Basho

Raul Santiago Sebazco posted a YouTube video with alternating images and lines of poetry written by Matsuo Basho. A poet from the Japanese Edo period, Matsuo Basho’s style of haiku “came to embody the art of haiku” (Puchner 324). Sebazco’s video illustrates experiences from Basho’s five-month pilgrimage; thus, the images and poetry symbolize Basho’s travels.

Sebazco chose images to represent the nature scenes and the people Basho may have met along the way. Throughout his journey, Basho saw the changes of seasons, as illustrated in his poetry. One line hints that winter has arrived: “In the fish shop / the gums of the sea bream / are cold” (Basho). As a result, the corresponding image displays snowy mountains. During his journey, Basho also saw the end of spring, as evidenced in his poetry: “The sweet spring night / of cherry blossom viewing / has ended” (Basho). The related image shows a tree without cherry blossoms.

After five months, Basho writes of him tiring of the journey: “This autumn – old age I feel / in the birds, the clouds” (Basho). Autumn has arrived and Basho is ready to end his journey. The corresponding image shows an old man and a tree with no leaves. Before winter arrives again, it seems, Basho will head home.

Although there are no direct lines to detail the people Basho met along the way, the video contains multiple images of women. One image shows a woman brushing her hair, another shows a woman dancing, doing laundry, another woman leans over a boat while cutting flowers, while another image shows a woman at a desk writing. These pictures could represent Basho’s love for women as well as the memorable females he met during his journey.

The video embodies Basho: his poetry and his journey. Sebazco chose simple images to represent Basho’s respect for the common person: “In his travel diaries he accomplished nothing less than influencing how people saw some of the most defining sites of Japanese identity” (Puchner 325). The lines of poetry and corresponding images focus on simple yet serene sights of nature and Japanese people possibly found along Basho’s journey. The video honors Basho by giving his poetry memorable visuals.

Works Cited

Basho, Matsuo. “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 324-336. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Sebazco, Raul Santiago. “Matsuo Basho.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 9 Apr. 2009. Web. 30 May 2014.