Japanese New Year - Poetry

Poetry

The New Year traditions are also a part of Japanese poetry, including haiku (17 syllable poems) and renga (linked poetry). All of the traditions above would be appropriate to include in haiku as kigo (season words). There are also haiku that celebrate many of the "first" of the New Year, such as the "first sun" (hatsuhi) or "first sunrise", "first laughter" (waraizome—starting the New Year with a smile is considered a good sign), and first dream (hatsuyume). Since the traditional New Year was later in the year than the current date, many of these mention the beginning of spring.

Along with the New Year's Day postcard, haiku might mention "first letter" (hatsudayori—meaning the first exchange of letters), "first calligraphy" (kakizome), and "first brush" (fude hajime).

Read more about this topic:  Japanese New Year

Famous quotes containing the word poetry:

    Writing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.
    Don Marquis (1878–1937)

    The poetry of heroism appeals irresistibly to those who don’t go to a war, and even more to those whom the war is making enormously wealthy. It’s always so.
    Louis-Ferdinand Céline (1894–1961)

    Proper names are poetry in the raw. Like all poetry they are untranslatable.
    —W.H. (Wystan Hugh)