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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.
In his book Suzuki said that Haiku is like Zen. It abhors egoism in any form of assertion. The product of art like Haiku must be entirely devoid of artifice
or ulterior motive which is ego of any kind. There ought not to be any presence of mediatory agent between the artistic inspiration and the mind into which it has
come 1988:226. Suzuki wrote the saying , “that is Zen and that is art”. He
explained that the artist let the unconcious work itself out, for the unconcious is the realm of inner life.
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. Dr. R.H Blyth wrote, Haiku is the expression of a temporary enlightment,
in which we see into the life of things. From this view D.T. Suzuki put a position that Basho’s Haiku are the expression of Zen. The position of Basho who is
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