Love has been a recurrent topic in literature throughout history. Poets from all over the world have dedicated countless verses to the theme of love, exploring its many facets and nuances. The study will be based on poem 264 from The Canzionere by Francesco Petrarca and a love poem by the Japanese poet Ono No Komachi. Both poets are known for their exploration of themes such as love, longing, and the passage of time. This essay will discuss the differences and similarities between these two authors in their work.
Petrarca and Ono no Komachi both explore the emotions of love and longing in their works. For example, in Petrarca’s Canzoniere No. 264, he writes (43):
“…and am spurred on, and it could be too late.
A thought speaks to the mind and it declares:
‘You’re longing still? What help do you expect?
You poor thing, don’t you see,
with what dishonor time is passing by?”
In Ono no Komachi’s tanka she conveys a similar sentiment (113):
“I’ve gone to him by dream paths,
my feet never resting—
but it can never match
one glimpse of him in real life”
These writers examine their own feelings and thoughts through self-reflection and introspection, frequently musing on the nature of love, desire, and emotional attachment. They are mindful of the passage of time and its impact on their emotions, relationships, and lives. For instance, in Petrarca’s poem, he reflects on the passage of time and the consequences of his actions, while Ono no Komachi’s tanka illustrates the transient nature of beauty and life, Petrarca employs vivid and expressive imagery in their poems to convey their emotions and experiences. Petrarca uses extended metaphors and philosophical contemplations, while Ono no Komachi employs the simplicity and brevity of the tanka form to convey her feelings directly.
In contrast to Ono no Komachi, who used tanka, a traditional Japanese form of poetry with five lines and a syllable pattern of 5-7-5-7-7, Petrarca is well known for his sonnets, a form of poetry with 14 lines and a precise rhyme scheme. These distinct poetic forms contribute to differences in the structure, rhythm, and overall presentation of their works. Although both poets explore themes of love and longing, Petrarca’s poetry often delves into broader themes such as mortality, the desire for divine grace, and the pursuit of virtue and honor (Petrarca 44):
“Now raise yourself to a more blessed hope,
by gazing on the heavens whirling round you,
beautiful and immortal”
Whereas Ono no Komachi’s tanka tend to focus more narrowly on the emotions and experiences of love, longing, and the passage of time (“Nineteen Tanka” 114):
“When longings
press too fiercely,
in the night,
black as leopard-flower seeds,
I wear my robe turned inside out”
In terms of style and tone, Petrarca’s poems are characterized by a more complex and elaborate style, featuring extended metaphors and philosophical contemplations, while Ono no Komachi’s tanka are more concise and often characterized by simplicity, brevity, and a direct expression of emotions.
In conclusion, this essay has explored the similarities and differences between two renowned poets, Francesco Petrarca and Ono no Komachi, in their treatment of love, longing, and the passage of time. These authors engage in introspection and self-reflection, using vivid and expressive imagery to convey their emotions and experiences. However, the differences in their poetic forms, styles, and scope of themes highlight the diverse ways in which love can be expressed and understood. Petrarca’s sonnets encompass broader themes and exhibit a more complex and elaborate style, while Ono no Komachi’s tanka focuses on the more intimate aspects of love and longing with a simple and direct expression of emotions.
Works Cited
Ono no Komachi. (n.d.). In S. Hamill (Trans.), The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa (p. 106). Shambhala Publications. (Original work published 9th century CE).
Petrarca, F. (2018). Sonnet 264. In J. K. Newman (Ed.), The Canzoniere: Poems and Rhetics (p. 240). Harvard University Press.