Poems from the Kokinshu: A Literary Analysis Essay

Poems from the Kokinshu is an anthology of metrical compositions from the Japanese medieval times (Lawall. ed, 2002). The anthology is divided into different poems depicting human sensations as they vary season after season, or as people c ampaign into an entirely new environment. The principal theme of the poems revolve around the conceit of lovethe progression of feelings, the entire course of the love affair, early yearnings, torrid meetings, sadness and regret (Rodd and Henkenius, 1996). As each(prenominal) season, starting from spring, progresses, the emotions entailed in each poem also changes and develops.One of the principal stylistic features in the anthology is simile, wherein the reason compares his feelings to his observation of what is happening in his environment. An specimen of simile is expressed in Poem II, 73 like the world hollow as a cicadas cast-off reprimand oh cherry blossoms you too volition fade away on the nose as we catch sight of your violator In this particular poem, the author compares his object of affection to a decaying shell of the cicada as the day turns into night. Simile occurs in several poems just like the said example.Another striking stylistic feature presented in the poem is antithesis, wherein the author expresses his emotions in contrast to his environment. In several poems wherein the predominate emotion is grief, the author contrasts his feelings to the beauty of his environment. Here is an example from Poems 7 and 8 from the Spring Poems of the Kokinshu so longingly have I awaited the odoriferous flowers of spring, that they have dyed my understanding and I see puff as clustered blooms on branches though I bask in the cheering warmth of springs light how melancholy to think that my blur now wears a crown of wintertime snow Aside from the aforesaid(prenominal) poems being examples of antithesis, part of them also suggest allegory. The phrases they have dyed my soul and to think that my hair now we ars a crown of winter snow mean that the character in the poem is old and has white hair. The antithesis comes as he describes the warmth of spring in contrast to the cold winter which his body and soul are experiencing, i. e. , his old age.Given that the anthology was written and compiled in the Japanese medieval times, the thoughts or theme presented in The Kokinshu are mate to other literary works done in different parts of the world, such as the Medieval Lyrics of the English Literature. Though a monumental number of these lyrics talk about Christianity and religion, most works are also written in the concept of love with a pretext of nature. An example of a Medieval Lyric similar to the theme of a Kokinshu poem is Westron Wind (Western Wind)Westron wind, when will thou blow? The small rain subject can rain. Christ, if my love were in my arms, And I in my bed again. As said earlier, the customary concept tackled in the anthology is love and its accompanying emotions that w ere assumption color and described in comparison/contrast to nature and its seasons. The concept of love, though internationally recognized throughout the centuries and millennium, is somewhat a substitute(prenominal) concept in the 21st century.In this day and age, with all the prevailing issues such as technology, globalization and others, the concept of love is deemed unimportant to be tackled, although, it is indeed, as cliche dictates, the universal language. As Mario Vargas Llosa said, literature is one of the communal denominators of human experience through which human beings may recognize themselves and intercourse with each other, no matter how different their professions, their life plans, their geographical and ethnical locations, their personal circumstances. Although the concept of love is not deemed as important as business or political concepts nowadays, it still is a ruling emotion that affects each person. Any person who has loved or wanted to love, or even des pised love, can relate to the verses of the Kokinshu, including myself. References Lawall, S. N. (Ed. ) (2002). The Norton Anthology of World Literature. New York WW Norton & Co, Inc. Rodd, L. R. , & Henkenius, M. C. (Eds. ) (1996). Kokinshu A Collection of Poems Ancient