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The Autumn Wind - A Selection From The Poems Of Issa
Book by Lewis Mackenzie
Paperback
First published June 1, 1984
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About the author
Kobayashi Issa
115 books254 followersKobayashi Issa was a Japanese poet known for his haiku poems and journals. He is regarded as one of the four haiku masters in Japan, along with Bashō, Buson and Shiki. Reflecting the popularity and interest in Issa as man and poet, Japanese books on Issa outnumber those on Buson, and almost equal those on Bashō.
Although better known by his pen name Issa, he was born Kobayashi Yataro in 1763 on a farm in central Japan.
Although better known by his pen name Issa, he was born Kobayashi Yataro in 1763 on a farm in central Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 12, 2012
I looked for my edition, but I couldn't find it. This one is from 1957 with 107 pages of poetry and a bio.
It's nice to start with this book to create a general base knowledge of haikus and of Issa. I found this book surprising because not only was it written in '57 (not exactly a long time for American ill-will to really fade away from WWII) but that it sought to create context through the biography, the original poem with his translation, and additional notes about meaning. Though these can be jarring and take away from reading just the poems, it adds meaning to them that I would have missed otherwise.
I really liked this book. I really enjoyed that the Japanese was left in with the translation. If I knew Japanese, it would have made for a wonderful opportunity to debate with myself context, the quality of the translation, and have a great knowledge base to create meaning for myself from those poems. While I liked a number of them, I might have interpreted it differently from the original intent. Well, that is to be expected. I'm reading poems that are over 200yrs old, context and meaning changes in that amount of time, for any culture. It would have been nice that in the notes I would have been informed of which poems he was known for, and which ones were well and not so well received. Since I knew/know nothing about this history, a clue would have been helpful.
Still, I'm glad I decided to pick up trying to learn about and explore poems from another culture. It gave me confidence that maybe I do have the capability of grasping poetry, even if it's on a novice level.
It's nice to start with this book to create a general base knowledge of haikus and of Issa. I found this book surprising because not only was it written in '57 (not exactly a long time for American ill-will to really fade away from WWII) but that it sought to create context through the biography, the original poem with his translation, and additional notes about meaning. Though these can be jarring and take away from reading just the poems, it adds meaning to them that I would have missed otherwise.
I really liked this book. I really enjoyed that the Japanese was left in with the translation. If I knew Japanese, it would have made for a wonderful opportunity to debate with myself context, the quality of the translation, and have a great knowledge base to create meaning for myself from those poems. While I liked a number of them, I might have interpreted it differently from the original intent. Well, that is to be expected. I'm reading poems that are over 200yrs old, context and meaning changes in that amount of time, for any culture. It would have been nice that in the notes I would have been informed of which poems he was known for, and which ones were well and not so well received. Since I knew/know nothing about this history, a clue would have been helpful.
Still, I'm glad I decided to pick up trying to learn about and explore poems from another culture. It gave me confidence that maybe I do have the capability of grasping poetry, even if it's on a novice level.
July 30, 2007
This is a really excellent edition of the poems of Issa, with original text in the back for practicing your Japanese reading.
November 24, 2022
A lovely small collection of Issa's writings, translated by Lewis MacKenzie in a manner which now seems very dated and subjective. This collection may be of interest to those who study Issa to see how understanding of his work has evolved in the West.
October 17, 2024
A book of haiku that is drenched in Japanese flavour! Lots of cherry blossoms and cuckoos. The introduction was so long i ended up just skimming through it. I love haiku so I persevered. This book has very boring parts definitely but I still give it a four because I started to really get into it after about the halfway point. I love the surprise of what Issa puts in his haiku. You sure can’t guess what’s coming next.
Humour-
“His Lordship passes
Drenched to the skin
And we’re snug at the stove”
Beauty-
“The rustic fence
Seems to be offering us
A Kerria flower”
Reality-
“Spring rain
And the Ducks who were not eaten
Acclaim it with a song”
Melancholy-
“In the thicket’s shade
A Woman by herself
Sings the planting song”
Advice-
“Trust, only trust!
And trust again—thus it is
The dew comes down!”
And some are just hilarious-
“There blow the moon flowers
And one has just blossomed
By Dobbin’s buttocks!”
If you read it make sure to keep in mind that chrysanthemum often or always refers to his first wife. It’s pretty sweet.
Humour-
“His Lordship passes
Drenched to the skin
And we’re snug at the stove”
Beauty-
“The rustic fence
Seems to be offering us
A Kerria flower”
Reality-
“Spring rain
And the Ducks who were not eaten
Acclaim it with a song”
Melancholy-
“In the thicket’s shade
A Woman by herself
Sings the planting song”
Advice-
“Trust, only trust!
And trust again—thus it is
The dew comes down!”
And some are just hilarious-
“There blow the moon flowers
And one has just blossomed
By Dobbin’s buttocks!”
If you read it make sure to keep in mind that chrysanthemum often or always refers to his first wife. It’s pretty sweet.
May 24, 2024
If you want to read hundreds of really great haikus, this book is for you! Issa has a really good sense of humor too I think, it’s a really fun peak at what seems to be a very goofy yet sentimental poet. The intro was super biographical which I found interesting, I learned a good amount about life (at least for an eccentric wanderer like Issa) was like in Japan 200-250 years ago. The translator was good at providing historical/cultural context between haikus, if not a bit dated and overbearing at times. Regardless, this is one of those works that really makes you appreciate the art of translation itself on top of the actual poetic content.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews