The poems of the Kokin wakashu that deals with the progression of the four seasons do so in six books. The first book covers the dawn of spring, where it first gets warm from winter and the flowers are blooming. The perceptions of these poems are happy and excited at the coming of spring. The second book covers the passing of spring, where there is mourning for the loss of spring. The third book covers summer, where there are mentions of different flowers blooming and the sound of birds. The fourth book covers the start of autumn, and like spring, there is some excitement. The fifth book consequently is the passing of autumn, and a sense of sadness. The last book is about winter, filled with imagery of snow and frozen winds. Some of the poems are descriptive and do not incorporate emotion, but many do get into the emotional sphere and use the seasons to express how they are feeling.
The first spring book celebrates the coming of spring. With springtime arriving, the different authors express their excitement and relief in different ways. The Nijo Empress expressed “Ah, now at long last/the warbler’s frozen teardrops/will surely be dissolving,” (Nijo Empress, 4). Another poet expresses “That I should mistake/lingering snowflakes for flowers-/might it be because/my longing was so fervent,” (Anonymous, 6), as if he was longing for spring so badly that he mistook the snow for flowers. Most of these first poems share the commonality of snow and the lingering symptoms of winter either melting or vanishing. Many of the poems explore the theme of blossoming in these poems, which is celebrating the coming of spring. Here are several examples of the coming of spring through blossoming: “the first blossoms of springtime,” (Masazumi, 12), “blossoming plum,” (Tomonori, 13), “sweet as new grass,” (Anonymous, 17), and “people are picking young greens,” (Anonymous, 18). All of these examples suggest the coming of colors, which is most apparent in the poem by Archbishop Henjo. He states “leafy threads of tender green/and fashion jewels/by piercing clear, white dewdrops,” (Henjo, 27). Here is an image of greens and jewels, which come in many colors as if he was describing flowers, against a backdrop of lingering snow.
Details mentioned in this book of spring would be the “wild geese seem to be off” (Mitsune, 30), describing geese migrating north signaling the coming of warmer weather. It is as if the geese and the blossoming plums, a fruit that many of the poets are eager to enjoy, are signs that spring is coming. As shown in this poem, “a flowering plum near my house:/it is too vexing/to find myself mistaking this/for the scent of one I await,” (Anonymous, 34). Aside from this, one of the single largest indications that spring has finally arrived is the arrival of cherry blossoms. At least 18 of the poems mention cherry blossoms blooming, which are all welcomed. The Former Chancellor expresses, as an example, “all my troubles vanish/at the sight of the blossoms,” (Yoshifusa, 52). There is also an awareness that it would be this season that these pink flowers bloom up in the mountains, “with none to see them,” (Ise, 68). Despite not being able to see them, there is still this knowledge of their existence blossoming as a symbol of the coming of spring. This knowledge suggests that the cherry blossom is an important symbol for this season.
The second book of spring begins with description of cherry blossoms – one that encompasses all of the poems in this book. Not only does that reinstate how important an image these flowers are to the season of spring, but the cherry blossoms are also used to mark a transition into summer. All of these poems mark the scattering of the flower, which suggests the end of spring, and this is met with longing and mourning. As shown, “It is just because/they scatter without a trace/that cherry blossoms/delight us so, for in this world/lingering means ugliness,” (Anonymous, 71). Another poet states, “Does anyone know/the dwelling place of the wind,/scatterer of flowers?/Tell me that I may go there/and deliver a complaint,” (Sosei, 76). Whether expressing sadness or humor over the scattering of these flowers, it is clear that these poems are all expressing a desire not to see them go. Another theme in this book is how fast the spring season comes and goes. Spring is a season “you barely glimpsed,” (Tsurayuki, 78). Some of the poems also mention a springtime haze towards the end of spring, where poets are “drenched by raindrops/I would not be dissuaded/from picking the flowers,” (Narihira no Asen, 133).
Despite that the poems of the second book of spring are lamenting the loss of the cherry blossoms, the summer poems are still full of color and life. The majority of the poets mark the coming of summer by the songs of the cuckoo birds. The start of summer is marked by the poets hearing the cuckoo birds, where “I delight, cuckoo,/in the sound of your first song,” (Sosei, 143). However, it doesn’t seem between some of the poems that this brings along joy. For example, “Even though you cry,/cuckoo, you do not appear/to be shedding tears./Please borrow my dripping sleeves:/they will give you tears enough,” (Anonymous, 149). Dripping sleeves in this sense alludes to sweat running down the sleeves of this speaker’s clothes. Other poems will also allude to tears and sorrow, which are related to sweat and heat. Some of the poems describe the song of the cuckoo bird as though it is crying, as well. It is as if the exasperation that the poets feel due to the heat of summer leads them to cry.
There is also a sense of laziness to these poems, such as “Where does he journey-/the cuckoo whose song echoes/in the dead of the night/while I sit lost in revery/listening to the summer rain?” (Tomonori, 153). The rain in this sense is relief from the heat, and yet at the same time, it is attributed to stillness and tiredness. Later on in the summer book, there are poems that start mentioning the growth of orange blossoms, as shown “on the flowering orange tree/he has chosen as his home,” (Chisato, 155). In this phrase, he is referring to the cuckoo bird. The cuckoo bird is not a brightly colored bird, and the orange blossom, while growing with oranges, is also white. The imagery here is not as colorful as the imagery of spring, which lends itself to the sorrowfulness of the feeling of summer, despite that the grass would be green.
The transition between summer and autumn is marked by a cool breeze, which is welcomed by the poets. “How cool the wind feels/blowing across the river!” (Tsurayuki, 170). And as such, the river is a consistent image through most of these poems that are present in the first book of autumn. This is a definite contrast to the tears and sorrow that were created due to the summer heat. The image of a river, blowing with the wind, in one that is cooling and beloved by the poets. Considering this image that blends the river with autumn leaves, “of many-hued leaves to span/the heavenly stream/that the Weaver Maid awaits/the arrival of autumn?” (Anonymous, 175). The river and the stream is often called heavenly, as if it is a reprieve from the heat of summer that has previously driven the poets to sorrow.
However, not all poets link the coming of fall as something to be enamored by. Autumn is a season that normally is depicted by the leaves turning brown and the flowers dying. This sense of loss is present in some of the poems. For example, “Through autumn arrives/for all men,/I alone plumb/the depths of misery,” (Anonymous, 185), is a showcase of sorrow and otherwise negative emotions that is associated with the coming of autumn. This theme is present again in several other poems, such as “There is deep sadness/in autumn’s every aspect./Only consider/how leaves fall and meet their end/still flaunting their brilliant hues,” (Anonymous, 187). This particular poem embraces the vibrancy of the many colors of fall leaves, which would include yellow, red and orange. But the poem associates their changing colors to death, despite how vibrant they are. Another anonymous poet calls autumn the “saddest season of all,” (184).
Through the passage of seasons, there is also a sense of the passage of time. The geese make a return in this poem, lastly mention in the books of spring where they were migrating north. The poets make note of hearing goose calls again, where of course the geese would fly south in their migration for warmer weather. This would make the goose call a foreboding sign: “The deepening night/seems to have come to midpoint,/for the moon poises/at the zenith of the sky/echoing with wild goose calls,” (Anonymous, 192). This is opposed to their depiction in the spring books, which bring the joyful message that spring is arriving. Instead, this is telling of the winter to come instead. Along with these wild goose calls, there are insects that start singing. “When cicadas sing/beside a mountain dwelling/in the gathering dusk,/not a soul comes to visit,” (Anonymous, 205). Insects are associated with decay, which goes back to the theme of death in the previous account of falling leaves.
Another foreboding sign present in the second book of autumn includes the wind, mist and fog. Hailed from the mountains, the cold wind picks up, and it contributes to “the plants of autumn/droop and wither at its touch,” (Yasuhide, 249). Here again is the association with death, but this time, it is coming from the cold wind. Caution is also raised emotionally from the poets in this season, as shown in this example: “I will take great care/not to fix my affections/on autumn foliage/at Kamunabi Mountain-/leaves that will only scatter,” (Anonymous, 254). Here is again the presence of scattering, just like the scattering of the cherry blossoms in the second spring book. The scattering is again associated with ending, this time bringing the end to autumn and the coming of winter. There is also a rising awareness of frost in the early and late hours, as shown in this poem: “Just for this morning,/autumn mist, please stay away./Even from afar,/I long to see the colors/on the Saoyana oaks,” (Anonymous, 266).
However, much like there is a split in opinion among the presence of autumn between poets, there is also a split between life and death in these poems. Chrysanthemums start to make a significant presence in these poems. These flowers are sometimes boldly pink and sometimes white, and in the imaginary sense, contrast well with the colors associated with autumnal leaves. When these flowers are mentioned, it is associated with joy, as shown, “Let us deck our heads/with dewy chrysanthemums,/plucking the blossoms/that we may always enjoy/autumns of eternal youth,” (Tomonori, 270). A poem like this recognizes not only the beauty of autumn, but associates it with eternal youth – a state of being that death cannot touch. Instead of mourning the passage of time due to the changing season, the chrysanthemum is instead a symbol of adoring the passage of time, since it brings many beauties to behold that are not otherwise present in the other seasons.
Lastly, the river is mentioned once again, “washing the colors/in the river descending/from deep in the hills/we feel the knowledge strike home:/this is autumn’s final hour,” (Okikaze, 310). This leads into the sixth book, which covers the season of winter. This book is filled with imagery that is covered in snow, where the color white and the theme of frozen water are very present. Death is a major theme in winter, where the “grasses wither and die,” (Ason, 315), and “the waters where their light falls have become the first to freeze,” (Anonymous, 316). This makes winter the most contrasting season of all four. While some poets associated autumn with the theme of death, the element of water has always been flowing with flower petals, the wind or leaves. It is in winter where the water flow actually stops, and this difference is significant.
There is also a strong sense of loneliness that is quieter than the loneliness and sorrow present in the poems on both autumnal books. Here is a description of “a blanket of fallen snow/buries the pathway/for not a single caller/treads on it to keep it clear,” (Anonymous, 322). The snow described in these poems cover everything, including any plants that are still blooming with fruits and flowers. Misery is also an emotion that is associated with the age of winter, although some poets do attribute the falling snow to a different kind of blossom: “That blossoms should come/fluttering down from heaven/despite the winter,” (Fukayabu, 330), is just one example of describing the snow as a blossom that is descending from the sky. This kind of sensation is a testament of respecting that winter is just as much a part of life as the other seasons, and that it is all part of a never-ending cycle. In fact, some of these winter poems mention the coming of spring, almost as if the poets are eagerly awaiting for things to change. An example of this is seen in this poem, “Fall again, fair snow,/onto the lingering drifts,/and spread your cloak wide./We will see little of you/when spring haze stands in the sky,” (Anonymous, 333).
Despite all this, there are themes that tie all of these seasons together, and that would be the setting. Throughout these six books, there are frequent mentions of rivers, the mountain and the moon. The rivers are depicted, as stated earlier, to be fluctuating depending on the season, carrying different elements that mark the season until it finally freezes in the winter. The mountain serves as a backdrop, which is normally attributed as a source of where the season comes from. In the spring, the cherry blossoms bloom in the mountain. In the summer, the cuckoo flies from there. In the autumn, there is a gust of wind, “why a wind from the mountains/has come to be called a storm,” (Yasuhide, 249), which brings on the beginning of winter. The moon is also mentioned in its beauty throughout, always being described as a beautiful sight, no matter the season, “with what radiance,” (Anonymous, 191). These elements do not change despite the seasonal changes. They are always there, in order to show the passing of time.
Whether it is the celebration of spring and its bejeweled blossoms, or the resentment of the heat of the summer, or the mixed feelings about autumn, or the sorrow over winter, these poems mix the physical imagery and signs of the current season in order to portray their own emotions. Each season carries with it thematic elements, where the passage of the seasons represents the changing emotional template of a person. It is as if each season represents a stage in a person’s life. Spring begets hope, summer is a representation of struggle, autumn represents disappointment (or renewed hope for some), and winter is a sign of despair. It makes it so that nature becomes the backdrop of which to tell the story of the human being.
Works Cited
Anonymous. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, 14-82.
Archbishop Henjo. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book One, Spring. Poem 27.
Chisato, Oe no. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book Three, Summer. Poem 155.
Ise. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book One, Spring. Poem 61.
Masazumi, Minamoto. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book One, Spring. Poem 12.
Mitsune, Oshikochi. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book One, Spring. Poem 30.
Monk Sosei. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book Two, Spring (2). Poem 76.
Narihira no Ason. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book Two, Spring (2). Poem 133.
Nijo Empress. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book One, Spring. Poem 4.
Tomonori, Ki no. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book One, Spring. Poem 13.
Tsurayuki. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book Two, Spring (2). Poem 78.
Yasuhide, Fun’ya. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book Five, Autumn (2). Poem 249.
Yoshifusa, Fujiwara. Kokin wakashu. Collection of Early and Modern Japanese Poetry, Book One, Spring. Poem 52.
