Tanka poetry: "Fearing" by Ishikawa Takuboku (1886-1912)

Fearing
What lies in my heart
May be heard
I quickly draw back my chest
From the stethoscope

The literal action of this poem seems to be a man at the doctor's, and he's afraid of having his heart examined by the doctor. However there's definitely a more profound figurative meaning. He does not know the contents of his heart, as in his innermost emotions and thoughts. The stethoscope could represent anyone trying to gain access to his heart, whether it's an individual person, multiple people or society as a whole. To protect himself, he recoils and avoids contact. This means that although he doesn't know everything that lies within, he probably can guess that some of it is dark and painful.

Matsuo Basho

"A Weathered Skeleton" by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

A weathered skeleton
in windy fields of memory,
piercing like a knife 


Devices:
Similie- "piercing like a knife"
Imagery- "weathered skeleton"


I believe this poem addresses the things that haunt people for their entire lives. The "skeleton" may represent the bad event, person, etc. that persists in one's memory. While it may be "weathered", as many years have passed, it's still "piercing like a knife" in one's mind. Despite the time that has passed, its pain is still acute. The "windy fields of memory" may suggest that one's specific memories may be hazy, but the specific pain associated with something still pierces him from within.

Taylor Mali's "Totally like whatever, you know?

"Totally like whatever, you know?" by Taylor Mali, slam poet.

Comment!

In case you hadn't noticed,
it has somehow become uncool
to sound like you know what you're talking about?
Or believe strongly in what you're saying?
Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)'s
have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences?
Even when those sentences aren't, like, questions? You know?
Declarative sentences - so-called
because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true
as opposed to other things which were, like, not -
have been infected by a totally hip
and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know?
Like, don't think I'm uncool just because I've noticed this;
this is just like the word on the street, you know?
It's like what I've heard?
I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay?
I'm just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?
What has happened to our conviction?
Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?
Have they been, like, chopped down
with the rest of the rain forest?
Or do we have, like, nothing to say?
Has society become so, like, totally . . .
I mean absolutely . . . You know?
That we've just gotten to the point where it's just, like . . .
whatever!
And so actually our disarticulation . . . ness
is just a clever sort of . . . thing
to disguise the fact that we've become
the most aggressively inarticulate generation
to come along since . . .
you know, a long, long time ago!
I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you,
I challenge you: To speak with conviction.
To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks
the determination with which you believe it.
Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY.
You have to speak with it, too.

Japanese Haiku by Arakida Moritake (1473–1549)

A fallen blossom

returning to the bough, I thought --

But no, a butterfly.

 

 

Though simple, I think this poem's message is profound.  He sees a "fallen blossom", which would be lifeless and simply fluttering into obscurity. He is mistaken, however, and discovers that it's in fact a butterfly. The butterfly directly contrasts from the fallen blossom; it's vibrant and colorful, quite the opposite from anything lifeless. Even though the two things may appear very similar, and a casual observer could confuse them, they in fact possess fundamental differences. I think this poem draws attention to this fact, and leaves the reader with a feeling of optimism.