Open right now – submissions for a series on the Elements. The deadline has been extended to the end of January. You still have time to send in your work. Check the guidelines HERE.
We are carrying a detailed scholarly series on haibun by Pravat Kumar Padhy as part of our ongoing series on Haiku Demystified. It will be carried in parts.
Haiku Demystified
Haibun: The Joy and Journey of Poetic Engineering, part 1
By Pravat Kumar Padhy
Historical Perspective
The literary practice of writing mixed verse and prose originated in Japan way back during the 8th century. The Man’yōshū, the first major anthology of Japanese poetry that appeared in c. 780 contains the first tanka prose (prose with waka poetry). Perhaps the first novel in world literature, Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji (c. 1000), is the first novel interlacing fictional prose with poetry. In the early 12th century, the word “prosimetrum” (prosa : prose and metrum:verse) is associated with the Rationes dictandi of Hugh of Bologna. Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy (c. 524), Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla (c. 1230), Dante’s La Vita Nuova (c. 1295), The Voyage of Bran (c. 800) , Sweeney’s Frenzy (c. 1300) and texts of the Old Irish and Middle Irish traditions are some of the historical examples of literature synthesizing prose with poetry.
The composition Champu or Chapu-Kavya, a combination of poetry and prose, has been found in ancient Indian literature during the Vedic period (c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE) consisting of prose episodes (Gadya-Kavya) and poetry passages (Padya-Kavya), with verses interspersed within the prose sections.
The genre of intermixing of prose and poetry is classified by J. Zimmerman as the “classical” era (prior to 1600); the “modern” era (approximately 1600 to 2000); and the “contemporary” era thereafter. Yama no I (The Mountain Well),1647 or 1648 is a book of short essays written in haikai style. Kitamura Kigin’s (1624-1705) short essay text, Fireflies is written in a beautiful way with a haiku at the end.
Initially mixing of prose with poetry has been depicted in the form of diaries with waka (presently known as tanka) poetry. Tanka prose, a practice of writing mixed verse and prose, originated in Japan way back in the 8th century. The Man’yōshū, the first major anthology of Japanese poetry that appeared in c. 780 contains the first tanka prose. The 9th century Manyōshū, “An Excursion to Matsura River,” by Ōtomo no Tabito, is one of the brilliant literary works of this genre. Texts of poem-tales (uta monogatori) and diaries (nikki) were penned largely by women in Japanese, while men of the Imperial court were still using the Chinese language.
Izumi Shikibu’s Diary or Izumi Shikibu Monogatari (The Tales of Izumi Shikibu) about love, passion, and lamentation is written with prose along with waka poetry.
World History encyclopedia on Izumi Shikibu quotes:
“The diary of Izumi Shikibu, known in Japanese as the Izumi Shikibu Nikki and perhaps written in 1004 CE, is really not a diary at all but rather a series of memories and episodes. Written in the third person, the author refers to herself throughout as onna or ‘the woman’…..
Izumi had had an affair with Atsumichi’s older brother Prince Tametaka (977-1002 CE), a relationship which seems to have ended her own first marriage. The affair ended with Tametaka’s death, aged only 26, and Izumi was not to have much luck with his brother either, for he died in 1007 CE. Here is a sample extract from the diary, illustrating the typical insertion of poems which often appear in pairs, one as a reply to the other:”
Wallace, J.R. “Reading the Rhetoric of Seduction in Izumi Shikibu nikki.” Havard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 58, No. 2 (Dec., 1998), pp. 481-512.
The Prince had come in his usual secret way. Onna, thinking it unlikely that he would come and, wearied from the recent religious ceremonies, was dozing, so when there was a knock at the gate there was no one who might notice the sound. His Highness had heard various rumors and, surmising that another man might be inside, noiselessly retired and the next day there was:
While standing
before the wooden door
that was not opened
I experienced
a cruel heart.
So this is what it is like to be wretched, I now know. Look at my pitiful state. “It appears that His Highness did announce himself last night! How heartless it was for me to be sleeping!” she thought.
She replied,
How can you ‘experience’
whether or not
that ‘heart is cruel’?
You just left untouched
my ‘wooden door’.
(Wallace, 19)
Tanka prose in Japanese literature saw the waka enshrined within the prose, an approach called the “lapidary style.” Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Taketori monogatari) is a fairytale-like composition of the 9th century. Nun Abutsu in her travel diary “Diary of the Sixteenth Night Moon” (Izayoi nikki, ca. 1283) writes choka, using the crane as a metaphor for deep maternal love.
The ninth century poet Ariwara no Narihira wrote many stories (today we might call them flash fiction) with waka poems.
Two iconic literary works during the 10th century are the anonymous Ise monogatari Contes d’Ise Tales of Ise (includes 143 anecdotes and tales interspersed with 209 waka) and Ki no Tsurayuki’s Tosa Nikki – Le Journal de Tosa (Tosa Diary ), a travelogue in diary form written around 935 in kana script. Tosa Diary is based on emotion and grief and the tanka is closely related to prose.
Yamato Monogatari or The Tales of Yamato is a collection of 173 short stories with waka poetry about life in the imperial court in the 9th and 10th centuries and was first completed in 951.
Lady Murasaki Shikibu’s iconic novel (1100 pages with 54 titled chapters each equivalent to the Tosa Nikki grouped into six books), “The Tale of Genji” of the early 11th century contains more than four hundred tanka. La Vita Nuova (A New Life), a masterpiece on love, contains both verse and prose written by Dante Alighieri in 1294. Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla, dated back to 1230, is a mix of alliterative meters, such as drôttkvætt and prose narrative.
Heike Monogatari or The Tale of the Heike is a major literary work that appeared in the mid- thirteenth century interspersed with Tanka and other poetry forms within the prose. The Kojiki or Record of Ancient Matters, completed in 712 is one of the earliest examples (thirteenth century) of prose and poetry in Japan. Sōgi’s Shirakawa Kikō (1468 A.D.) is a memorable travel diary.
To be continued
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