College of Southern Nevada

Kobayshi Issa

(1763-1828)

Darriel Morris

English 223 – Haiku

Dr. Laing

July 21, 2020

Revision summary: In the general revision phase, I began by organizing the draft into sections

that flowed smoothly together. The challenge was editing out information that I felt was

interesting but decided was not vital to the essay. The sketch began at almost 1500 words, so I

had to make decisions to cut out information such as short stories and random facts. The CSN

writing center recommended that I add more of an insight on Issa’s poetry which started the

conceptual revision stage. This topic allowed me to search more into his writing and add new

supporting information. During this time, I added a poem to convey the humorous tone that the

master would commonly portray in his work. The local revision stage was done by rereading

each paragraph closely and finding better ways to depict my intended outcome. If there was a

word that was repeatedly used, I searched for different synonyms to add variation. My editing

stage proved to be the most beneficial combined with the comments from the CSN writing center

and Dr. Laing. Prior to handing in my final, every portion was checked and rechecked. Each

sentence with too many commas was rewritten in a clearer way and I ensured that all spelling

and MLA format is correct.

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Darriel Morris

ENG 223 - Haiku

Dr. Laing

Research Essay

July 22, 2020

Biographical Sketch of Kobayashi Issa

Kobayashi Issa was a simple and humble man who searched to find beauty in a world far

too cruel to him. He is extremely well known for over twenty thousand works of poetry and

considered to be one of the “Great Four” masters of haiku. Today, his work is still being

translated and used in newly published works, inspiring millions of poets. Kobayashi Issa lived a

long, lonely life that was filled with poverty and struggle; however, he used his tribulations to

create the beautiful, memorable pieces of poetry that we know today

Kobayashi Issa was Japanese haiku master, born on January 5, 1763, in the Kashiwabara,

Shinanao province. His father and stepmother raised him for the first fourteen years of his life,

which was to his demise as his relationship with his stepmother and stepbrother was filled with

tension. His father was just a farmer that partook in haiku himself which gave Issa a similar

interest at a young age. However, this connection they shared did not save him from being sent

him away from home at the young age of fourteen. The reason why is conflicting; it is possible

they wanted him to study haiku or that the relationship with his stepmom was not improving

(Byas). Regardless, the two adults sent the innocent child on his way with no financial support,

ironically, on the same day as the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

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Once arrived in Edo, present-day Tokyo, he worked lowly, inferior jobs in order to make

ends meet. While here, Issa went to school to study haiku under the poet masters Norokuan

Chikua and Mizoguchi Sogan (Britannica). By 1791, the poet became so well-versed in poetry

that he was offered a teaching position at the school, but this time was short lived, as the

traditionalism of the school did not appeal to his free-spirited nature. While his poetry gained

attention in Edo, he remained extremely humble and stayed true to his own morals and beliefs.

The master later returned to Kashiwabara in the early 1810’s prior to his father’s passing. He

married three different times and had children with two wives, but the first wife passed away as

well as each child died in their infancy. The death of his kids inspired the famous poem,

“Dewdrop World”; “This dewdrop world -- Is a dewdrop world, And yet, and yet…” (Byas). A

fire caused his entire house to burn down and forced the poet to live in his kura, an outdoor

storehouse. This was his final resting place and he died on January 5, 1828. The kura still stands

as a National Historic Site of Japan today.

During the Edo period of 1603 – 1868, haiku began to emerge and many famous masters

such as, Buson, Basho and Issa, were born. While these other masters wrote with a formal tone,

Issa was different in that he created a unique style and did not conform to societal rules

(Bostock). His upbringing gave him a great compassion for all life and can be seen with his

frequent use common creatures including over two hundred on frogs and one hundred on fleas

(Aldredge). His frequent use of personification separated him as well as using simile, metaphor

or personification was not nearly as exaggerated in the aforementioned master’s work. His poetry

was simple but that was the point. By stripping the poem to the rawest form, Issa was able to

capture joy amidst the loneliness that he had experienced during his lifetime. However, his

poems were not all full of despair and darkness. Issa also differentiates from others with his
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frequent use of humor or intolerable feelings towards the Edo government. The use of comedy is

shown in the following poem by Kobayshi Issa, translated by Robert Hass, “Napped half the day;

no one… punished me!” (Hass).

Issa was a very modest and wholesome man who enjoyed both the simplicities of life as

well as the complexities of human nature. Today, it is said that Japanese books on Issa

outnumber those of Buson and are almost equal to those on Bashō (Rasmussen). The use of

common themes and simplicity largely contributes to the popularity and timelessness of his art.

One source argues that “Issa is probably the best-loved of the Japanese haiku masters. His

poetry's style is more robust and subjective than the austere style of Bashō or the sophisticated

style of Buson.” (Encyclopedia). Issa was a remarkable poet who wrote over twenty thousand

haiku and collaborated on more than two hundred and fifty renku (Nagano). He is loved for the

warmth and humanity he shows in his work, and the relevant subject matter that keeps the reader

interested.

The mark Master Kobayashi Issa left on the world of haiku was extremely significant and

will never be forgotten. He was one of the first poets to challenge the rules of traditional haiku

and refuse to conform to societal pressure while highlighting the natural world and human

behavior. Issa showed us that going against the grain can be beneficial and allow innovation of

incredible art. Kobayashi Issa’s life was a long and lonely one, filled with poverty and struggle;

however, those very tribulations helped to create the beautiful, memorable pieces of poetry that

we know today.
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Works Cited

Aldredge, Michelle. “The Sunday Poem: Kobayashi Issa Translated and Read by Robert

Hass.” Gwarlingo, 12 Nov. 2016, www.gwarlingo.com/2012/the-sunday-poem-

kobayashi-issa-translated-and-read-by-robert-hass/.

Bostock, Janice M. “Nobuyuki Kobayashi — ISSA.” HaikuOz, 2007,

web.archive.org/web/20080511220659/www.haikuoz.org/2007/04/nobuyuki_kobayashi_

issa.html.

Byas, H. (Ed.). (1932). The Transactions of the Asiatic society of Japan. Tokyo: Asiatic Society

of Japan. Retrieved 2020, from https://books.google.com/books?id=-

k4gAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r#v=onepage&q&f=fal

se

Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of World Literature. “Issa, Kobayashi.” Encyclopedia,

Encyclopedia.com, 4 July 2020, www.encyclopedia.com/arts/encyclopedias-almanacs-

transcripts-and-maps/issa-kobayashi.

Hass, Robert. “Selected Haiku by Issa by Robert Hass.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation,

1994, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50983/selected-haiku-by-issa.

Rasmussen, Ray. “Issa's Humanity and Humour: A Haibun Passage from His Travel Journal

Oraga Haru.” New Zealand Poetry Society, 8 Jan. 2017,

poetrysociety.org.nz/affiliates/haiku-nz/haiku-poems-articles/archived-articles/issas-

humanity-and-humour-a-haibun-passage-from-his-travel-journal-oraga-haru/.
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Takai Takayamamura Takaigun Nagano. “The Life of Kobayashi Issa.” English, 2009,

www.english.kobayashi-issa.jp/about-issa.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, J.E. Luebering. “Issa.” Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 11 June 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Issa-Japanese-poet.