かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
せんしゅう、わたしはいっしょにあいました。(Last week, together with you, I met with you.)
はなをかいました。(I buy you flowers.)
デンワヲカケマスカ。(Will you make a telephone call?)
かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
せんげつ、わたしはいっしょにあいました。(Last month, together with you, I met with you.)
しゃしんをみました。(I look at your picture.)
デンシャヲキマスカ。(Will you take a train to come?)
かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
きょねん、わたしはいっしょにあいました。(Last year, together with you, I met with you.)
てがみをかきました。(I write you a letter.)
ヒコウキヲカエリマスカ。(Will you take a plane to come home?)
かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
これから、へもあいません。(From now on, I have nothing.)
ハナハアカイジャ、アリマセン。(Flowers are not red.)
ヤマハレイジャ、アリマセン。(Mountains are not beautiful.)
オンガクハタノシク、アリマセン。(Music are not enjoyable.)
カレハカエリマセン！(My lover, you will not come home!)
カレハドクデスカ。(My lover, where are you?)
カレハカエリマセン！(My lover, you will not come home!)
カレ、カレ！ (My lover, my lover!)
カレハドクデスカ。(My lover, where are you?)
This poem experiments the primary usage of katakana today, which is used for loan words. Loan words written in katakana immediately create an effect of distance, mystery and unattainability in the reader's visual psychology.
ReplyDeleteThis poem expresses the writer's sorrowful recollection of her lost lover. Step by step, weeks follow by months and then again follow by years, her lover slowly disappeared in her life. The intensity of her sorrow and longing increases, however, as the time and space stretches through the progression of the poem.
The first appearance of a katakana line is in the last line of the first paragraph, which alerts the readers of potential and uncomfortable tension. Following that, the last lines of the first three paragraphs all indicate wishful thoughts from the writer, which is indeed "foreign" to her, because her hope and anticipations are likely to vaporize and not realized. So, in contrast to her actions of love towards her lover, which were written in hiragana, the last lines are written in katakana.
In the last paragraph (as well as the last two lines), the situation intensifies even more and reaches climax. Leading by the line "from now on, I have nothing", all the "familiar" things in her life became "foreign" as well when she realizes her lover has indeed gone. So, all the lines are written in katakana from this point forward.
At the end, even her thoughts and longings for her lover became foreign. In the last two lines, signified by the katakana resemblance of the repetitive and familiar hiragana line, her cries of her lost lover can only echo in the distant, mysterious and unattainable air.
well, I feel so inferior. I'm humbled by your devotion and the purity of your spirit. Continuing burning the flame you use to bring light into the lives of those who know you.
ReplyDelete-Tristan
Qiu-san, こんにちは。TA の みぞぐち です。As you said you are not going to come to my lab session any more, I leave this comment. Ahh, it's a sad poem... とても せつない です。And it's a great strategy to use Katakana to express this kind of feeling. May I continue a few lines? because it's too sad for me and you insist me to write a poem...:p
ReplyDeleteゆめをみました。(I had a dream.)
あかいはな、きれいなやま、たのしいおんがく。(A red flower, beautiful mountain, and enjoyable music.)
かれは、いません。(He is not here.)
わたしは、ここにいます。(I am here.)
I am really amazed that you can use such simple language to convey such powerful emotion/imagery. Aside from one or two grammatical mistake...(デンシャ "デ" not "ヲ" キマスカ)...I think this is pretty amazing stuff. Using katakana for certain lines that normally should be written in hiragana is a very intersting idea, but I'm worried that you used too much of this technique in the poem. The effect may be more powerful if you only do it to the MOST important one or two lines.
ReplyDeleteIt was very beautiful. A good application of what we learned to generate something quite moving.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Mai
Oh my, I see that (as Eagle mentioned) you opted to use katakana to express. Since you exclusively used this form in the end, were you trying to convey deepening sorrow, frustrations?
ReplyDeleteみなさん、
ReplyDeleteありがど、ございます。
To answer Chaesang's good question, would you please refer to my comment (1st comment)? Thanks!
とても せつない です. The katakana really does underscore the emotion that lies at the end - this use for emphasis is subtle, almost like the reader can know its emphasis without knowing how it is emphasized.
ReplyDelete