Santa Cruz Harbor,
The sound of the barking seals
In the morning fog
Summer heat pushes people
To the California coast
Watching the sunset,
Newlyweds are holding hands
On the balcony
***
A power outage has occurred,
But nobody seems to mind
The moon is rising
Over the distant mountains
In the cool fall air
She adjusts the thermostat
To a much lower setting
***
"We should concentrate.
We are blowing our budget.
Where is it going?"
He puts the folders away
And gazes out the window
Relentless winds blow,
Whistling through the power lines
Past the frozen pond
***
A diner prepares coffee
In the early morning light
The Hawthorn blossoms,
White, with a tinge of yellow,
Bright against the leaves
She plucks a single blossom
And places it in her hair
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Vacation
Good Friends:
I'm on vacation for awhile. I should be back here the week of July 21st.
Best wishes,
Rengajim
I'm on vacation for awhile. I should be back here the week of July 21st.
Best wishes,
Rengajim
Friday, July 4, 2008
Earl Miner: An Appreciation
In the mid-80’s when I began APA-Renga, an amateur effort dedicated to the Renga form, the only book available in English focused solely on Renga was “Japanese Linked Verse” by Earl Miner. I remember getting my first copy. It was expensive, being a University Press publication, Princeton in this case. But as I went through the pages it was a revelation. I eagerly read and reread the chapters. I still have it on my shelf and still refer to it and now and then reread entire sections. In the back of the book are a number of translations of Renga, both the 100 Verse Hyakuin form, and a number of the 35 Verse Kasen form favored by Basho. They are annotated so that for the first time I began to understand the dense fabric of reference and meaning that resonate in a seemingly simple Renga verse.
I personally know six poets whose interest in Renga was stimulated by the publication of this book, and I’m sure there are many more. I think one of the reasons the book is so successful is that Miner really enjoyed Renga and possessed a humble attitude towards the tradition. In the Preface Miner writes, “An author of a literary study is also a student of literature and therefore a guest in its palace. An author is also host in a book bearing the author’s name. For linked poetry, I find that I must play the role of servant or guide.” What impresses me about Miner is that he really wants his readers to understand and enjoy Renga and for this reason he speaks to the reader in the voice of a learned guide and friend. Miner always takes the time to explain basic concepts, historical developments, and basic features of the form without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary foreign terms, literary locutions, or philosophical dead ends. If you haven’t read what goes for standard literary criticism these days you may be unaware of how rare Miner’s approach is. The standard way literary criticism is done in Universities today is to write almost unbelievably dense, incomprehensible, verbiage that only a few other professors of literary criticism can understand. No one reading such material would be inspired to actually engage in the literary form being vivisected by such approaches.
This is one of the things that makes Miner’s work so exceptional. People actually find “Japanese Linked Poetry” entertaining enough, inspiring enough, and well written enough, to pursue Renga as a poetic form.
Miner lived from 1927 to 2004. Though he was widely known for his scholarly study of Japanese literature and poetry, he was also equally versed in Western Poetry and was President of the Milton Society of America. He was in the process of publishing a critical edition of Milton’s “Paradise Lost” when he died.
This broad background in poetry informs Miner’s work on Japanese poetry. It gives Miner the ability to compare and contrast Western and Japanese forms with a sense of assuredness. I find this most clearly demonstrated in his book “An Introduction to Japanese Court Poetry.” Again, in this book on Court Poetry we find Miner guiding us, acting as the Good Host, as he unfolds the world in which Japanese Court Poetry appeared.
In appreciation of his work Miner received the Order of the Rising Sun in 1994; Japan’s second-highest honor (Douglas McArthur and Donald Keene are fellow recipients).
Miner seems to have lived an unspectacular life, dedicated to literature and academia. He was a family man, married for 53 years, and had two children. He maintained contact with his students and regarded them almost as family (among his students was Robert Fagles, the translator of Homer). Miner represents for me the best kind of academician, the kind that uses his knowledge to communicate with others in a meaningful and accessible way. Part of his lasting legacy are the many people, including myself, who have found there way on the Narrow Road to Renga because they had a sure guide, and a good friend, in Earl Miner. Miner died on April 17, 2004 and I have marked that date on my calendar. On that day I offer some incense and a prayer of thanks for all of his efforts which have benefited me in so many ways.
Note: As far as I know, all of Miner’s works are now out of print. This is a shame, because, in my opinion, they have not been superseded and there is a whole new generation that could benefit from these works being reprinted. However, used copies seem to be readily available. For those interested in Renga, “Japanese Linked Poetry” is a must.
I personally know six poets whose interest in Renga was stimulated by the publication of this book, and I’m sure there are many more. I think one of the reasons the book is so successful is that Miner really enjoyed Renga and possessed a humble attitude towards the tradition. In the Preface Miner writes, “An author of a literary study is also a student of literature and therefore a guest in its palace. An author is also host in a book bearing the author’s name. For linked poetry, I find that I must play the role of servant or guide.” What impresses me about Miner is that he really wants his readers to understand and enjoy Renga and for this reason he speaks to the reader in the voice of a learned guide and friend. Miner always takes the time to explain basic concepts, historical developments, and basic features of the form without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary foreign terms, literary locutions, or philosophical dead ends. If you haven’t read what goes for standard literary criticism these days you may be unaware of how rare Miner’s approach is. The standard way literary criticism is done in Universities today is to write almost unbelievably dense, incomprehensible, verbiage that only a few other professors of literary criticism can understand. No one reading such material would be inspired to actually engage in the literary form being vivisected by such approaches.
This is one of the things that makes Miner’s work so exceptional. People actually find “Japanese Linked Poetry” entertaining enough, inspiring enough, and well written enough, to pursue Renga as a poetic form.
Miner lived from 1927 to 2004. Though he was widely known for his scholarly study of Japanese literature and poetry, he was also equally versed in Western Poetry and was President of the Milton Society of America. He was in the process of publishing a critical edition of Milton’s “Paradise Lost” when he died.
This broad background in poetry informs Miner’s work on Japanese poetry. It gives Miner the ability to compare and contrast Western and Japanese forms with a sense of assuredness. I find this most clearly demonstrated in his book “An Introduction to Japanese Court Poetry.” Again, in this book on Court Poetry we find Miner guiding us, acting as the Good Host, as he unfolds the world in which Japanese Court Poetry appeared.
In appreciation of his work Miner received the Order of the Rising Sun in 1994; Japan’s second-highest honor (Douglas McArthur and Donald Keene are fellow recipients).
Miner seems to have lived an unspectacular life, dedicated to literature and academia. He was a family man, married for 53 years, and had two children. He maintained contact with his students and regarded them almost as family (among his students was Robert Fagles, the translator of Homer). Miner represents for me the best kind of academician, the kind that uses his knowledge to communicate with others in a meaningful and accessible way. Part of his lasting legacy are the many people, including myself, who have found there way on the Narrow Road to Renga because they had a sure guide, and a good friend, in Earl Miner. Miner died on April 17, 2004 and I have marked that date on my calendar. On that day I offer some incense and a prayer of thanks for all of his efforts which have benefited me in so many ways.
Note: As far as I know, all of Miner’s works are now out of print. This is a shame, because, in my opinion, they have not been superseded and there is a whole new generation that could benefit from these works being reprinted. However, used copies seem to be readily available. For those interested in Renga, “Japanese Linked Poetry” is a must.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Long Life: A Solo Shisan
Thick smoke fills the air
From hundreds of wildfires
In the late June heat
The sky has the strangest tint
Like something seen in a dream
The old photograph
Doesn't match her memory
Of her wedding day
***
Dry leaves, tumbling in the wind,
Behind the large speeding truck
Mixing with the sound
Of the flourescent full moon
High in the clear sky
On the patio some friends
Share some old familiar tunes
***
Icicles glisten,
Catching the first rays of light
On Sunday morning
He sips a cup of coffee
Before the children wake up
Reconnoitering,
Walking slowly from room to rooom,
The old family cat
***
Through the small open window
A warm breeze carries fresh scents
Of the apple tree
Left over from the orchard
That used to be here
Grandmother tells the story
Of her grandmother's long life
From hundreds of wildfires
In the late June heat
The sky has the strangest tint
Like something seen in a dream
The old photograph
Doesn't match her memory
Of her wedding day
***
Dry leaves, tumbling in the wind,
Behind the large speeding truck
Mixing with the sound
Of the flourescent full moon
High in the clear sky
On the patio some friends
Share some old familiar tunes
***
Icicles glisten,
Catching the first rays of light
On Sunday morning
He sips a cup of coffee
Before the children wake up
Reconnoitering,
Walking slowly from room to rooom,
The old family cat
***
Through the small open window
A warm breeze carries fresh scents
Of the apple tree
Left over from the orchard
That used to be here
Grandmother tells the story
Of her grandmother's long life
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