Kigo and Kireji

Carl Jung once said, "Only the paradox comes anywhere near to comprehending the fullness of life." This insight captures the essence of Japanese haiku, a poetic form that distills complex insights into a few words. At the heart of Japanese haiku are the kigo (season word) and kireji (cutting word). These tools and juxtaposition are crucial in creating paradox—a state in which seemingly contradictory ideas are conceived as a whole.

In this context, Haruo Shirane's concept of the dual axes in Japanese haiku provides a helpful framework for understanding one of the most important ways kigo and kireji function. In Shirane’s model, the horizontal axis represents the immediate, here-and-now experience, while the vertical axis often connects us to deeper concepts through allusions.

Part of the thrill of reading Japanese haiku is the tension between these X and Y axes. As we encounter the kireji-- similar to the volta in a sonnet--and watch the haiku split in two, we're held in suspense, wondering if the haijin will successfully bridge this divide. Will they pull it off and create a spark of perception that characterizes great Japanese haiku?

Perhaps the best example of the interplay of vertical and horizontal axes is Bashō's celebrated Milky Way haiku:

荒海や

佐渡によこたふ

天河

Araumi ya

Sado ni yokotau

Amanogawa

The rough sea--

Stretching over to Sado,

The Milky Way

"Amanogawa" (Milky Way) serves as kigo, anchoring the poem in autumn. "Ya" functions as kireji, creating a pause after "rough sea," which is indicated in the translation by the em dash. The X-axis presents the immediate: rough sea, Sado Island. The Y-axis evokes the cosmic: Milky Way, celestial order.

However, the kireji "ya" does more than create a grammatical pause. It’s a pivot point, a moment of cognitive shift. This pause invites the reader to leap from the turbulent sea to the vast cosmos, from the tangible to the intangible. The kireji becomes the fulcrum upon which the haiku's paradoxes balance.

Together, these elements create multiple layers of paradox:

1. Scale: The rough sea, a powerful earthly force, is juxtaposed with the incomprehensible vastness of the Milky Way.

2. Time: The fleeting moment of observation contrasts with the eternal nature of celestial bodies.

3. Motion: Turbulent waves oppose the apparent stillness of stars.

4. Perspective: The horizontal gaze across the sea to Sado Island shifts vertically to the sky.

Bashō's famous Milky Way haiku balances two forces. On one side, we have the poet's direct view of the night sky - the X-axis. On the other - the Y axis - we find layers of cultural meaning and association. This includes Tanabata traditions, ancient star lore, the cyclical nature of seasons, literary and historical associations, and communal cultural memory.

This complex network of meanings on the Y axis allows Bashō to move beyond a self-centered view. He taps into a more nuanced understanding of identity, deeply connected to his society, shared cultural experiences, literary tradition, and historical context. The tension between immediate observation and this deep well of cultural significance creates the haiku's impact. This interplay between the immediate and the eternal is not accidental but a fundamental feature of haiku's structure and philosophy.

The basic haiku structure with the kigo and kireji is purposefully designed to enable paradox—almost like a Buddhist koan. It democratizes poetic depth, offering a path for beginners to stumble upon profound truths while providing endless possibilities for mastery that practiced haijin such as Bashō deftly explore. As Jung suggested, it is through embracing these paradoxes - the immediate and the eternal, the personal and the universal - that we come closest to comprehending the fullness of life.

Notes:

"Best 10 Famous Matsuo Bashō 's Haiku Poems in English and Japanese." Masterpiece of Japanese Culture, n.d., www.masterpieceofjapan.com/haiku/best10. Accessed 15 June 2024.

Shirane, Haruo. “Beyond the Haiku Moment: Bashō, Buson, and Modern Haiku Myths.” Modern Haiku, vol. 31, no. 1, Winter-Spring 2000, pp. 48-63. Reprinted in Juxtapositions, vol. 1, no. 1, 2005.

Goldberg, Natalie. Three Simple Lines: A Writer's Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku. New World Library, 2021.

"Introduction to Traditional Japanese Poetry Haiku." Asian Language School, n.d., www.asianlanguageschool.com/japanese/haiku. Accessed 15 June 2024.

"Jung on Paradox." Jungian Center for the Spiritual Sciences, n.d., www.jungiancenter.org/jung-on-paradox/. Accessed 15 June 2024.

"Kireji." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, n.d., en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kireji. Accessed 15 June 2024.

"List of kigo." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, n.d., en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_kigo. Accessed 15 June 2024.

"Texts within Texts: Intertextuality in Japanese Haiku." The Haiku Foundation, n.d., www.thehaikufoundation.org/texts-within-texts. Accessed 15 June 2024.