Falling sick on a journey Flashcards
by Matsuo Basho — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: Falling sick on a journey
What Japanese literary tradition does "Falling Sick on a Journey" belong to?
It is a jisei (death poem) -- a farewell poem composed when the author knows death is imminent, rooted in Zen Buddhist tradition.
What is the kigo (seasonal word) in Basho's death poem?
Kareno (dried/withered grass field), which is a traditional winter kigo indicating the season of the poem.
What literary allusion does Basho's death poem make to Noh theater?
The image of a dream wandering over a withered field echoes Noh plays in which the spirits of the dead roam the landscape as ghostly figures.
What earlier Japanese poet does Basho's death poem allude to?
Saigyo, the twelfth-century wandering poet-monk whose waka about desolate winter landscapes Basho admired and echoed throughout his career.
What central metaphor operates in "Falling Sick on a Journey"?
The journey serves as a metaphor for life itself, with falling ill on the road representing the approach of death, and the wandering dream representing the spirit's refusal to be stilled.
What theme does the contrast between the sick body and the wandering dream convey?
The tension between physical mortality and the enduring spirit -- the body is immobilized by illness, yet the dream (soul, imagination) continues to roam freely.
How does "Falling Sick on a Journey" reflect the Buddhist concept of impermanence?
The dried grass field represents the transience of all living things, while the poem's calm tone reflects Buddhist acceptance of death as a natural part of existence.
What does the poem suggest about the relationship between travel and identity for Basho?
Travel was so central to Basho's identity that even in death, his spirit continues wandering -- fulfilling his famous declaration that "the journey itself is my home."
What does "kareno" mean in Japanese?
Kareno means "dried grass field" or "withered moor" -- a desolate late-autumn or winter landscape where vegetation has died back.
What does "jisei" mean in Japanese?
Jisei means "farewell poem to life" -- a poem composed on or near one's deathbed, reflecting on death and the meaning of one's existence.
Complete the haiku: "Falling sick on a journey, / My dream goes wandering / ..."
"Over a field of dried grass."