There he is, the little frog scrambling to peer over the edge, like the bear who went over the mountain to see what he could see. He has his special place here, an example of Colette's invitation: "Regarde!""serene and still
the mountain viewingfrog"
So wrote Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828), Japanese poet who wrung from a life filled with struggle and sorrow poems full of wisdom and joy.
Image: Kato Shun'u - Tea ceremony stand, Seto Ware, Edo period, Freer Gallery, Washington, DC.
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6 comments:
So should we all strive to derive wisdom and joy from life. Thanks for showing us this inquisitive frog - Jeanne
I am asking art-related bloggers to name their favourite art gallery and say why. If you are interested in participating, please see "World's favourite art galleries".
thanks
Hels
Art and Architecture, mainly
Jeanne, forgive me for plugging myself. However, on my library website (Fearless Reader) there is an article from May 14, 2007, about Yatara Issa, his life and poetry, under the title "Haiku: Old And New." The book "Of This World: A Poet's Life In Poetry" by Richard Lewis & Helen Buttfield is moving, and well worth searching out.
Hels, it sounds like fun. I'll have to mull this over a bit, to choose mine. The New York writer Fran Lebowitz once told a story about taking an art-loving millionaire to see the Metropolitan Museum. She thought he would enjoy it, but he was frustrated: he didn't see the point of looking at art if you couldn't buy it.
I LOVE the frog. The painting of Colette must be new. Who's it by?
The frog charmed me, too. and the Freer Gallery is one of my favorite museums, even though the collection was formed very much by the taste of one - rather odd - person. The Colette was in an old book at the University Library, no attriubtion, but I liked it so I used it anyway, hoping someone would tell me. In the meantime, I'm still working on it.
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