What happens when a few poets from all across the world come together with an innovative project called "Renshi" ? Definitely it is a sheer entertainment to the reader !
And then a few of them are not very good at english, keep open the option of translating the poem again :). Who started this is Makoto Oota a japanese poet and columnist in a well known news paper. and the news paper is also famous for his column! He gave rebirth to the poetry form of bygone age.. called "Renshi" in japanese. It was particularly famous in 12th and 13th centuries.. this is a set of linked poems where the next poem starts with last phrase of the a poem. in all forming a link. Ooka practiced Renshi successfully in homeland, japan, then across globe mostly European poets. Sometimes originally written in english or with help of translators. volumes of renshi are published in German, Finnish, Estonian , etc languages !! And this particular book,in English, which fell in my hands "What kite thinks" is a special one as OOka says.. This is collaborative work of poets unknown to each other , and special because as and when they discuss, they each of them reveals a secretes of their own creative process.
Ok lot about the poets, but what is the entertain part? all poems collected as book has explanation by the poet, about the situation , their thought process about the title itself.
a link from the chain :
Bridge after Bridge
Don't cross them, she said. this place hides no treasures
no crystal forests or lpis rivers
no rose-petalled evenings
just an expense of nothing -
that's all.
Don't let greedy curiosity get the best of you.
Obstacles are not always the promise of prize.
(Toyama)
The promise of prize
There are moments to ripe with promise-
cool air alive with cries of bird,
a glamor of gold sunsetting on a pond-
that we think poems could write themselves,
and we hold to heart an unwon prize,
that might not be a lie.
But last night the moon was so full
I could make nothing of it
(Stanton)
And then a few of them are not very good at english, keep open the option of translating the poem again :). Who started this is Makoto Oota a japanese poet and columnist in a well known news paper. and the news paper is also famous for his column! He gave rebirth to the poetry form of bygone age.. called "Renshi" in japanese. It was particularly famous in 12th and 13th centuries.. this is a set of linked poems where the next poem starts with last phrase of the a poem. in all forming a link. Ooka practiced Renshi successfully in homeland, japan, then across globe mostly European poets. Sometimes originally written in english or with help of translators. volumes of renshi are published in German, Finnish, Estonian , etc languages !! And this particular book,in English, which fell in my hands "What kite thinks" is a special one as OOka says.. This is collaborative work of poets unknown to each other , and special because as and when they discuss, they each of them reveals a secretes of their own creative process.
Ok lot about the poets, but what is the entertain part? all poems collected as book has explanation by the poet, about the situation , their thought process about the title itself.
a link from the chain :
Bridge after Bridge
Don't cross them, she said. this place hides no treasures
no crystal forests or lpis rivers
no rose-petalled evenings
just an expense of nothing -
that's all.
Don't let greedy curiosity get the best of you.
Obstacles are not always the promise of prize.
(Toyama)
The promise of prize
There are moments to ripe with promise-
cool air alive with cries of bird,
a glamor of gold sunsetting on a pond-
that we think poems could write themselves,
and we hold to heart an unwon prize,
that might not be a lie.
But last night the moon was so full
I could make nothing of it
(Stanton)
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