Shinkokinshu poem

4
For a fifty-verse set of poems composed for presentation to the retired emperor.

Cloud darkened,
this ancient village:
in falling snow
not a trace of spring
yet surely it has come.

Kunaikyo


I enjoyed this poem because I feel as if I can empathize with it somewhat, and because of it's imagery. The scene of a rustic old village, dark and slowly being covered with the falling snow really set up the whole scene of the poem for me. I felt like the speaker may be someone living in this town, now on the verge of spring, just waiting for the traces of spring to appear, and knowing that even though the world may seem dark now, spring's arrival surely will come and breathe new life into the ancient village. I myself am pretty excited for the arrival of spring, and although the first day of spring in the US isn't until sometime in March, I feel that, like the speaker if it were to still be snowy and cold that I would still have faith in spring's arrival. This poem also showcases some of the traditional views of spring, as I feel it is seen positively here, while the winter, represented by snow and cold is seen as less so.