Good Essay On The Relationship Between Two Haikus

Many haiku poems are often set on a theme but then the poet choses to capture a specific moment of the theme. That is always done in three lines that have a total of seventeen syllables. The first and last line both must contain five syllables and the second line often has seven syllables. The themes of haiku poems vary but the most common one is nature or seasons. Two examples of such poems will be the point of focus in this essay. The first one is a poem from Natsume Soseki and it is called Over the Wintry. The second one is Autumn Moonlight by Matsuo Basho.
In the poem Over the Wintry it seems as if the poet had a storyline to these three lines. First of all, when he talks of the wintry forest so much comes to mind. A wintry forest should be dark or so it may seem. It should also be cold, lonely and empty. When the winds howl in rage it means there is no good thing coming out of the said forest apart from danger and helplessness. It is not also a good feeling because there is nothing to be done because there are no leaves to be blown. Perhaps it highlights the loneliness and helplessness a person may feel when they are lonely and have no one to run to when they have a problem.
On the other hand, the poem Autumn Moonlight seems like a traveler who is out at night and enjoying the moonlight while observing nature. The poem seems hopeful because after the worm bites into the chestnut there is surety because it will survive or live. The chestnut will provide nutritious value to the worm in as much as it is going to lose its value. Nevertheless life goes on and the worm is sure of seeing another day especially in the cold season ahead. The worm is preparing for its future during winter when it will be too cold for it to crawl around looking for food.
The poems meet the rules of haiku poetry because first there is a seasonal reference that each addresses. One addresses winter and the other autumn. That is so because Soseki talks about winter by referring to a wintry forest and that he trees have no leaves for the wind to blow. Basho, on the other hand talks about autumn moonlight and he specifically refers to the season. Also, the poems maintain the number of lines and the number of syllables that every haiku poem should have.
Basho and Soseki each manipulated the form of haiku poetry to communicate their message. Each refers to a season and communicates a lot that goes on in the seasons. Anyone who knows what happens during autumn and winter will put a meaning to the poems before concentrating on the intended meaning that the poets intended to communicate. That way it becomes easy to understand and interpret the poems. It becomes clear that through winter things might not be right and during autumn people need t prepare in readiness for the gloomy winter. Those stories are told in three lines and seventeen syllables in the poem. Besides, the poems carry an intended meaning through the mention of the seasons. Winter might refer to anger just as it is reflected by Soseki wile autumn refer to dead, decay or a new beginning.