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AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fullfilment of the Requrements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
NATAN ARYA LEKSANA GAYUH
Student Number: 074214048
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
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Peace and Love
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helps the writer to write systematic undergraduate thesis and gives the writer advices for facing difficulties, the Co-advisor Mam Adventina Putranti,S.S., M.Hum. who reads and revises the paper, Dra. A.B Sri Mulyani, M.A., Ph.D. who helps the writer to revise the paper, and Academic advisor Mr. Harris Hermansyah Setiajid,S.S., M.Hum.
The writer also thanks his parents, YB. Priyanahadi, and FM Sri Darmiarti, the writer’s brother Elia for his support, and also Febi Riana the writer’s close friend.
The writer also wants to thank Snatch Club, KB crew, Gregorius Andi Sindana, Invani Lela Herlani, Fr. Seno SJ, Fr. G. Budi Subanar SJ, F.O.M.B, Danny Trejo, Yoko Putra Santoso, Petrus, Sugeng Utomo, Kuda Besi, XKnockDownX, SM. For the inspiration. At last the writer thanks Jesus, Mother Mary, and God for His miracle that helps the writer finish his undergraduate thesis.
Sincerely,
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3. Theory of the Zen philosophy ... 16
4. Theory of Haiku ...19
1.1 Visual imagery in Basho’s frog poem ... 29
1.2 Visual imagery in Basho’s prostitute poem ... 30
1.3 Visual imagery in Basho’s stormy sea poem ... 30
1.4 Visual imagery in Basho’s poem of the dragonfly ... 31
1.5 Visual imagery in Basho’s cherry trees poem... 31
2. Auditory imagery in Basho’s haiku... 32
2.1 Auditory imagery in Basho’s frog poem ... 32
2.2 Auditory imagery in Basho’s stormy sea poem ... 32
2.3 Auditory imagery in Basho’s cicada’s cry poem ... 32
3. Tactile imagery in Basho’s haiku ...33
3.1 Tactile imagery in Basho’s poem of dragonfly ... 33
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1.1 Ontological metaphor in Basho’s frog poem ... 34
1.2 Ontological metaphor in Basho’s prostitutes poem ... 35
1.3 Ontological metaphor in Basho’s poem of dragonly ... 36
1.4 Ontological metaphor in Basho’s cherry trees poem ... 37
2. Implied metaphors in Basho’s haiku ... 38
2.1 Implied metaphors in Basho’s stormy sea poem ... 38
2.2 Implied metaphor in Basho’s cicada’s cry poem ... 39
C. Zen reflected through imagery and metaphor... 40
1. Zen reflected through imagery and metaphor in Basho’s frog poem ... 40
2. Zen reflected through imagery and metaphor in Basho’s prostitute poem ... 41
3. Zen reflected through imagery and metaphor in Basho’s stormy sea poem ... 42
4. Zen reflected through imagery and metaphor in Basho’s cicada’s cry poem .. 43
5. Zen reflected through imagery and metaphor in Basho’s dargonfly poem ... 44
6. Zen reflected through imagery and metaphor in Basho’s cherry trees poem... 45
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ...46
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NATAN ARYA LEKSANA GAYUH. The Ideas Of Zen As Reflected
In The Imageries And Metaphors In Matsuo Basho’s Haiku
Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University, 2012.
ABSTRACT
This thesis analyzes ideas of Zen in the short poems written by a legendary Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho. It is mentioned in this thesis that the Japanese poem written in around the sixteenth century is called Haiku. Haiku is a genre of Japanese poem written in three lines with 5-7-5 syllable rule. The writer found a hypothesis that in the poems created by Basho who has ideas that describe the reality of life and wisdom in the view of Japanese Buddhism that is well known as Zen Buddhism.
To prove that Haiku - written by a man who lived alone in collecting data and information that is based on the hypothesis of Haiku and taking notes of it, doing deep reading, and analyzing six Basho’s haiku. The approach of this thesis is biographical approach.
Haiku is a poem that reflected the depth of Japanese culture. Japan is a rich place of art and religion. Japan has not only haiku but also Zen, which is a branch of school of Buddhism that enriched Japanese life.. While Zen emphasizes individual enlightenment, haiku is poem genre, which is contained of ordinary scenery of Japan. Zen is a spirituality, haiku is an art work. Although they are different things, they are closely related. This thesis is meant to reveal the wisdom of Japanese culture from the haiku and Zen as the best representation of Japanese culture. The answer of first problem formulation is that there are imageries or the word pictures including visual, auditory, and tactile perception in the haiku. The second answer is that there are ontological metaphors and the last is that there is Zen ideas inside the metaphors and the images of the haiku.
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NATAN ARYA LEKSANA GAYUH. The Ideas Of Zen As Reflected
In The Imageries And Metaphors In Matsuo Basho’s Haiku
Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2012.
ABSTRAK
Tesis ini membahas tentang pesan –pesan dalam puisi pendek yang ditulis oleh seorang penyair Jepang legendaris Matsuo Basho. Dalam Tesis ini disebutkan bahwa puisi Jepang yang ditulis sekitar Abad 16 tersebut bernama Haiku. Haiku adalah sebuah genre puisi Jepang yang dituliskan dalam tiga baris dengan aturan 5-7-5 suku kata. Hipotesis yang penulis temukan adalah sebuah ide bahwa Haiku yang diciptakan Basho ini, mempunyai pesan-pesan yang menggambarkan realitas kehidupan dan kebijaksanaan dalam cara pandang Buddhisme Jepang yang terkenal dengan sebutan Buddhisme Zen.
Untuk membuktikan bahwa Haiku - yang ditulis oleh seseorang yang pernah tinggal menyendiri di hutan Jepang - ini berisi tentang pesan-pesan buddhisme Zen yang mendalam, penulis merumuskan tiga pertanyaan yang akan membantu pembuktian yang valid atas kedalaman filsafat Buddha di dalamnya. Pertanyaan pertama adalah, bagaimana gambaran yang dialami basho di dalam haikunya, Pertanyaan kedua adalah, bagaimana metafora disajikan dalam haiku karangan Basho. Yang ketiga adalah bagaimana gambaran dan metafora dalam haiku Basho merepresentasikan ide Zen.
Metode yang digunakan dalam penulisan tesis ini adalah metode kepustakaan, dengan mengumpulkan data dan informasi yang berdasarkan hipotesis pada Haiku Basho dengan mencatat, melakukan pembacaan mendalam, dan menganalisis enam Haiku. Pendekatan dalam tesis ini adalah pendekatan biografi.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature is to be read and to be loved. It is work of art. The writer tries to share the significance of Basho’s Haiku as one of the best literary works of Japanese classic poetry, through this thesis.
This thesis began with the assumption that Haiku of Basho, has a particular relation to Zen Buddhism. It is interesting to be discussed because Buddhism offers the simple way to get into deep spiritual life. Therefore, it must be related to the mind of Buddha, and it needs to be proven that Buddha’s teaching is conveyed through the poems. Poem and philosophy are related.
They have a relation of how they construct humankind. Philosophy and literature have a much greater affinity (Rowe, 2004: viii). A poet’s life is influenced by a specific idea, it is like Basho himself, who was influenced by Buddha’s teaching namely Zen. Poems and philosophy are the products of human
The topic of this thesis is the idea of Zen Buddhism in Haiku (Japanese poem). The writer chose Basho’s Haiku to show how poems and philosophy
derive from the same source, which is the mind. The writer assumed that Basho’s Haiku reflect ideas of Zen and it will be found through the imageries and metaphors. The imageries and the metaphors will be discussed, because those are the tools used by the poet to send the message, and inside the metaphors and imageries there is the core of Basho’s Haiku is relied. That is the reason why the study of Basho’s Haiku is rellevant to study. Those two objectives are made in the name of getting and gaining better understanding of art, literature, philosophy, and religion that cannot be separated in the life of human being. This thesis is made for the sake of deeper understanding of life by analyzing and reading Haiku through Zen perspective. Haiku and Zen influenced American people as American people received knowledge of Japanese culture. (Suzuki, 1988: vi).
From 1600-1868, Japan was an isolated place until The Last Shogun Yoshimune led Japanese. Then Meiji Restoration took over the civilization and opened Japan to the Western. This growth of modern world became the fertile place for west-east relation, and this relation was growing far deeper in the twentieth century. In this century Haiku and Zen started to spread to the western world.
Basho’s Haiku and Zen Buddhism are the product of Eastern life. They
genious of the East, in this case Japanese is depicted through the art that creates impact to the Western world, and the impact was beyond time bound (Suzuki, 1988: vi).
The topic of Japanese life became so influential since Yukio Mishima one of the greatest author in Japan wrote The Temple of The Golden Pavilion which tells about a Zen monk way of life. This story was highly respected by western people. Mishima’s writing that is translated in the West shows the decay of Modern Japan. (Napier, 1996: 241). The story tells the truth of the changing culture in Japan. This changing era brought Japanese people to the damage of identity. In the middle of that identity crisis, the spirituality of Japan was raised in the idea of a Zen monk
After World War II the Japanese thinker like Dr. Suzuki went to America and shared Zen as well as Japanese culture to the western audience, and the feed back was outstanding. Almost hundreds of scholars were interested in Zen and its development and also interested in how the culture of Japan influences the growth of Zen (Suzuki,1988: v).
American society. Japan’s foremost authority on Zen Buddhism, Daisetz T.
Suzuki’s greatest achievement was to open up a path to the essential spirit of Zen
thought to the West. In 1936 DT. Suzuki as a Zen scholar gave lectures on various occasion in England and America. A section of the study was love of nature which was given in Japan to a group of Western people in 1935, and was published in The Eastern Buddhist. ( Suzuki, 1988: v).
Landis Bahmil the current translator of Basho’s Haiku, wrote the introduction for the understanding of Basho’s poems, and said that Basho is almost too appealing, because its impact of his Haiku in the life of Japanese people and Japanese culture is significant. The influence of Basho is not only spread in Japanese culture but also in the American modern culture. The last fifty years after the book was published there have been increasing interest in Basho’s work among scholars, poets, nature writers, and environmental philosophers. It was about one hundred years ago that Basho became known in the West through the translations of Basil Hill Chamberlain and more importantly, it was known that the influence on the poet Ezra Pound was Basho ( Bahmil, 2004: ix).
Biwa, and then moved to his native village of Ueno. He began to speak of his new poetic ideal of lightness (karumi). He spent late May at the “Villa of Fallen Persimmons “ in 1691 in the hills west of Kyoto, where he wrote Saga Diary (Saga nikki). The linked-verse anthology Monkey’s Straw Raincoat (Sarumino) was published. In December he returned to Edo. In 1692 after many relatively quiet months, a new hut was built for him, and he became busy again as a haikai master (Bahmil, 2004: 3). The Result is the six Great Haiku which portray his deep spiritual life, as a poet and as a Zen man.
Those six Haiku were written in the period of his journey, and noticed as the time when he reached the highest point of his spiritual life. The first Haiku is;
Old pond-
It was written when Basho left Edo in May, which became the basis for his next series of poems. The third Haiku was written in Autumn 1689, (Bahmil, 2004: i):
Stormy sea-
Stretching out over Sado, Heaven’s River
(Bahmil, 2004:97)
Soon to die Yet no sign of it: A cicada’s cry (Bahmil,2004:114)
In Autumn 1690 he wrote another poem of a dragonfly, when he started to move from his hut to a village. He moved to the village of Ueno.
Dragonfly
Unable to hold on To the Grass Blade (Bahmil,2004:114)
In Spring 1691 he wrote again a poem, when he spent time in May at the Villa of Persimmons to wrote Saga diary, one poem of Saga diary is about the life of the cherry trees.
Year upon year
Fertilizing the cherry trees: Blossom dust
(Bahmil,2004:121)
life, the study is meant to reveal the meaning of Haiku, to reveal the ideas of Zen in the form of Zen philosophy.
B. Problem Formulation
In order to reveal Zen ideas in the Haiku, there are three problems formulated that will help to find the Zen philosophy as ideas in the Haiku. The order of the questions are applied in each Haiku.
1. How are the images of Basho’s Haiku presented?
2. How are the metaphors of Basho’s Haiku presented?
3. What are the Zen ideas reflected through imageries and metaphors of Basho’s Haiku?
C. Objectives of the Study
There are three objectives that show where this thesis led to. The first objective of this study is an answer of the first question, that is to indentify metaphors in the Haiku. The second objective is to identify imageries and in the Haiku. The third objective is to reveal the ideas of Zen Buddhism inside that reflected through metaphor and imagery.
deepest recest of a poem is through analyzing and revealing the metaphor and the imagery of the poem.
D. Definition of Terms
1. Zen
Zen is a spiritual sect of Buddhism that has philosophy of the products of the Chinese mind especially Taoism after its contact with Indian thought, which was introduced into China in the first century A.D through the medium of Buddhist teachings. Buddhist teaching is concerned with self liberation from all attachements and suggesting homeless life to trancendentalism. Enlightment occupies the central point of teaching in all schools of Buddhism, Hinayana, and Mahayana, because the Buddha’s teachings all start from his enlightment
experience, about 2,500 yaers ago in the northern part of India. Zen philosophy concerned in enlightment, in Japanese language it is called as satori. Zen thought is that life is for enlightment (Suzuki, 1988:1).
2.Haiku
Haiku is like Zen as a major Japanese culture. According to Landis Bahmill, Haiku is a modern word. It was created by Masaoka Shiki who lived from 1867 until 1902, as the first great modern Haiku poet, as distinguish the type of verse from its antecedants, haikai and hokku.
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A.Review of Related Studies
In the book entitled Zen and Japanese culture, D.T. Suzuki wrote his view and ideas toward Haiku and revealed the Zen idea the Haiku. His work depicted how Zen enriched Haiku, and became the essential part in it. Suzuki analyzed two big poet’s works, namely Basho (1643-1694) and Chiyo (1703-1775).
Suzuki analyzed Basho’s Haiku, and showed the idea of Zen in the Haiku,
as the contemplation of life. Suzuki said that Chiyo’s Haiku showed the relation of Zen and art. He analyzed how art and Zen are conducted or even almost similar in the term of process of liberation of ego. He found that process of Zen man and Haiku poet, are in the similar process, in terms of reaching egolessness stage (Suzuki,1988:215).
The realm where artistic impulses are securely kept away from our superficial utilitarian life. Zen also lives here, and this is where Zen is of great help to artists of all kind (Suzuki, 1988: 225).
He explained how the artist of Haiku is also a person who learned Zen. For example, Chiyo, once told to be in deep meditation before she composed good Haiku. Her meditation of cuckoo sound told by DT. Suzuki in the sense of Zen meditation. Chiyo’s all night meditation on cuckoo sound helped to open up her unconcious. What she used to do before this experience was to contemplate the subject she would use in composing a Haiku.
In the eyes of DT. Suzuki, for the reason above whatever Haiku she produced was always conducted with a certain amount of artificiality or mere cleverness that had really nothing to do with poetry in its proper sense. It just happened as a meditation process. Chiyo for the first time realized that a Haiku, as long as it is a work of poetical creativity, ought to be an expression of one’s
inner feeling altogether devoid of the sense of ego. Haiku poet in this sense is a person who learned Zen (Suzuki, 1988:226).
DT. Suzuki in analyzing Basho’s Haiku used Dr. R.H Blyth’s comments
to find answer in Basho’s Haiku. He considered Basho as the founder of modern
school of Haiku. He also, quoted Dr. R.H Blyth, as one of authority on the study of Haiku.
related to Zen is explained by D.T.Suzuki’s with a reason, that whether “temporary” or not, Basho gives his seventeen syllables a significant intuition into
reality (Suzuki, 1988:229). It means that both Haiku and Zen are the matter of moment where intuition sublimes with reality.
Furthermore Suzuki explained deeper into the relation between Zen and Haiku, Haiku and Zen are not to be confused. Haiku is Haiku and Zen is Zen. Haiku has its own field, it is poetry, but it also partakes of something of Zen, at the point where a Haiku gets related to Zen. That is what the writer tried to develop in this thesis.
Dr. R.H Blyth wrote in his study of Basho’s Haiku entitled The Gentlest
and the Greatest Friend of Moon and Winds that Haiku is the revealing of the preaching by presenting us with the thing devoid of all our mental twisting and emotional discoloration; or rather, it shows the thing as it exists at one and the same time outside and inside the mind, perfectly subjective, ourselves undivided from the object in its original unity with ourselves. Dr. R.H Blyth examined Haiku as an expression. He wrote:
It is a way to returning to nature, to our moon nature, our cherry- blossom nature, our falling leaf nature, in short to our Buddha nature. It is a way in which the cold winter rain, the swallows of evening, even the very day in its hotness and length of the night become truly alive share in our humanity, speak their own silent and expressive language.
B. Review of Related Theories
A poem is an expression, of someone’s intuition. It is the work that becomes the representation of poet’s thoughts, ideas, feeling, experiences. Since
poetry is fit to the speculation of expressive theorist, it is subdued to the field of poems idea, a poet’s mind. For the first question it is necessary needed the theory
of metaphor and imagery. 1. The theory of Imagery
Abrams mentioned that imagery is one of the most common in a modern criticism, and one of the most variable in meaning. Its application range all the way from the “mental pictures” which, it is sometimes claimed, are experienced by the reader of a poem, to the totality of the components which make up a poem (1993:86).
According to Abrams, in Glossary of literary Terms, there are three usage of the imagery, and all these senses imagery is said to make poetry conceivable and opposed to abstract:
1. “Imagery” (that is, “images” taken collectively) is used to signify all the objects and qualities of sense perception referred to in a poem or other work of literature, whether by literal description, by allusion, or in the vehicles (the secondary references) of its similes and metaphors.
3. Most commonly in recent usage, imagery signifies figurative language, especially the vehicles of metaphors and simile (1993: 86). According to X. J Kennedy and Dana Gioia, image suggests a thing seen, but images in poetry generally mean a word or sequence of words that refers to any sensory experience. The sensory experience of imagery are a sight (visual imagery), a sound (auditory imagery), and a touch as a perception of roughness or smoothness (tactile imagery), ( 2002: 96). Imagery of a poem all its images taken together, to make the images useful than to write separate images (2002: 97). 2. The theory of Metaphor
According to Abrams, metaphor is a word or expression which in literal usage denotes one kind of thing or action to a distinctly different kind of a thing or action, without asserting a comparison (Abrams, 1993: 67).
Metaphor has two aspects. The metaphorical term, and its metaphorical signification or subject. In a widely usage of metaphor. I. A Richards introduced the name tenor for the subject that the metaphor is applied to, and the name vehicle for the metaphorical term itself. ( Abrams, 1993: 67).
Abrams mentioned one of the metaphors named, Implicit Metaphor, which is the tenor is not itself specified, but only implied. Vehicle that is situational, determined by the association of it, which is applied to implied tenor is a ground (1993:67).
However, metaphors usually help writers to do one or more of the following list of usage of the metaphors:
1. Metaphors help readers to visualise more clearly what the poet is talking about. This could be: an object or a scene which the reader may never seen at all; an everyday object or occurence which the writer has observed in a fresh, new and special way, and wishes to share; or something which the poet has imagined.
2. Metaphors sometimes allow poets to describe the indescribable.
3. Metaphors can sometimes be used as a kind of shorthand, to show reders many aspects of one thing economically.
4. Metaphors can sometimes be used to deepen reader’s insight and understanding, by showing that what the writer is describing is connected to complex feelings and emotions, and/ or important ideas, issues and themes.
George Lakoff the writer of Metaphors We Live By wrote that metaphor is for most people a device of the poetic imagination and the rethorical flourish as matter of extraordinary rather than ordinary language. Moreover, metaphor is typically viewed as language characteristic alone, a matter of words rather than thought or action (2003: 4). Lakoff categorized metaphor into three types which are structural metaphor, orientational metaphor and ontological metaphor.
Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature. Our conceptual system thus plays a central role in defining our everyday realities. (Lakoff, 2003: 4)
Lakoff wrote that, the human experiences with physical objects (senses especially our own bodies) provide the basis for wide variety of ontological metaphors, that is, viewing events, activities, emotions, ideas., as entities and subtances ( 2003: 25).
3. The theory of the Zen philosophy
Zen spread among Buddhist scholar, monk and warrior class or the samurai in Japan. The tradition of Zen is to practice the mind to be as calm and peaceful as possible and to free ones mind into the stage of enlightenment. Therefore, in his daily practice a zen monk should be one who understands concepts of Buddhism and its philosophy until its deepest roots for his advancement. In Zen, someone who learns the concepts of Buddhism and who learns sutra completely is not complete yet before he experiences enlightenment, therefore to reach the accomplishment of Zen someone has to leave the concepts behind, throw them away, leave all the concepts even put them in a damnation. This act means that even sutra and concepts in Buddhism are attachment that block someone to go to the experience of enlightenment. This act of putting aside the concepts is considered as part of the concept of Zen, the concept of non-attachment or egolessness.
an empty abstraction. It is for this reason that Zen neglects reading or reciting the sutras or engaging in discourse on abstract subjects (Suzuki, 1988: 5).
There are three ideas of the Zen philosophy: a. Non attachment
This concept of non-attachment is a concept to help to go further into practice which is practiced by meditation, or for Buddhist it is concept that is to be put into a practice, into life. In Zen, attachment is a barrier to enter satori or Buddhist enlightenment because every attachment is resulting ego, and egoistic mental attitude makes the Self cannot be realized fully to attain and reach enlighment. Therefore, somebody who wants to put himself in meditation should understand this philosophy (Suzuki, 1988:5).
b.The Enlightenment
Satori is an enlightenment, and it is verbally transmitted, after somebody understands Buddha’s teaching and puts himself into meditation in appropriate
period he will enter the conversation with his Master and the Master will help him to enter the satori. This philosophy, however, is not concerned to elucidate all these verbal complexity but to reach the mind itself. Satori finds a meaning hitherto hidden in our daily concrete particular experiences, such as eating, drinking, writing, or business of all kinds (Suzuki, 1988:16).
is known among the artists as shin-in (shen-yun) or ki-in (chi-yun), that are the spiritual rhythm, the taking hold of which constitues satori.
Satori thus refuses to be subsumed under any logical category, and Zen provides people with specific method. D.T Suzuki explained
Zen provides us with a specific method for its realization. Conceptual knowledge has its technique, that is, its progressive method,whereby one is initiated into it step by step. But this does not allow us to come in touch with the mystery of being, the significance of life, the beauty of things around us. (Suzuki,1988:220).
Without an insight into these values it is impossible for one to be master or artist of anything. Every art has its mystery. Zen becomes most intimately related to all branches of art, including Haiku. The true artist is attained satori by appreciating the spiritual rhythm of things (mio) (Suzuki, 1988:221).
c. The Impermanent
Zen is thought of the impermanent of word. It has been explained by D.T. Suzuki, with the teaching of relativeness of situation, even freedoms are impermanent, all things compared are relatives, and the absolute Zen idea is that a man should realize it and free in his inner life (1988:220).
The major philosophy of Zen are the three ideas including, Non attachment, Satori, and, impermanentliness. Things are conceptual and not intuitively to bring someone to satori.
4. Theory of Haiku
The eminent scholar Haruo Shirane uses acombined approach in his Early Modern Japanese Literature book published by Columbia University Press New York. He has sections on “Composing Haiku” and “The Poetics of Haiku” and yet
speak of Basho’s poems as hokku (Bahmil, 2004: 5).
Hokku are by definition poems about the current season written in a complete statement as the first starting stanza of Haikai no renga, or the complete form of Japanese classic poem. Hokku are stanzaz in alternating syllabic rhythms of 5-7-5. Haikai poets like Basho began to write hokku as semi independent verses and could be appreciated by themselves (Bahmil, 2004: 5).
However, I use the term haiku and the haiku tradition to refer to the poetic form more generally when I am referring to the long tradition that includes premodern hokku and modern haiku. And since haiku is the more familiar term, I have used it...(Bahmil, 2004:5). In addition, Basho’s hokku now in modern culture (both in Japan and the West) is known as Haiku (Bahmil, 2004: 5).
According to Donald Keene in the book entitled Japanese Literature one obvious feature of Japanese poetry, which has been highly praised by critics, is its power of suggestion. In Basho’s poem, the falling of the cherry blossoms and the scattering of the autumn leaves are favourite themes because both of them suggest the passing of time and the brevity of human existence. There is a religious background to such poetry (1955: 28).
C. Review on the Biographical Background
Biographical background of Basho is needed to approach the Zen in the Haiku. The life chronology of Matsuo Basho, was portrayed in the same book translated by Bahmil. His life was a long journey of a poet who dedicated his life for the highest achivement on the art.
Matsuo Kinsaku (Basho) was born in Ueno, Iga Province in 1644. In 1656 Matsuo Yozaemon, Basho’s father, died. He began to make poem in 1662 as his earliest poem. In 1666 Basho’s friend and fellow poet, son of his Lord, was dead.
(1661-1707). Sugiyama Sampu is a deaf haiku poet, who became Basho’s patron, and he devoted his life to support Basho economically (www.DeafJapanNetwork/atom.com). Takarai Kikaku was a Japanese haikai poet and one of the most accomplished disciples of Basho. Although he was a haikai poet, he was best known for his haiku. He wrote the final days of Basho (www.famouspoetryandpoet/takaraikikaku.com).
Then, in fast development of his skill he participated two Danrin-style linked verse sequences, entitled Two Poets in Edo (Edo ryogin shu) in 1676. He continued to be a rising star in the Danrin school while he began to work at the waterworks department in Edo, it was 1677. Two years later, in 1679 he became a lay monk. In 1680, two major collections by his school were published, Twenty Solo Sequences by Tosei Disciples (Tosei montei dokugin nijikkasen) and Haikai Contests (Haikai awase). He moved out to central Edo into a hut on the rustic outskirts in the Fukugawa district. In this time, his poetry began to reflect the emotional intensity and spiritual depth of Chinese poetry.
In 1681, Basho’s disciple transplanted a basho (banana) tree at his hut.
In September 1684, he began a long journey to the West that would give rise to his first travel journal, Journal of Bleached Bones in a Field (Nozarashi kiko). During a visit in Nagoya, he led five linked verse sequences (kasen) that will be published as The Winter Sun (Fuyu no hi). He visited his native village of Ueno to celebrate the New Year. After several other stops, he returned to Edo in the summer, it was in 1685. In 1686 He wrote the unfinished Critical Notes on the New Year Sequence (Hatsukaishi hyochu).
Then in 1687 he traveled to Kashima Shrine to see the harvest moon, which resulted in Kashima Journal (Kashima kiko). He published Collected Verses (Atsumeku), a selection of thirty-four of his Hokku. In late November, he setted off on long journey to the West, which resulted in Knapsack Notebook (Oi no kobumi). In 1688, he travelled to Sarashina village to see the harvest moon, which resulted in Sarashina Journal (Sarashina kiko), and then he returned to Edo in September.
relatively quiet months, a new hut was built for him, and he became busy again as a haikai master.
In 1693, Basho’s nephew named Toin that he had looked after for many
years, became ill, moved in with Basho, and died in April. Basho began to take care of Jutei, a woman with three children. In August he closed his gate to visitors. In 1694 he began a journey to the southwest in June in poor health. Two anthologies of his school were published, The Detached Room (Betsuzashiki) and A sack of Charcoal (Sumidawara). On November 28, while in Osaka he died (Bahmil, 2004: 9).
According to Bahmil, Basho’s Journey is a journey of a religious
atmosphere, and the religiosity of Basho’s had expressed in his haiku. The journey
that was done by Basho was a one of the cultures of Japanese people that called sabi. The sabi or loneliness is an experience of unity with the nature. The principal goal of Basho was to achieve a unity of feeling and scene. Basho’s sabi
was a quality inherent in scene (such as autumn evening) as well as a feeling experienced by the refined poet ( Bahmil, 2004: 10).
Bahmil added, that the experiences of Basho as guides for what can and should be experienced when people see bird, tree, or scene. In this way, Basho’s
D.Theoretical Framework
The process of analysis will be in the frame of theories of imagery and theories of metaphor. Basho’s Haiku will be analyzed to get clear understanding that Basho’s Haiku has Zen Buddhism ideas inside the Haiku. The theories and
the review on Basho’s biography used in analysis, for finding the relation between Basho’s personal life and the ideas in his Haiku.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Primary source is the book of Basho’s Haiku Selected Poems translated by
Landis Bahmill, published in 2004 by State University of New York. The secondary
source is Zen and Japanese culture by DT. Suzuki, published in 1988 by Princeton
University Press, New York. The theory of imagery is taken from A Glossary of Literary
Terms sixth edition by Abrams, published in 1993, by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Orlando. The theory of metaphor is taken from Metaphors we live by by George Lakoff
and Mark Johnsen, published in 2003 by The University of Chicago Press. Also Basho’s Haiku that are translated into English.
There are six Haiku written by Basho that will be analyzed in this study and they are taken from the book by Landis Bahmil who translated Basho’s Haiku into English version entitled Basho’s Haiku Selected Poems of Matsuo Basho and a work taken from Zen and Japanese culture by DT. Suzuki. Those six Haiku were not entitled as mentioned before that Haiku usually has no specific title on it.
The second Haiku was written in Spring 1689 contained the story of prostitutes that sleeping, bush clover scenery, and moon scenery. Basho wrote the sleeping prostitutes in a house. It was written when Basho left Edo in May for a very long journey to the north country and the west coast of Japan, which became the basis for his next series of poems (Bahmil, 2004: xii).
The third Haiku was written in Autumn 1689, when Basho was standing on the Western shores of Japan looking out upon the night sea. He was pausing on his long journey to the “deep north” of Japan, and he could hear the crashing of the waves. (Bahmil, 2004: i). The Haiku was told of story of beautiful scene of stormy sea and the aurora.
The fourth Haiku was written in Summer 1690, when Basho lived in the hut near the Lake named Biwa ( Bahmil, 2004: xii). He lived alone near the lake and in his loneliness, he wrote something that is the sound of cicada’s cry.
In Autumn 1690 he wrote another poem of a dragonfly, when he started to move from his hut to a village (Bahmill, 2004: xii). He moved to the village of Ueno. He saw dragonflies flew around the village, and he saw a dragonfly try to hold on a grass blade.
B. Approach of the Study
According to Guerin in the book entitled A Handbook of Critical Approaches, biographical approach sees the literary works chiefly, if not exclusively, he mentioned that to sees a literary works with biographical approach is to see the works as a reflection of its author’s life and times or the life and times of the characters in the works (2011:44). Biographical approach used for finding
the relation between the works and the author’s life. Actually, poets have, from
earliest times, been historians. the interpreters of contemporary culture, and the prophets of their people. It shows that poets concern themselves with social themes (Guerin, 2011:45).
For this case Basho concerned about the situation of Japanese people and saw the true condition of Japan, as he saw and wrote about the prostitutes. It seems reasonable, then, to employ biographical analyses among other methods (such as textual study and recognition of genre) in getting at the meaning of a literary work when the work seems to call for them. (Guerin, 2011:61). In brief, the focus of biographical approach, is upon the life, times, and environment of the author and/or the literary characters.
C. Method of the Study
Haiku with the theory of imagery and the theory of metaphor. The theory of imagery and metaphors are employed to gain the meaning of Basho’s Haiku.
29
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
Every poem will be analyzed to answer the questions on the problem formulation. The analysis is started from the identification of imagery and metaphor in the poem and the revelation of the zen philosophy in the metaphor and imagery, and examination of the Zen in the Haiku poem.
A. Imageries in Basho’s haiku
1. Visual imagery in Basho’s haiku
1.1. Visual imagery in Basho’s frog poem written in spring 1686
Old pond- a frog jumps in, water’s sound (Bahmil, 2004:54)
An old pond with grass around it. Basho started to see the pond. Basho’s consciousness took focus on the ignored pond, that surrounded by wild grass and random stones near the pond. In the pond, there was water’s calm surface that emotionally brought his consciousness of calm situation. Then his consciousness was moving to a frog that suddenly jumped into the pond and his consciousness was stopped at the sound of the water that was hit by the frog.
In Basho’s poem of the frog Basho, employs visual imageries, an old pond,
water, grass around the pound, random stones near the pond, and a frog that suddenly jumped into the pond.
1.2. Visual imagery in Basho’s poem of the prostitutes written in spring 1689
Under one roof,
prostitutes, too, were sleeping; the bush clover and the moon (Suzuki, 1988: 230)
The poem captured the view of the roof, the prostitute, the bush clover and the moon. This poem seems strongly suggest a calm image that bring the messages of Japanese life. The calm image of the poem suggest the sadness situation of Japanese people. Basho lived in Tokugawa period (1615-1868), The era of war and poverty even starvation. Basho’s poem pictured that poverty. This
scenery pictured Basho’s feeling of empathy.
In Basho’s poem of the prostitutes, Basho employs visual imageries, the
flowering bush clover was lightened under the moon. Basho also employs the house of prostitutes, prostitutes, and the moon.
1.3. Visual imagery in Basho’s stormy sea poem written in autumn 1689
Stormy sea-
Stretching out over Sado, Heaven’s River
(Bahmil, 2004: 97)
In the first line of his Haiku, Basho wrote the expression of his feeling of gratitude of the greatness of sea. Basho also wrote about the Heaven’s river. Image of the light in the sky is mainly red and green, seen in the sky at night stretched near north pole until north Asia. (www.naturefacts.com/article/aurora).
1.4. Visual imagery in Basho’s poem of dragonfly written in autumn 1690
Dragonfly
Unable to hold on To the Grass Blade (Bahmil, 2004: 114)
This poem contains the intense of visual image of the dragonfly Basho came back to Ueno in autumn 1690, when he stood to look the dragonfly flew around. His eyes watched the dragonfly with high intensity. In this poem there is also the grass as a visual image. Then the dragonfly flew lower to the grass on the ground.
In Basho’s poem of the dragonfly, Basho employs visual imageries, the
dragonfly, the grasses, and the grass blade.
1.5. Visual imagery in Basho’s cherry tree’s poem written in spring 1691
Year upon year
Fertilizing the cherry trees: Blossom dust
(Bahmil, 2004: 121)
This poem imagery is visual image of the cherry trees. In this poem the cherry trees appear as a focus. Cherry trees in Japanese culture is a significant image, as a flower that grows in Japan and becomes time signal. Cherry trees is japanese national symbol.
2. Auditory Imagery in Basho’s haiku
2.1. Auditory imagery in Basho’s frog poem written in spring 1686
Old pond- a frog jumps in, water’s sound (Bahmil, 2004:54)
In his Haiku he wrote in line three it is written ‘water sound’. It is sound of a frog that jumps in to the pond, and in a second there is a sound when the frog hit the surface of water. One of the variant sound that is heard in the reader’s imagination is when this line is read, the sound will be heard ‘plup’.
In Basho’s poem of the frog, Basho employs auditory imagery of the
water’s sound. The water’s sound of the splashing water when the frog jumps into
the pond.
2.2. Auditory imagery in Basho’s stormy sea poem written in autumn 1689
Stormy sea-
Stretching out over Sado, Heaven’s River
(Bahmil, 2004: 97)
The wavy sea made a loud voice, Basho wrote his experiance when he saw the power o the stormy sea, which means there are crashing sound of the waves and the sound of the wind. In Basho’s poem of the stormy sea, Basho employs auditory imagery of the sound of the storm, and the sound of the wavy sea.
2.3. Auditory imagery in the Basho’s cicada’s cry poem written in summer 1690
Basho was sitting near his hut, where he could hear the sound of cicada’s cry. Cicada is an insect that produces a sound which the voice is like crying tone. His hut built near the little forest, there were lots of trees. Cicada lives on that trees during summer. The sound of cicada’s cry is a time signal. This sound is
only heard in summer, time can be known from the nature. In Basho’s poem of the cicada’s cry, Basho employs the auditory imageries of the sound of cicada’s
cry.
3. Tactile Imagery
3.1 Tactile imagery in Basho’s dragonfly poem written in autumn 1690
Dragonfly
Unable to hold on To the Grass Blade (Bahmil, 2004: 114)
The moment when the dragonfly slipped away surprised him. He wrote this moment in the second line of his Haiku. The moment appeared as a surprising moment, and as a Zen disciple, Basho perceived this experience as spiritual moment, when the dragonfly was unable to hold on the grass blade. In Basho’s poem of the dragonfly, Basho employs tactile imagery the slippery grass blade.
3.2 Tactile imagery in Basho’s cherry trees poem written in spring 1691
Year upon year
Fertilizing the cherry trees: Blossom dust
(Bahmil, 2004: 121)
image of soft, old thing, and fragile. In this fragility blossom dust still fertilize the cherry tree. In the fragility of blossom dust, it still has its function, that is fertilizing the brand new cherry trees. In Basho’s cherry trees poem, Basho employs tactile imagery the soft blossom dust.
All the Basho’s poem in this thesis employs visual imagery. There are
three poems uses auditory imagery, which are the frog poem, the stormy sea poem, and the poem of the cicada’s cry. Two Basho’s poem employs tactile
imagery, which are poem of the dragonfly and the cherry trees poem. The imageries of those six haiku are concerning nature image.
Basho pictured nature as well as recorded the sound of the nature. This imagery of nature based on the cultural ground of the religious society, and the relation between the nature and the culture.
B. Metaphors in the Basho’s haiku
1. Ontological metaphors in Basho’s haiku
Basho uses ordinary language to portray events. Most of events are natural
events, or natural process. The poem is the natural process in Japan. According to Lakoff, the experiences with physical objects provide the basis for an extraordinarily wide variety of ontological metaphors, that is viewing events, emotions, ideas, as subtances (2003: 25).
1.1 Ontological Metaphors in Basho’s frog poem
Basho’s frog poem describes a moment when the frog jumps into the pond.
Metaphorically, the haiku has its meaning in the tranquillity and the surprising sudden splash of the water. According to Lakoff, Ontological Metaphors are often based on concepts in experience of culture (2003: 25). Basho wrote the nature things as a daily scenery in Japan. It also categorized as a nature metaphor since Basho wrote his poem based on spiritual concept of unity with nature. (Bahmill, 2004: xii).
Like the water that never blocks things is the metaphor the mind. Mind never grasps a thing and always reflects every things, while mind also does the same thing. In the Buddhist experience, the nature of the mind is reflecting and ungraspable, just like water (Suzuki, 1988: 7). The mind is reflecting every human experience. For a Japanese like Basho, water is intimately related with life. Japanese people see water as the most essential part of life, the source of things, like the mind as the source of things. For Japanese, water and mind are very closely related. This Japanese intimacy toward nature is the base concept of Basho’s life that unites with nature. In Zen mind every natural things represents
wisdom and spirituality (Suzuki, 1988: 375). According to Lakoff, ordinary words used in daily life is metaphorically in nature ( 2003: 7).
1.2. Ontological Metaphors in Basho’s poem of the prostitutes
As Japanese, Basho aware of the environment and the artificial house of Japan. When he wrote it, it is a feeling of a certain Japanese beauty. According to Lakoff metaphor in this poem based on experience of ideas, morals, or concepts. The metaphor he wrote is based on a experience of ontological backgroud, that serves various purposes (entities bounded by a surface) (2003: 26), which is zen way of life.
The roof is a metaphor of the absolute changes, which is the karma or the natural condition of existence that is bound in the circle of birth and death, or the changes that can not be changed (Suzuki, 1988: 231). The roof is covering the prostitues, pictured as something used for protection. The roof normally used for it in every civilization. It is a natural condition, like the absolute changes is a natural condition. Therefore the roof is considered as a metaphor of the absolute changes.
1.3 Ontological Metaphors in the Basho’s poem of the dragonfly
Zen is experienced when the mind does not stop with anything (Suzuki, 1988: 103). Like the dragonfly and the grass blade. Basho wrote about the grass blade as the metaphor for the world, the concepts, and the thoughts. They are the things for the mind to hold on.
It is told that the dragonfly tried to land on a grass leaf, and it tried to hold on to the grass, but it failed to hold on. Zen is experienced when the mind does not stop. The dragonfly is the metaphor for the mind. What the mind usually does is trying to stop to things, to hold on to it, but it seems to be failed to hold on it is written as when the dragonfly failed to hold on to the grass blade.
1.4 Ontological Metaphors in the Basho’s cherry trees poem
In this poem the cherry trees do not only appear as an imagery but also as
a metaphor. The cherry trees considered as a spiritual time signal of Japanese people. Ontologically in this metaphor, the cherry trees is an existence that naturally changing. Basho saw it as the basis subtance, the subtance of changing experience. From its blossom until its fall cherry trees appear in this poem as a metaphor.
In the villa of persimmons, Basho found cherry trees. For Japanese people cherry trees and cherry blossom are the metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life (Bowring, 1993: 13), and it inspired him, when he meditated the ephemeral of the time.
between past and future is very close. When someone enter a samadhi, the distance of past and furture becomes very thin. When the past and future cannot be separated, there is no more time. Time is sublimed. The time as a concept is ephemeral.
Year in the first line is the metaphor of the ephemeral of time, the time of human being, and the time of cherry trees. Since the cherry trees are alive it can be dead. It is called existence when it is in the cycle of life and death. The cherry trees are the metaphor of the existence.
2. Implied Metaphors in Basho’s haiku
According to X.J Kennedy and Dana Gioia implied metaphor is metaphor
that uses neither a connective nor the verb to be. They uses Shelley’s Adonais to
explain implied metaphor, in the first line Shelley wrote Life, like a dome of many-colored glass, and in the second line Shelley wrote Stains the white radiance of Eternity. In the second line it is assumed that Eternity is light or radiance (2002: 122). Basho uses implied metaphor in stormy sea poem and cicada’s cry.
2.1 Implied Metaphors in the Basho’s stormy sea poem
Stormy sea is the metaphor for the mind, the human mind that always changes, human that only lives on the earth. Basho compared the Aurora in the sky and stormy sea is in the earth. This poem also conveys changing and the unstable nature, that always changes. Basho used nature metaphor for the changes, and implicit metaphors for the heaven’s river as the aurora.
2.2 Implied Metaphors in the Basho’s poem of the cicada’s cry
He considered the unseen cicada ontologically as the metaphor of the appearance of unseen existence. He was meditating the sound as the existence. He listened to the cicada’s sound, and concentrate his mind to the sound, that The
poem was about the meditation about existence that cannot be separated from time. Since there is existence there is time. The sound as the sign is the metaphor for the time; since the existence is live, the sign is the sign of life. While Basho was drowned in his meditation, suddenly he heard cicada’s cry.
Basho uses metaphors of nature and implied metaphors that means Basho uses patterns in his haiku. The patterns that Basho used are significant. The significance of nature in Basho’s haiku is in the places and seasons.
The pattern in its imagery and metaphors are nature, places, and pictures of changing seasons. Basho’s haiku capture the intensity of event. This nature image and the changing seasons is a character of Basho’s haiku.
C. Zen reflected through imagery and metaphor
1. Zen reflected through imageries and ontological metaphor in Basho’s
frog poem
From the imageries and metaphors the frog, the water, the pond, this Haiku suggest the spiritual moment, that the scenery and the metaphors in Zen term is understood as surprising moment in the middle of calm situation called satori. When the water hit by the frog and it woke up Basho from his consciousness is called satori. Satori or Zen enlightenment is a moment of unity with universe and intuitively reached when the consciousness is already transcended. In the frog poem, the old pond is the metaphor of the old Basho, and the frog is the metaphor of existence, and the time when the frog hit the water, that can be imagined and heard as ‘plup’ sound is a metaphor of the mind when it reaches peaceful state or satori. From this metaphors and imageries, Basho formed a message of satori.
The form of messages can be retold as a story of Basho’s satori. It started
when the frog jumps into the pond and ‘plup’. The existence disappeared from
Basho’s conciousness.
2. Zen reflected through imageries and ontological metaphor in Basho’s
prostitute poem
This poem shows the visual imagery and metaphor of the quality to communicate the deepest concepts of Basho. Basho as a monk wrote the poem as he saw the moment that constitutes to some feeling of empathy. (Suzuki,1988: 231).
Zen enables someone to see things as impermanent. This ability is perceived when someone takes focus on things and leaves his conceptualization while he sees things. In Buddhist terminology it is called prajna (Suzuki, 1988: 103).
Basho saw the things with prajna. Prajna enables him to see things in its nature, that is impermanent. He saw that those things are impermanent. Then he wrote the things that are impermanent as his experience.
The gentle and calm view of moonlight on the bush clover while the sleeping human that laid down their exhausted body is the experience of Basho himself. In his poem, Basho set the prostitute as well as himself together with the bush clover and the moon.
transcendental level in Basho’s poem. There are no concepts that stay forever.
They were impermanent.
3. Zen reflected through imageries and implied metaphor in Basho’s
stormy sea poem
The visual and the auditory imagery are The aurora is the sky phenomenon, and the sound of crashing waves is the earth phenomenon and appear in the poem. Meanwhile both of them are in the same view that were stretching out along the horizon and were separated by imaginary line.
In the perspective of Zen, there is a situation called Nirvana, the highest circumstances that human can reach through doing dharma or good deeds and meditation. In the other side there is human earth, the middle circumstances that is bounded by karma, or the circle of life and death (Suzuki, 1988: 121).
Since the metaphors in this poem, are the heaven river and the sea in this poem, heaven and earth are separated, but they exist like two sides in a coin. According to Suzuki, when someone is attached on one side there is thought, when there is a thought there is attachment, when there is attachment there is no freedom (1988: 17). In Zen Buddhism, when someone has no freedom means he fails to realize the satori.
attachment, and this experience is expression within his Haiku. He experienced the non attachment.
4. Zen reflected through imageries and implied metaphor in Basho’s poem
of cicada’s cry
From the auditory imagery ‘the sound of cicada’s cry’ and the metaphor
‘the sign and the cicada’ this poem conveys Zen idea. Someone that practices
meditation for long time may have the experience of unity with nature. Zen gave an immense feeling to the native feeling for nature, not only by sharpening it to the highest degree of sensitiveness but also by giving it a metaphysical and religious background (Suzuki, 1988: 363).
The sound as the sign is the metaphor for the time; since the existence is live, the sign is the sign of life. While Basho was drowned in his meditation, suddenly he heard cicada’s cry.
When Basho meditated in his loneliness or in the Japanese terminology called wabi (Suzuki, 1988: 23) and drown himself in the meditation of the question of existence, he practiced koan. In Zen there is a method called koan or the question to help somebody to concentrate his mind to enter the state of meditation.
When he experienced the sound as the metaphor of time Basho was the time means changing together with the time, the unity of Basho and his meditation made him suddenly he forgot himself. At that time, he experienced satori.
5. Zen reflected through imageries and implied metaphor in Basho’s
dragonfly poem
The imageries both visual ‘the dragonfly’ and tactile imagery ‘the slippery
grass blade’ and the metaphor ‘the moving dragonfly’ in this poem leads to an
understanding that ontologically Basho is a subject. He saw the dragonfly. The dragonfly is an object. In Zen there is a teaching of deep meditation or samadhi, it is a state of condition when subject and object have no barrier and they are united. Basho wrote his experience, when he and the dragonfly are united. In a deep meditation there is no more separation between the subject Basho himself, and the object, the dragonfly.
When the dragonfly fail to hold on to the grass, He noticed that failure of the dragonfly shows the mind that fail to grasp the concepts, as the wordly things.
Zen the mind always flows. When Basho experienced the flowing mind he experienced the non attachment of mind. The flowing mind, is the Zen itself.
6. Zen reflected through imageries and ontological metaphor in Basho’s
cherry trees poem
In this poem, the cherry trees appear as an visual imagery and as a metaphor of the constant changing. This poem conveys how Basho experienced the changing nature, when he saw cherry blossom turns into blossom dust. He lived intimately with nature, In Japanese terminology Basho lived in the style of Sabi or live in wild nature with simpleness even poorness (Suzuki, 1988: 24).
With highest sense he saw much of the changing in age 47. When he felt it as he wrote the cherry trees Haiku, he wrote about the circle of death and life existence. In the Zen Buddhism this state is called experience of things that is impermanent (Suzuki, 1988: 6). There is nothing stand still forever.
46
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
This thesis begins with assumption that Haiku of Basho, has a particular relation to Zen Buddhism. Poem and philosophy are related. They have a relation of how they construct humankind.
The Basho’s frog poem that is written in spring 1686, describes the frog
jumped into the pond as the visual imagery. and the plup sound as the auditory imagery of water sound. This poem employs ontological metaphor when frog as metaphor for existence is moving, The existence dissapears together with the appearance of the sound. The experience of dissappearance of the existence is an enlightenment, according to Zen. The meaning of the Haiku is the experience of satori, or Zen enlightenment. This poem conveys the Zen idea of enlightenment.
In the poem of the stormy sea, Basho wrote his experience whe he was standing on the western shores of Japan looking out upon the night sea in autumn 1689. This haiku employs visual imagery the sea, the heaven’s river, and the auditory imagery the sound of the sea. The haiku employs implied metaphors of the Heavens river as metaphors of aurora. The meaning of haiku is that mind not only cannot be attached in earth with its concepts as long as one wants to attain satori, but also cannot be attached to heaven, because in Zen, attachment is a barrier to enter enlightenment. The haiku of stormy sea conveys the Zen idea of non-attachment.
In poem of cicada’s cry, At the summer 1690 Basho wrote a poem about
cicada. Basho stayed in a hut near the quiet Biwa lake. This haiku employs the auditory imagery the cicada’s cry sound, and employs implied metaphor of the
sign, as the appearance of the time. The time and the existence cannot be separated. The meaning of the poem is about experience of unity with nature. This experience of unity with nature is a Zen enlightenment. The Haiku conveys the Zen idea of satori.
things for the failure of holding on moment. The meaning of the Haiku is about the nature of mind that in Zen the mind always flows. The Haiku conveys the Zen idea of non-attachment.
49
Books
Abrams, M.H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers, 1993.
Bahmil, Landis. Basho’s Haiku, Selected Poems of Matsuo Basho. New York: State University of New York, 2004.
Bowring, Richard and Peter Kornicki. A Cambridge Reference book: Japan. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Guerin, Wilfred. A handbook of critical approaches to literature (6th edition). London: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Keene, Donald. Japanese Literature An Introduction for Western Readers. New York: Grove Press, 1955.
Kennedy X.J and Gioia Dana. An Introduction to Poetry (Tenth Edition). New York: Longman Press, 2002.
Lakoff, George and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. London: The University of Chicago press, 2003.
Leng, Andrew. Mastering Unseen Poetry (In upper secondary literature in English). Singapore: Pearson Education Asia Publisher, 2000.
Napier, J. Susan. The Fantastic in Modern Japanese Literature (The Subversion of Modernity).London: Routledge, 1996.
Rowe, M.W. Philosophy and Literature- A book of Essays. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing, 2004.
Suzuki, D.T. Zen and Japanese Culture. New York: Princeton University Press, 1988.
Online Reference
Anna, R. (2007) http://www.haikupoetshut.com/basho.html.
The Gentlest and the Greatest Friend of Moon and Winds Soji, 1996) (16 June 2012) Anthony, M.(2010) www.naturefacts.com/article/aurora (4 September 2012)
Atom. “Takarai-Kikaku the Poet”.(2012) www.famouspoetryandpoet/takaraikikaku.com (5 July 2012)
Sugiyama, Hatori, J. “Sugiyama Sampu”.(2012) www.DeafJapanNetwork.com (5 July 2012)
ix
NATAN ARYA LEKSANA GAYUH. The Ideas Of Zen As Reflected
In The Imageries And Metaphors In Matsuo Basho’s Haiku
Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters Sanata Dharma University, 2012.
ABSTRACT
This thesis analyzes ideas of Zen in the short poems written by a legendary Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho. It is mentioned in this thesis that the Japanese poem written in around the sixteenth century is called Haiku. Haiku is a genre of Japanese poem written in three lines with 5-7-5 syllable rule. The writer found a hypothesis that in the poems created by Basho who has ideas that describe the reality of life and wisdom in the view of Japanese Buddhism that is well known as Zen Buddhism.
To prove that Haiku - written by a man who lived alone in collecting data and information that is based on the hypothesis of Haiku and taking notes of it, doing deep reading, and analyzing six Basho’s haiku. The approach of this thesis is biographical approach.
Haiku is a poem that reflected the depth of Japanese culture. Japan is a rich place of art and religion. Japan has not only haiku but also Zen, which is a branch of school of Buddhism that enriched Japanese life.. While Zen emphasizes individual enlightenment, haiku is poem genre, which is contained of ordinary scenery of Japan. Zen is a spirituality, haiku is an art work. Although they are different things, they are closely related. This thesis is meant to reveal the wisdom of Japanese culture from the haiku and Zen as the best representation of Japanese culture. The answer of first problem formulation is that there are imageries or the word pictures including visual, auditory, and tactile perception in the haiku. The second answer is that there are ontological metaphors and the last is that there is Zen ideas inside the metaphors and the images of the haiku.
x
NATAN ARYA LEKSANA GAYUH. The Ideas Of Zen As Reflected
In The Imageries And Metaphors In Matsuo Basho’s Haiku
Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2012.
ABSTRAK
Tesis ini membahas tentang pesan –pesan dalam puisi pendek yang ditulis oleh seorang penyair Jepang legendaris Matsuo Basho. Dalam Tesis ini disebutkan bahwa puisi Jepang yang ditulis sekitar Abad 16 tersebut bernama Haiku. Haiku adalah sebuah genre puisi Jepang yang dituliskan dalam tiga baris dengan aturan 5-7-5 suku kata. Hipotesis yang penulis temukan adalah sebuah ide bahwa Haiku yang diciptakan Basho ini, mempunyai pesan-pesan yang menggambarkan realitas kehidupan dan kebijaksanaan dalam cara pandang Buddhisme Jepang yang terkenal dengan sebutan Buddhisme Zen.
Untuk membuktikan bahwa Haiku - yang ditulis oleh seseorang yang pernah tinggal menyendiri di hutan Jepang - ini berisi tentang pesan-pesan buddhisme Zen yang mendalam, penulis merumuskan tiga pertanyaan yang akan membantu pembuktian yang valid atas kedalaman filsafat Buddha di dalamnya. Pertanyaan pertama adalah, bagaimana gambaran yang dialami basho di dalam haikunya, Pertanyaan kedua adalah, bagaimana metafora disajikan dalam haiku karangan Basho. Yang ketiga adalah bagaimana gambaran dan metafora dalam haiku Basho merepresentasikan ide Zen.
Metode yang digunakan dalam penulisan tesis ini adalah metode kepustakaan, dengan mengumpulkan data dan informasi yang berdasarkan hipotesis pada Haiku Basho dengan mencatat, melakukan pembacaan mendalam, dan menganalisis enam Haiku. Pendekatan dalam tesis ini adalah pendekatan biografi.
