New-York tribune., 1905-05-28

brush ou q little bit. two
inches vide. OF ivory" II 81
is thus that nearly all the 40
Japanese artists work. S3.zazeS 49, (
painting an eXquisitey NN&Z
delicate picture kZ~-~e1>-~e
row F1Ermau5 that will
lie hung behind a single lower-stem: carving
grim. mysterious Buddha out OF a few inches of
IVORY. writing a deathless poem in less than
score Of syllables.
# we examine the little picture or carving or
poem. we soon shall see that the Japanese artists
do not work this minute scale because their
conceptions small. but because their art is
subtitle finished and fine They have chosen these
limitations deliberately and have accepted an ex-
IRENE hrevity and compression as their supreme
law Of form They have carried selection and
exclusion 70 the farthest degree known in
al art
While extreme breVity Is the most obvious char
acterlsrc OF this form Of Japanese poetry do not
wish - be understood holding the opinion that
this greatest charm nor that Is the foundation
q It's only claim TO originality. The virginia. orig
l-----y Of the Japanese poetry cannot, indeed, be
questioned While Japan has been, perhaps the
most reckless OF borrowers and never has hesiated
to appropriate whatsoever alien things she found
her suited 10 her needs she has kept her
poetry cloistered and chaste 1t has not been
crushed beneath the weight OF "barbaric pearl and
gold"
Japan borrowed her writing, half her language,
and nearly all OF her institutions, religions and
Civilizations but her songs, at least, have out
o5 her own bosom. Even the Chinese traditions,
which fetter all customs and learning in the Empire,
have here no authority Although Chinese words
The bulk OF the language of business of daily
Intercourse among the educated, and even of prose
literature. they are outlawed in the demesne of
song. While a few OF the present-day writers are
using Chinese words somewhat freely, as in the
s-y-e known as the SlEu-1Gi-Shj new form pOen),
there are not. It has been asserted dozen foreign
-.1z he er7r7T of he
The tul significance OF this VIII be appreciated if
words rests upon the poetry OF England and
America.
There are three extremely brief poetic forms in
Taranese. the t41kd, consisting Of FIVE lines that
make thirtv-one syllables the dodosH Of four lines
that make twenty-six sylIables; and the h0kku of
three lines OF these the h5kku IS al once the brief
est and the most popular. 1t has the twofod
honor OF being the shortest poetic form in all lit
e-ature and the true national poetry Of its native
land. It's music, feetiTg a wOod-bird's melody
Is heard wherever Japanese IS spoken Its great
popularity is due, perhaps, TO the with which
the little poems are written, remembered quoted
and applied to almost every incident SEN
tlrnent
Every Japanese carries sheaf of them in his
memory each one ernbodying for him and for all of
his COuntrv1uen and COuntrywOmen the spirit Of
some familiar and beloved scene in Nippon, the
climax Of some heroic action the soul OF some great
l- beautiful passion The seventeen sylables Of the
EoEku have expressed in immortal verse every
emotion known TO the Japanese heart, and every
aspiration and every glory OF the Empire. This