Session 13: Oku no hosomichi, in full and in English, with additional readings

Topics for this session

❖ Oku no hosomichi in English, with related supporting readings in its analysis.

Thoughts*

Those of you that have read Oku no hosomichi in translation already know that just reading the text without explanation or support leaves a very dull impression. Oku no hosomichi is a text that expects a high level of education of its readers and an active interaction with the text. This is nearly impossible for readers not trained in the target traditions of the text (Chinese classics including Daoist classics and a wide range of poetry, Japanese literature including The Tale of Heike, the repertoire of the No theater, waka, early prose, other traditions of haikai, Buddhism and Japanese history, at least). And, of course, being separated from the original text creates a huge chasm between reader and text, in this case in particular. However, if we do not have a good overview of Oku no hosomichi before we begin reading selections, we cannot give those selections the context they need. And if we do not "prime" the reading with some literary analysis related to Oku no hosomichi, the reading will be so opaque and puzzling as to be nearly a meaningless exercise. Therefore, we read.

Please come to class ready to discuss the content of the assigned reading and, without prompting by me, to ask questions. We will then, in the next session, test.

Oku no hosomichi is one of the greatest literary achievements of Japan. Expect some hard work to come to terms with it.

Required—to be completed for today's session

✓ Read this article, in full, first — Christine Murasaki Millett, "'Bush Clover and Moon'. A Relational Reading of Oku no Hosomichi," Monumenta Nipponica , 52.3 (Autumn, 1997): 327-356 Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2385632. *Note the Millett's article is a long and careful analysis on a short portion of Oku no hosomichi. That portion is provided in Japanese and English translation at the end of her article. It is useful to know that from the beginning.

✓ Read Chapter Five "The Poetry and Prose of Matsu Bashō", in full. You can read onscreen at the eBrary site, or you are allowed to download the full chapter as a PDF — Haruo Shirane and James Brandon, Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900 (Columbia University Press, 2002). If you have not used eBrary before go to Oskicat and track it down. If you do not know how to set up your computer for proxy access you will need to access from a campus computer. If you are still confused, try asking someone in class who understands the process.

✓ Since the above reading is selections only, the missing sections are provided in a different translation, on bSpace, titled Oku in McCullough English. I have not indicated the missing sections, requiring that you go back and forth between texts.

✓ Label the map (on bSpace as Map worksheet for Oku), keying each location identified with an open box by writing in the text location in the assigned English translation. (This means in most cases a page number in the 200s for Shirane. ONLY use a number in the 500s when it is NOT in Shirane. Write the page number then the paragraph number. The first paragraph on the page, even if it is a continuation from the previous page, is paragraph number 1. Each poem line is a paragraph. If there is a name identifying a poem, that is a paragraph, too. Only open lines—nothing in them, like double spacing—do not count. The worksheet has included one of locations, as an example. Please do this accurately; there is only one correct answer in each case. Close is not close enough.) The Map worksheet is due at the beginning of class next time, immediately. Please do not consult others or check the work of others before submitting. This would be cheating, since this is part of the exam. ... This exercise will probably require that you look up place names in a Japanese dictionary. That is intentional. A quicker way might be to use JapanKnowledge and follow the text in Japanese.

*UNDER CONSTRUCTION: If this has not been erased it means something on this page is incomplete. Perhaps I want to recheck information or perhaps I haven't converted the page from the version of the previous class. It is available but should be taken dubiously.

*THOUGHTS: My hope is that you look at this portion BEFORE a session. If there is content here it might help you focus on the main points of the day. However, I add various things here at various times. When I feel I haven't succeeded in class stating something clearly, I might restate it here. Of if it is a difficult concept in might be given in written form here. I will assume that you have read and rechecked for changes this session in preparation for any midterm or other quiz or test. J144 Spring 2013: I am not quite sure how I will use this section or even if it will exist.