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.
The second step is examining the metaphors and imageries through the perspective of Zen philosophy. The second step was the step of analysis which
was meant to reveal the Zen message of the imageries and metaphors.
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 i
magery 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 p
ond, 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. V isual 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.comarticleaurora. In Basho
’s stormy sea poem, Basho employs visual imageries, the wavy sea in the first line, the night sky and the aurora in the last line.
