Night over
sleeping children
sound of the waves
Now considered as one of the most influential modern Japanese writers, the novelist of the Meiji period Natsume Soseki was a late bloomer: his literary career officially began in 1903, with a series of haiku and renga published in various literary magazines. Between 1900 and 1903 he studied at the UCL in London, but this experience proved to be quite dramatic for the young Soseki as he’ll describe his period in the United Kingdom with these words:
“The two years I spent in London were the most unpleasant years in my life. Among English gentlemen, I lived in misery, like a poor dog that had strayed among a pack of wolves.“
Despite this, when Soseki returned to Japan he exploded into prolific writing activity.
Poem by Natsume Soseki
Picture by Krista Mangulson
This haiku poem is part of the Naviar haiku music challenge, where artists are invited to make music in response to a weekly assigned haiku poem. Participation is free and there are no limitations in the songs’ length or genre.
You have seven days from the posting of this haiku to submit your track. For information on how to make a submission, visit the Naviar Haiku Music Challenge page.
Submission deadline: 21st February 2018