cloistered rule overlapped the
end of the Heian period and the beginning of
the Kamakura period. Cloistered rule refers to
an emperor "retiring" into a monastery, while
continuing to maintain a certain amount of
influence and power over worldly affairs, and
yet retaining time for poetry or other activities.
During this time the Fujiwara clan was also
active both politically and poetically.
10. Kamakura Period (1185–1333)
is a period of Japanese history that marks the
governance by the Kamakura Shogunate,
officially established in 1192 AD in Kamakura,
by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo.
The period is known for the emergence of
the samurai, the warrior caste, and for the
establishment of feudalism in Japan.
11. Nanboku-cho Period (1334 to
1392)
is also known as the "Northern and Southern
Courts period". Poetic movements included
Renga developments, such as the publication of
the Tsukubashū - the first imperial anthology of
renga, in about 1356. There were various Renga
poets, critics and theories, such as the
development of shikimoku (renga rules)
and Sōgi. Haikai no renga appears - as a parody
of renga Shinseninutusukbashu. Noh play and
poetry began to develop. There was influence
from waka and other poetry, and Noh play
reading as verse.
12. Sengoku Period
The Sengoku period literally derives its
name from the Japanese for "warring
states". It was a militarily and politically
turbulent period, with nearly constant
military conflict which lasted roughly
from the middle of the 15th century to
the beginning of the 17th century, and
which during which there were also
developments in renga and waka poetry.
13. Pre-modern or Edo Period
In the Pre-modern or Edo period (1602–1869)
some new styles of poetry developed. One of
greatest and most influential styles was renku,
(also known as haikai no renga, or haikai),
emerging from renga in the medieval
period. Matsuo Bashō was a great haikai
master and had a wide influence on his
contemporaries and later generations. Bashō
was also a prominent writer of haibun, a
combination of prose and haiku, one famous
example being his Oku no Hosomichi (or, The
Narrow Road to the Interior).
14. POST TEST
1. Japan is also known as the?
2. What is the capital city of Japan?
3-6. What are the 4 poetry forms of
Japan?
7. What does KANSHI mean?
8. Waka has the general meaning of?
9. Tanka has how many lines?
10. Haiku has how many line verse?
15. 11-17. What are the periods in the Japanese
Literature?
18-22. The five early poems recorded during the
Nara Period.
23. Cloistered rule refers to an emperor ____?
24. Todai-ji ("Great Temple of the East") was
established together with the creation of the
Great Buddha of Nara, by order of Emperor
Shōmu on what Period?
25. What was established during the Nara
Period?
26. Emperor who ordered to build the Todai-ji.
16. 27. What year did the Nara period start?
28. What year did the Nara period end?
29. What year did the Heian period start?
30. What year did the Heian period end?
31. What does Todai-ji mean?
32. What system of writing was developed during
the Heian period?
33. Kana writing system from the Man'yōgana
was from what period?
34-38. Tanka has 5 lines having _-_-_-_-_ metre
39. What does kireji mean?
40.The Fujiwara Clan was active during what
period?
17. 41-42. The Fujiwara clan was active both
_and_.
43. What period did the samurai emerge?
44. What year did the Kamakura period start?
45. What year did the Kamakura period end?
46. What year did the Namboku-cho period
start?
47. What year did the Namboku-cho period
end?
48. Namboku-cho is also known as what?
49. The Japanese name for “warring states”.
50.What is the other name for Pre-modern?
18. 51-52. What year did the Pre-modern Period
Start and End?
53. Renku was also known as?
54. Who was the prominent writer of haibun?
55. What is saijiki?
56. What is Kigo?
57-59. Who were the significant poets in the
Nara period?
60. What period overlapped the end of the Heian
period and the beginning of the Kamakura
period?