Daishoji (Back)

by Brenda and Shweta

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Daishoji was the thirty eighth station where Basho stopped there for one night. There was a temple called Zenshoji which belonged to the Izumiya family. Basho felt sad and anxious because he was seprated from Sora- his disciple. He was important because he was the greatest Japanese poet of that time. The station he visited Daishoji felt very lonely to him because he was alone in the temple. He was happy to see Sora the next morning. We hope you will learn more information about Basho!   

What Happened in Daishoji

saw Daishoji Castle

cool autumn wind

separated from Sora

 

 Loneliness of Daishoji 

Heavy rains fall

Sora, Basho separate

Basho feels Daishoji lonely

 

Beautiful Castle Town 

got to Daishoji

shining drops

castle town

 

Windy Daishoji

Strong wind blowing 

waves rising

drops of water dripping

 

Place is a personality of an area. These are some ideas of nature that we look at: plants, water, climate, land and soil. The garden in Daishoji had lots of plants. For example there were pine trees and banana trees in the garden. Autumn is a season. Daishoji is the station that I am learning about. Basho visited Daishoji Station 38. It was a very quiet place. This is proof of nature: This is proof of human things were a castle, temple and poems. If I were Basho, I would probably miss Sora like Basho did. It is also the thirty eighth station that Basho visited. Willow is a kind of tree. Basho used the word willow is used in one of Basho's poems that he wrote in Daishoji. Echizen and Shigoshi are part of land.

Basho was a very important person because he was the greatest Japanese haiku (old Japanese poetry) poet of the olden days. Basho wasn't a very rich man because couldn't afford to teach Japanese poetry full time. He also wasn't very healthy because he had stomach problems and couldn't walk long distances. His family was a lower samurai class (they weren't very important in samurai terms). He was a religious man because he was going to do Zen meditation after the death of his parents. Basho went on his journey because he wanted to go to the places the earlier poets had admired. He also went because he wanted peacefulness in order to become a better poet. Basho felt that Daishoji was a lonely place because he was separated from Sora, his disciple. To him, being separated from Sora for a day was like being separated by a thousand miles.He felt lonely without him. Basho also visited the famous pine tree of Shiogoshi. He learned right away that the beauty of that place was so nicely described in Saigyo's poem that anyone else attempting another poem would only end up in a disaster. The best had already been written. There was no point in his trying another poem. If I met Basho, I would like him because it would be nice to meet the greatest Japanese poet of the olden days and it would be nice to speak to him and get a poem as an autograph.