Basho

This video is the story of a journey.  Matsuo Basho styled himself as a poet wander, detailing his adventures in the Japanese countryside along with his trusty sidekick.  While he did tour the countryside it seems that many of his poems were composed and edited at a later time (Norton 325).  While the immediacy of Basho’s words can be called into question, the power of the images cannot. 

Basho went on what was seemingly an epic road trip with his companion Sora.  While I would not personally travel in a car with the same guzheng music the author of this video has decided to use as a soundtrack, it does add a nostalgic air to the images and poems.  The editor of the video does a nice job moving the “story” forward, as the images and poems move through Basho’s journey. 

The poems the editor has chosen focus on the frailty of life.  The short life the cicadas and the crow overlooking the coming autumn both prove poignant against the mournful music.  This is further enhanced by the color wash and ink drawings used in the video.  There are no bright colors or fast movement, only slow moments captured in the page. 

Works Cited

               Pucher, Martin, eds.  The Norton Anthology of World Literature: New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2013.  Print.