An Old Silent Pond a Frog Jumps Into the Pond Splash Silence Again matsuo Basho

Matsuo Bashō, the poet of this haiku, was a famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. He is recognized every bit the greatest master of haiku or hokku. In 'The Former Pond', also known as 'The Ancient Pond' , Bashō plays with the audio of the frog leaping in the erstwhile pond and imagery of that ancient identify. In traditional Japanese, the haiku reads:

Furu ike ya

kawazu tobikomu

mizu no oto

With the Japanese characters being:

古池や　蛙飛び込む　水の音

The literal translation of the words of this haiku poem, by Robert Hass, is:

Old pond…

a frog jumps in

h2o's audio

Notwithstanding, at that place is nothing specific well-nigh the context or the evolution of poetic thoughts. 1 has to take resort to the imagination for getting into the core of this verse form.

Summary of The Old Pond

'The Sometime Pond' is a haiku poem that deals with an ancient swimming and the sound made by a frog that jumps into it.

In this haiku poem, there are only three images. One is a static image of an old pond. The second one is a dynamic image of a frog jumping into the swimming. Lastly, there is an auditory image that presents the sound that is generated from a frog jumping into the swimming-water. While reading the haiku, 1 has to exist imaginative to get to the cadre of the poem. To begin with, the pond in the verse form is an quondam water trunk. Information technology seems people have either abandoned the swimming or it is at that place for a long time. Thereafter, the frog that jumps into the pond presents two things, the season and the reason for its jumping. Lastly, the water's audio creates a resonance in a reader's mind. This sound has some deeper meaning that is discussed in the latter part of the assay.

Meaning

This haiku contains manifold meaning within its brevity and firmness. To begin with, the literal meaning of the Japanese text is of swell importance. As it gives the key to the inner pregnant of the text. In the first phrase, "Furu" ways onetime, and "ike" ways pond. Hither, "ya" is a "kireji" or "cutting discussion". Thereafter, in the 2nd phrase, "kawazu" ways frog, and "tobikomu" means "jumping into". In the terminal phrase, "mizu" means water, and "oto" stands for sound. Here, "no" is a phoneme or an "On". In Japanese, "On" stands for "sound". In this fashion, the literal meaning of the text, in Standard English, is "Old swimming—frog jumping into—water'due south sound."

Structure

'The Old Pond' consists of a total of 17 syllables. In the first phrase, there are 5 syllables and in the second phrase, there are 7 syllables. The terminal phrase has five syllables. Structurally, a haiku verse form has a "kireji" or cut discussion. Here, the cutting discussion is in the starting time phrase. Information technology is "ya" that marks a shift in the poem. Another important element of a haiku is "kigo". "Kigo" means a word or phrase associated with a detail flavour, used in traditional forms of Japanese poetry. In this haiku, the "kigo" is the "frog". Generally, in Asia, the frog is associated with the Monsoon season. But, here, equally Bashō portrays the scene, there are no sounds except that of the water. Then, the kigo in this poem refers to the Spring season.

Literary Devices

There are some important literary devices in this haiku verse form. Firstly, the "swimming" is a metaphor for the subconscious listen. Information technology can likewise exist a metaphorical reference to the soul. Whereas, the "old swimming" seems to exist an instance of personification. Here, Bashō personifies the pond. Thereafter, in the 2nd phrase, the frog acts as a metaphor. Here, information technology embodies any external stimulus that incites the human mind to think. Lastly, the "water'south audio" contains an onomatopoeia. The poet uses the sound to portray an paradigm. Moreover, there is also metonymy in this phrase. Here, the poet presents the effect to refer to the cause.

Analysis of The Erstwhile Pond

Line 1

The old pond-

The haiku, using Fumiko Saisho'southward translation, begins with the image of the erstwhile pond. It can be somewhere in a forest or far from human habitation. Bashō associates no other audio with this prototype. So, the swimming is probably at a altitude, in serenity and silence. Moreover, it is former. Being an aboriginal beast, it has survived the ravages of time. Burdened with the experience of the long years, the pond exists as a sage. The poet somehow connects himself with this swimming. There is a closeness in their nature. Both are silent and at peace.

The old pond seems to be a symbol of the subconscious mind. Information technology is in that location inside anybody. Like the old pond, it exists in silence. Moreover, the poet refers to the subconscious mind of an old person. Here, the old human being is undoubtedly the poet himself.

Line 2

a frog jumps in,

Suddenly a frog breaks the quiet of the pond. It doesn't start to croak in its usual pattern. The frog simply jumps into the swimming. Why does the frog jump into the pond? One has to inquire this question kickoff earlier moving to the climax of this haiku. The frog might have jumped into the pond, not for breeding or laying eggs as it's non the flavour of monsoon. And then, one thing is articulate that the frog does it for its biological instinct. It seems as if the h2o of the pond rejuvenates the frog. And so, information technology jumps into the pond naturally without whatsoever biological urge or chemical upsurge inside its body. Like the frog, a person likewise needs solace to give time to his heed and soul. Thus, the frog jumping into the water tin can exist a symbolic reference to meditation.

Line three

sound of the water.

In the last line of the haiku, the sound becomes an interesting part of the imagery. The sound is not artificial. An external stimulus is responsible for the creation of audio. When the frog jumps into the water, it generates a short-staying sound. Information technology isn't shrill. Yet it's non deep. The texture of the h2o's sound lies somewhere in the middle. The poet's mind gets alert after hearing the song simply it doesn't interruption his concentration. Rather it heightens his trance and takes him to a next level. One tin can think about it differently.

While cooking a very special dish, i has to use every cloth in a specific amount. If anything goes across its sure concentration, the dish doesn't taste practiced. The reverse is likewise true. Here, in this haiku, the sound of the water is that special ingredient that must be used in a sound corporeality. Thus, it tin raise the level of the poet'due south mediation.

Similar Poetry

Like Bashō's 'The Old Pond' , here is a list of poems in which the poets explore more by proverb less.

• Fame is a bee by Emily Dickinson – It'south 1 of the best Emily Dickinson poems . This poem discusses the nature of fame.
• Fourth dimension Is past Henry van Dyke – This poem presents the definition of time that varies from person to person.
• Their Sex Life by A. R. Ammons – This poem contains only ii lines but it is broad in its poetic range.
• Pomegranates past Sin Hum – This poem is written in sijo, a Korean poetic form that originated in the Goryeo period. Information technology seems to have been written in haiku.

You can read most ten of the Best Haikus to Read here .

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Source: https://poemanalysis.com/haiku/the-old-pond/

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