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There once was a man who was able to paint a deep imagery using only words.

  • きづきの杜に登場するカエルと池が描かれているイメージビジュアル
  • 酒井抱一《絵手鑑》
  • きづきの杜に登場するカエルと池が描かれているイメージビジュアル

“An old pond, a frog jumps in, the sound of water” by Matsuo Basho, Translated by Lafcadio Hearn

The Edo period haiku poet Matsuo Basho was inspired by frogs and wrote the poem, “An old pond, a frog jumps in, the sound of water.”
An image of a frog jumping into a pond, the ripples on the surface of the water spreading and then disappearing, and the sound of “plop” echoing in the silence...
It continues to evoke in our minds a vivid and vibrant space that appeals to the five senses.

The reason why Basho’s haiku is still loved all over the world may be because of the “unspoken details” that stimulate the imagination of the reader.

Source

Second image:
Sakai Hohitsu’s “Etekagami” Collection of Seikado Bunko Art Museum
Photo provided by: Seikado (Public Interest Foundation)/DNPartcom