East Asian Literature Unit: Japanese Literature – Flashcards
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During the 300s AD, the Japanese incorporated beliefs, including those about religion, politics, architecture, art, writing systems, and fashion into their culture from which country?
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China
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What are the four major periods of Japanese literature?
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Ancient, Classical, Medieval, and Modern
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During the Classical Period, Murasaki Shikibu wrote which work of literature?
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The Tale of Genji, the tale of a minor prince who rises to become the emperor's right-hand man
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Choka poetry belongs to which of the four major periods of Japanese literature?
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Ancient Literature
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What is the syllable count for a choka?
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575757......577
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What are envoys?
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These often end choka; they are pithy summations. These envoys also have a strict structure. Generally, the envoys elaborate on or summarize the theme, or central idea, of the main poem.
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Why did choka disappear after the 8th century?
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Characteristics of the Japanese language, Japanese preference for suggestion as opposed to straightforwardness, and the popularity of Chinese poetry
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Kakinomoto Hitomaro held what position during his life?
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Court poet
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What do Kakinomoto Hitomaro's poems convey about the relationship between humanity and nature?
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There is unity between humanity and nature.
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In "I loved her like the leaves," why are leaves an appropriate image to use in this poem?
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The life cycle of leaves parallels the human life cycle; the withering and disappearing of the leaves corresponds to the death of Hitomaro's wife.
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What is the significance of the landscape in the poem "In the Sea of Iwami"?
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The visual landscape of the poem—the rocky, deep sea, the yellow leaves—the mountain—the moon-- reflects the poet's mental landscape, the inner landscape of his feelings.
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What is the most prevalent verse form in Japanese poetry?
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Tanka
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What is the syllabic pattern for a Tanka?
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5-7-5-7-7
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Tanka poetry expresses powerful feelings on which two topics?
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Love and nature
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What kinds of lovers does tanka describe?
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Although many tanka deal with love relationships, they rarely describe situations in which two lovers are together. Instead they tend to focus on times during which the lovers are apart.
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How did tanka poems become associated with love?
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Because poetry was used by men as a means of courting women, male poets continued to write love poems in Japanese so that the women they addressed could understand them as only men studied Chinese.
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What does "The river blew so cold // the plovers were crying" mean in Ki No Tsurayuki's tanka?
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His willingness to endure the cold means he loves her very much
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How does the woman feel about the man in the dream in Ono Komachi's tanka?
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She has warm feelings towards him; he seems to be her lover.
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In Priest Jakuren's tanka, the last two lines: "cypress mountain, Autumn evening" give the reader the impression of what feeling?
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Loneliness
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In Minamoto No Toshiyori's tanka, why does the speaker appreciate the clouds?
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They make the moon seem to shine all the brighter.
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How are tanka poet's Ono Komachi's poems characterized?
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By passion and energy
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Which tanka poet wrote, "The poetry of Japan, as a seed, springs from the heart of man, creating countless leaves of language..."
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Ki No Tsurayuki
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Which tanka poet rebelled against traditional poetic approaches and helped bring about the acceptance of new descriptive styles?
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Minamoto no Toshiyori
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Which tanka poet was a Buddhist priest and a prominent tanka poet whose poems are filled with beautiful yet melancholy imagery.
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Priest Jakuren
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Sei Shonagon wrote during which time period?
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The Heian Period (794-1185)
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During Sei Shonagon's time, Japan's government was dominated by which family?
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The Fujiwara family
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Why did Japanese aristocracy place great importance on obtaining a government post?
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Holders of rank were often given land or servants and were entitled to a variety of privileges.
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Who was Sei Shonagon?
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Sei Shonagon was a lady-in-waiting for the Empress Sadako during the last decade of the tenth century
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What does "Shonagon" mean?
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Minor counselor
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What does The Pillow Book contain?
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Character sketches, descriptions, anecdotes, lists, and witty insights
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In The Pillow Book, how is the section "In spring it is the dawn" characterized?
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It includes detailed, beautiful descriptions of nature
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In The Pillow Book, what is a summary of "The cat who lived in the palace"?
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The maid makes a dog chase the royal cat; the dog is beaten, and everyone marvels at his deep feelings and sympathies.
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In the Pillow Book, how is the section "I remember a clear morning" characterized?
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It is a last reflection on nature and literature.
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In the Pillow Book, how is the section, "Things that make one's heart beat faster" characterized?
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These are a few tidbits about what Sei Shonagon likes.
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When was Noh Theater established?
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The 1300s
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What two religions does Noh Theater incorporate?
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Buddhism and Shintoism
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What is the "shite" in Noh Theater?
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This character, the protagonist, is usually the incarnation of a strong emotion, such as loneliness.
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What is the "waki" in Noh Theater?
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A minor character who possess neither names nor personalities and serves mainly to elicit the shite's story and to observe the action.
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Does Noh Theater deal with external or internal conflict?
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Internal conflict
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Why can any Noh actor play any role?
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Because the actors often wear masks, it is possible for them to play any role--even an elderly man can play the role of a beautiful woman.
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What is the first section of Noh Theater?
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The first part is an introductory section called the jo, which is slow and deliberate in pace.
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What is the second section of Noh Theater ?
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Ha, a longer and faster-moving section in which the story is developed.
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What is the third section of Noh Theater?
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The third and final section is the kyu, which is very fast in pace and is about the same length as the introduction.
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What does Zeami's term "hana" mean in Noh Theater?
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Hana refers to outer beauty
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What does Zeami's term "yugen" mean in Noh Theater?
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The unspoken, inner beauty and mystery that exists beneath hana, outer beauty.
