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Kigo

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Linguistics

   Cherry trees from Japan around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.
   Enlarge
   Cherry trees from Japan around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

   Kigo (season word(s), from the Japanese 季語, kigo) are words or phrases
   that are generally associated with a particular season. Kigo were
   originally used in the longer linked-verse form known as renga, and
   especially in the opening verse of a renga, the hokku, to indicate the
   season when the stanza is set. They are valuable in providing an
   economy of expression for the very short Japanese poetry known as haiku
   to indicate the season in which the poem is set.

History of kigo

   Representation of and reference to the seasons has always been
   important in Japanese culture and poetry. The first anthology of
   Japanese poetry, the mid 8th century Man'yōshū, had several sections
   devoted to the seasons. By the time of the first imperial Japanese
   anthology, the Kokinshū, a century and a half later (AD 905 ) the
   season sections had become a much larger part of that anthology. Both
   of these anthologies also had sections for other categories, such as
   love poems and miscellaneous (zō) poems.

   The writing of the linked verses of renga started in the middle of
   Heian period (roughly 1000) and developed through the medieval era. By
   the 13th century there were very set rules for the writing of renga,
   and the formal structure of renga specified that about half of the
   stanzas were supposed to include a reference to a specific season
   depending upon their place in the renga. These rules also said that the
   hokku (the opening stanza of the renga) must include a reference to the
   season in which the renga was being written. A lighter form of renga
   called haikai no renga ("playful" linked verse) was introduced near the
   end of the 15th century; thus haikai was the linked verse practice
   followed and elevated by Matsuo Bashō and others until the Meiji Era
   (1867-1912). Near the end of the 19th century, the hokku, the opening
   verse, was completely separated from the context of haikai no renga by
   Masaoka Shiki and revised and written as an entirely independent verse
   form, though retaining the kigo. In the Taishō Era (1912-1925) a
   movement began to drop the kigo entirely. Today, however, most Japanese
   haiku still contain a kigo, although some may omit it. Many haiku
   written in languages other than Japanese may omit kigo.

   Following scholarly precision, the term haikai is used here for the
   pre-Shiki form and haiku for the post-Shiki form, though popular usage
   often anachronistically applies haiku to both pre- and post-Shiki
   verse. Much of what is said here of kigo use in haiku applied to haikai
   (and the hokku of renga) as well.

Kigo and seasons

   A Jack-o'-lantern lit by a candle inside.
   Enlarge
   A Jack-o'-lantern lit by a candle inside.

   Kigo are words or phrases that can be strongly associated with a
   particular season, or sometimes the association can be more subtle.
   Pumpkins (kabocha), for example, are a winter squash that is associated
   with the fall harvest. Furthermore, for people living in the United
   States, pumpkins are also associated with the Jack-o'-lanterns of
   Halloween. A little later in the year pumpkins are also associated with
   the pumpkin pies that are often part of the Thanksgiving Day dinner
   along with turkey and cranberries.
   The full moon as photographed by the Galileo spacecraft.
   Enlarge
   The full moon as photographed by the Galileo spacecraft.

   But why is the moon (tsuki) an autumn kigo since it is up in the sky
   all year long? Autumn is when the days are getting shorter and the
   nights are getting longer but are still warm enough to stay outside, so
   you are more likely to notice the moon. Often the night sky will be
   free of clouds so that also helps with noticing the moon. Autumn is
   also the time when the full moon can help farmers work under the
   moonlight to harvest their crops (see harvest moon). [For more on the
   moon as a kigo see below].

Japanese seasons

   In the Japanese calendar, seasons traditionally followed the lunisolar
   calendar with the solstices and equinoxes at the middle of a season.
   Having the seasons centered on the solstices and equinoxes also used to
   be the European tradition with midsummer equivalent to the summer
   solstice (usually 21 June), and Midsummer Day ( 24 June) as a quarter
   day in England, Wales, and Ireland. (The astronomical definition of
   seasons, however, has the seasons beginning at a solstice or equinox.)
   The traditional Japanese seasons are:
   Cherry blossoms (sakura), often simply called blossoms (hana) are a
   common spring kigo.
   Enlarge
   Cherry blossoms ( sakura), often simply called blossoms (hana) are a
   common spring kigo.

          Spring: 4 February— 5 May
          Summer: 6 May— 7 August
          Autumn: 8 August— 6 November
          Winter: 7 November— 3 February

   For kigo, each season is then divided into early, mid, and late
   periods. For spring, these would be:

          Early Spring: 4 February— 5 March (February)
          Mid-Spring: 6 March— 4 April (March)
          Late Spring: 5 April— 5 May (April)

Saijiki

   A sunflower, a typical sign of summer.
   Enlarge
   A sunflower, a typical sign of summer.
   the A-Bomb dome in Hiroshima, near to the ground zero but the
   construction survived.
   Enlarge
   the A-Bomb dome in Hiroshima, near to the ground zero but the
   construction survived.

   Japanese haiku poets often use a book called a saijiki, which is like a
   dictionary or almanac for kigo. An entry in a saijiki usually includes
   a description of the kigo itself, plus a list of similar or related
   words, and then a few examples of haiku that include that kigo. The
   saijiki are divided into the four seasons (and modern saijiki usually
   include a section for the New Year and another section for Seasonless
   (Muki) words). Those sections are divided into a standard set of
   categories, and then the kigo are sorted within their proper category.
   The most common categories (with some examples of both Japanese and
   international summer kigo) would be:

   Summer
     * The Season - midsummer; dog days
     * The Sky and Heavens - sunset, rainbow, the Pleiades at dawn
     * The Earth - waterfall, summer field or summer meadow (i.e. the
       abundance of summer wildflowers)
     * Humanity - nap or siesta, sushi, sunbathing, nudity, swimming pool
     * Observances - A-Bomb Anniversary ( August 6th), Dominion Day ( July
       1st, Canada)
     * Animals - jellyfish, mosquito, snakes, cuckoo
     * Plants - lotus flower, orange blossoms, lily, sunflower

   Notice that although haiku are often thought of as poems about nature,
   that two of the seven categories are primarily about human activities
   (Humanity and Observances).

Common kigo in Japanese haiku

   Japan is long from north to south, so the seasonal features vary from
   place to place. The sense of season in kigo is however based on Kyoto
   and its vicinity, since the classical literature of Japan developed
   mainly in this area, especially up to the early part of the Edo period
   (the early 17th century). [For a larger list of both Japanese and
   International kigo, see the List of kigo article.]

   [note: An asterisk (*) after the Japanese name for the kigo denotes an
   external link to a saijiki entry for the kigo with example haiku that
   is part of the " Japanese haiku: a topical dictionary" website.]

Spring

     * Spring (haru) - the name of season is a kigo or season word. Other
       combinations are Spring begins (Haru tatsu), Signs of Spring (haru
       meku), Sea in the spring (haru no umi), Spring being gone (Iku
       haru). Higan of Spring (春彼岸, haru higan, literary beyond the border
       of this world), one week around Spring Equinox (shunbun) has a
       significant period for Buddhists to soothe their ancestors' souls
       and grave-visiting as well as Higan of Autumn.
     * February (kisaragi or nigatsu), March (yayoi or sangatsu) and April
       (uzuki or shigatsu). The third month (sangatsu) in the Japanese
       calendar is equivalent roughly to April in the Gregorian calendar,
       therefore End of March (sangatsujin) is equal to End of Spring
       (haru no hate).
     * Warm (atatakashi or nurumu) - all spring - as the weather changes
       from the cold of winter, any warming is noticed. Also Water becomes
       warm (mizu nurumu).
     * Spring mist or Spring haze (kasumi) - all spring - the daytime haze
       of spring. The night-time haze during spring that can obscure the
       moon is called oboro. Haruichiban, the first strong southerly wind
       of spring is used as kigo in the modern haiku.
     * ume blossom - early spring
     * uguisu (鶯, Japanese Bush Warbler (sometimes translated as Japanese
       nightingale), Cettia diphone) - early spring - the bird is used as
       an example of sweet sounds. Uguisu were mentioned in the preface to
       the Kokinshū. It is often associated with ume blossoms and new
       growth in early Japanese waka and is regarded as a harbinger of
       spring (春告鳥, harutsugedori, literary "bird which announces the
       arrival of Spring"). Image:Japanese nightingale note05.ogg
     * cherry blossoms ( sakura) and cherry blossom-viewing ( hanami) -
       late spring (April) - for the Japanese, cherry blossoms are such a
       common topic that in just mentioning blossoms (hana) in haiku it is
       assumed they are cherry blossoms. Blossom-viewing is an occasion
       for partying with friends or coworkers.
     * Hanamatsuri (Blossom Festival), Buddhist festival celebrating the
       birth of Buddha, on 8 April.
     * frogs (kawazu) - all spring (February-April) - noted for their loud
       singing
     * skylarks (hibari) - all spring - noted for their songs in flight,
       swallows (tsubame) mid-spring, twittering (saezuri) - all spring -
       the chirping of songbirds
     * Hinamatsuri (Girl's Day) Doll Festival and Hina (doll) - a
       traditional Japanese festival for girls on 3 March.

   The cicada (semi) is a common late summer kigo.
   Enlarge
   The cicada (semi) is a common late summer kigo.

Summer

   koinobori - ornament of Tango no sekku. Early summer.
   Enlarge
   koinobori - ornament of Tango no sekku. Early summer.
     * Summer (natsu); other combinations are Summer has come (natsu
       kinu), End of summer (natsu no hate). Summer holidays (natsu
       yasumi) means mainly the school holiday.
     * May (satsuki or gogatsu), June (minazuki or rokugatsu, July
       (fumitsuki or hazuki)
     * hot (atsushi), hotness (atsusa) and hot day (atsuki hi); also,
       anything related to the heat, including sweat (ase) and in
       contemporary haiku, air conditioning (reibō)
     * wisteria (fuji), hana tachibana (wild orange blossoms) and iris
       (ayame) - early summer (May), water lily (hasu or hachisu) - mid
       and late summer.
     * Rainy season (tsuyu) - the Japanese rainy season, usually starting
       in mid June.
     * hototogisu (Little Cuckoo - C. poliocephalis) - all summer
       (May-July) - the hototogisu is a bird in the Cuckoo family noted
       for its song
     * cicada (semi) - late summer (July) - known for their cries
     * Tango no sekku traditional festival for boys on May 5. See
       Hinamatsuri in Spring for the girls festival. Festival (matsuri) is
       applied to summer festivals of Shintoism for pulification.
       Traditionally it meant the fest of Kamo Shrine in Kyoto, however as
       kigo it can be applied to each local Shinto festival.

Autumn

   Grapes (budō) are a fruit typically harvested in Autumn.
   Enlarge
   Grapes (budō) are a fruit typically harvested in Autumn.
     * Autumn (aki); other combinations are Autumn has come (aki kinu),
       Autumn is ending (aki hatsu), Autumn being gone (iku aki).
     * August (hazuki or hachigazu), September (nagatsuki or kugatsu) and
       October (jūgatsu or kannazuki). The ninth month (kugatsu) in the
       Japanese calendar is equivalent roughly to October in the Gregorian
       calendar, therefore End of September (kugatsujin) is equal to End
       of Autumn (aki no hate).
     * Typhoon (taifu or nowaki), thunder (kaminari)
     * Milky Way (amanogawa, lit. "river of heaven"), because in the
       autumn it is most visible in Japan. It is associated with Tanabata.
     * moon (tsuki) - all autumn (August-October), and moon-viewing
       (tsukimi) mid-autumn (September) - the word "moon" by itself is
       assumed to be a full moon in autumn. (Moon-viewing and leaf-viewing
       in autumn (along with snow-viewing (yukimi) in winter and cherry
       blossom-viewing in spring) are common group activities in Japan.)
     * Insects (mushi), mainly it implies singing insects. Also crickets
       (kōrogi) - all autumn (August-October) - noted for the singing of
       the males

   scarecrow in early autumn paddy field.
   Enlarge
   scarecrow in early autumn paddy field.
     * Nashi pear (梨 nashi), Chaenomeles (boke no mi), peach (momo),
       persimmon (kaki), apples (ringo) and grapes (budō) are examples of
       fruit that are used as autumn kigo.
     * colored leaves (momiji) - late autumn (October) - a very common
       topic for haiku along with related topics such as first colored
       leaves (hatsu momiji) mid-autumn, shining leaves (zōki momiji) late
       autumn, leaves turning colour (usumomiji) mid-autumn, leaves start
       to fall (momoko katsu chiru) late autumn, etc. Leaf-viewing is a
       common group activity.
     * Scarecrow (kakashi), rice cropping (inekari) - rice harvest and
       relevant things are significant for Japanese life.
     * Autumn Festival (akimatsuri) - Autumn festival is mainly in the
       purpose of the thanksgiving for harvest. Other feasts in the
       Autumn, including Tanabata (the festival of the weaver maiden and
       the herdsman in the Heavenly Court), Grave-Visiting (haka mairi),
       and Bon Festival (Festival of the Hungry Ghosts) - all early autumn
       (August) - are kigo as well as associated ornaments and activities
       like small bonfires called mukae-bi with (welcome-fire) and folk
       dancing (odori) to Bon festival.

Winter

   Fallen leaves (ochiba), a symbol of winter.
   Enlarge
   Fallen leaves (ochiba), a symbol of winter.
     * Winter (fuyu), using "winter" in a haiku adds a sense of chilliness
       (literally and figuratively), bleakness, and seclusion to the poem.
     * November (shimotsuki or juichigatsu), December (shiwasu or
       junigatsu) and January (mutsuki or ichigatsu)
     * Cold (samushi) and Coldness (samusa).
     * fallen leaves (ochiba) and dry leaves (kareha) - all winter
       (November-January) - just as colored leaves are a clear sign of
       autumn, fallen leaves are a sign of winter.
     * snow-viewing (yukimi) - late winter (January) - a popular group
       activity in Japan. Also first snow (hatsu yuki) mid winter, snow
       (yuki) late winter, and ice (kōri) late winter.
     * fugu soup (fugujiru), Anglerfish or sea-devil stew (ankō nabe),
       oyster (kaki) - seasonal dishes.
     * Christmas - this is a modern kigo. It was not used in the Edo
       period, when Christianity was forbidden.
     * Calendar vendor (koyomiuri) - preparation for the new year.
     * New Year's Eve ( ōmisoka or toshi no yo, literally "The end of
       year"), and the New Year's Eve party (toshiwasure).
     * Kan (kan), days form 5 or 6 January till 4 or 5 February (literary
       Coldness) - derived originally from the Chinese 24 seasonal
       periods. Also Daikan (Great Coldness) on 5 or 6 January, or its
       other name Beginning of Kan season (kan no iri).

New year

   This group of kigo is a modern invention. Before Japan began using the
   Gregorian calendar (in 1873), the Japanese New Year was at the
   beginning of spring.
     * Japanese New Year (正月 shōgatsu) * As in many other cultures, the
       Japanese New Year is an important time of year for celebrations and
       there are many activities associated with it that may be mentioned
       in haiku, including some "firsts": first sun (hatsuhi), first
       laughter (waraizome), and first calligraphy (kakizome). There is
       also New Year's Day (ganjitsu).
     * first sparrow (hatsu-suzume) * - the first sparrow helps welcome
       the New Year.
     * New Year's Day customs: kadomatsu * (a traditional decoration
       usually made of pine and bamboo that is place on the gate or outer
       doorway), otoshidama (the custom of giving pocket money to
       children), toso (a ritual mulled saké only drunk on New Year's
       Day).
     * osechi (traditional Japanese New Year's Day food): zōni * (a
       traditional vegetable broth with mochi—sticky rice cakes. The
       ingredients for zōni vary greatly between regions in Japan.), seven
       herbs (nanakusa) and rice porridge with seven herbs (nanakusa
       gayu), eaten in the evening of 7 January.

Dispute on attribution

   Switching from the old Japanese Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar
   brought about numerous changes in life in Japan. Even traditional
   events have been affected by this change. Since kigo is affiliated with
   the seasonal events, several modern haiku poets have had to reconsider
   the construction of kigo and its attribution to season. One of biggest
   changes was the creation of a "New Year" part as a seasonal sectioning
   of kigo.

   One typical example is the case of Tanabata. Traditionally the date of
   Tanabata is 7th day of the 7th month of the Japanese calendar,
   therefore in August of the Gregorian one. Today in many places it is
   celebrated on 7 July, hence there is a dispute as to whether Tanabata
   should be treated as a summer kigo.
   a rainforest in Thailand.
   Enlarge
   a rainforest in Thailand.

Kigo outside of Japan

   Although haiku started as a Japanese poetry form, it is now written
   around the world in many different languages. William J. Higginson's
   "Haiku World" (1996), which is the first international saijiki, has
   more than 1,000 poems, with over 600 poets from 50 countries writing in
   25 different languages. The writing of haiku around the world has only
   increased with the advent of the internet, where one can even find
   examples of haiku written in Latin, Esperanto, and Klingon, as well as
   numerous examples in more common languages.

   These international haiku poets have had to adapt the idea of kigo to
   their local conditions and culture. Many phenomena that might be used
   as kigo are similar around the world, such as the blooming of flowers
   and trees in the spring, and the migration of birds in the spring and
   autumn. Even if the trees and birds are not the same as in Japan, the
   concepts are still the same.

   On the other hand, climatic conditions can often be very different from
   what the Japanese are used to. The tropics, for example, are very
   different from the temperate climate of Japan and usually only have a
   wet or Monsoon season, and a dry season. The Tornado Alley area of the
   United States has its tornado season (peaking from late winter through
   mid summer, depending upon latitude). Areas with a Mediterranean
   climate, such as Western Australia, coastal California, and Spain have
   their summer Fire Season. On the other hand, in the Caribbean and the
   North Atlantic, plus surrounding areas, it is Hurricane Season during
   the summer and autumn months.

   There are many local cultures around the world, but you can still find
   both similarities and differences. One similarity is that many areas
   have harvest festivals with bonfires. One difference between locations
   is that for a bird that migrates, some places will view that bird as a
   winter resident, or as a spring and summer breeder, or as an autumn and
   spring migrant.

   For some examples of non-Japanese kigo, here are some from Southern
   California:
     * Heaven: Santa Ana Winds (hot, dry winds that usually happen in
       Winter), June Gloom (heavy overcast that is usually found on the
       coast), Smog (an inversion layer over the Los Angeles Basin makes
       the smog worse during the Summer)
     * The Earth: "Fire season" and Forest fires (from the very dry months
       of July and August through the early rains of winter there is the
       danger of fires in the local hills and mountains)
     * Humanity: Surfing, Beach volleyball, Rollerblading & Skateboarding
       (although these are activities that are now done around the world,
       their popularity started in Southern California)
     * Observances: Easter sunrise services in the Hollywood Bowl,
       Tournament of Roses Parade (on New Year's Day morning before the
       Rose Bowl college football game). El dia de los muertos (the
       Mexican Day of the Dead celebration on 1 and 2 November)

   a large Jacaranda tree in full bloom.
   Enlarge
   a large Jacaranda tree in full bloom.
     * Animals: Grunion (a sardine-sized fish that spawns by laying its
       eggs in the sand at high tide near midnight), Whale watching (
       Pacific Gray Whales can be seen from the coast or on whale-watching
       boat trips as they go to and from their breeding lagoon in Baja
       California.)
     * Plants: Jacaranda (an introduced ornamental tree found in many
       older neighborhoods that has an abundance of blue-purple flowers in
       mid-spring), desert wildflowers (the nearby deserts such as Joshua
       Tree National Park can be a carpet of wildflowers after a good
       rainy season)

Kigo and haiku: an example

   An Australian frog (kawazu).
   Enlarge
   An Australian frog (kawazu).

   In the famous hokku by Matsuo Bashō below, "frog" is an all spring
   kigo. Hokku have been traditionally written about the singing of mating
   frogs, but Bashō chose to focus on a very different sound.
   ふるいけや   Furuike ya
   かわずとびこむ Kawazu tobikomu
   みずのおと   Mizu no oto

                An old pond
                A frog jumps in—
                the sound of water.

Must haiku include a kigo?

   For classic pre- Meiji era haiku (before 1868), almost all haiku had a
   kigo. For example, Japanese experts have classified only about 10 of
   Matsuo Bashō's ( 1644- 1694) hokku in the miscellaneous (zō) category
   (out of about one thousand hokku). As with most of the pre-Meiji poets,
   Bashō was primarily a haikai no renga poet (that is, he composed linked
   verse with other poets), so he also wrote plenty of miscellaneous and
   love stanzas for the interior lines of a renga. Usually about half the
   stanzas in a renga do not reference a season. Bashō also thought that
   if a hokku contains an utamakura, then the kigo should be omitted (an
   utamakura is a place name with poetic connotations and is used as a
   keyword—utamakura are usually used in waka and not in haiku).

   A little later Kobayashi Issa ( 1763- 1828) (who wrote mostly hokku and
   not renga) wrote 109 hokku without season words (out of a total of
   roughly 20,000 haiku).

   The Meiji era poet Masaoka Shiki ( 1867- 1902), who recommended several
   major reforms to the writing of hokku and tanka including an expansion
   in subject matter and vocabulary, still included kigo in his revision
   of hokku, which he renamed haiku. Experts have classified a few hundred
   of Shiki's haiku in the miscellaneous category (out of the few thousand
   that he wrote). His follower Takahama Kyoshi, who was the most
   influential haiku poet in the next generation after Shiki, also
   emphasized kigo. However, in the early part of the 20th century, there
   were a number of Japanese poets, such as Kawahigashi Hekigoto, Ogiwara
   Seisensui, Noguchi Yonejiro, Taneda Santōka, Ozaki Hōsai, Nakatsuka
   Ippekirō, and Natsuishi Ban'ya who were less concerned about the
   traditions of haiku such as the inclusion of kigo. Some, like Hekigoto
   and Seisensui, actively opposed the insistence on kigo, but even these
   iconoclasts often included kigo in their haiku.
   A birthday cake.
   Enlarge
   A birthday cake.

   Most haiku written today still follow the traditional form and include
   a kigo. For many haiku groups and haiku publications, haiku must
   include a kigo. For the haiku traditionalist, anything that doesn't
   have a kigo is something else, either senryu (comic haikai) or zappai
   (miscellaneous haikai). Until a few modern saijiki added the
   miscellaneous category, any seasonless haiku would not have been
   included as an example haiku in a saijiki, which are the major
   references for haiku poets in Japan.
   A Tree Sparrow (suzume).
   Enlarge
   A Tree Sparrow (suzume).

   There are, however, some reformers who have made suggestions such as
   using the idea of keywords (which would include kigo as a subset).
   Keywords are words, such as dawn, birthday cake, ocean wave, beggar or
   dog, that have strong associations with them, but are not usually
   associated with a particular season. Birds that do not migrate, such as
   Pigeons or Sparrows, are additional examples of keywords (or could be
   considered nonseasonal topics).
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kigo"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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