Chapter Three. Anxiety And The Formation Of A Poet: Hokku 1740–1770

Abstract

A notable characteristic of many Yosa Buson hokku is their ability to create the sense of an entire fictional narrative in the brief space of 17 syllables, transporting the scene to Heian or medieval Japan, or to a setting derived from Chinese poetry or history. Buson switched to Yahantei, the school of Hayano Hajin, a proponent of a much simpler and more straightforward style than was typical of urban poets. Hajin had studied with Bashō disciples Kikaku and Ransetsu, though his own work was quite different from theirs. Hokku were 17 syllables long, with a three-part structure of five syllables in the first section, seven in the second, and five in the last. Sankasha's first meeting was in the sixth month of 1766, and it was held at Tairai-dō, a space that belonged to group member Tessō.Keywords: Bashō disciples; Hokku; Sankasha; Yosa Buson