SIR VALOIS

LADY SEI SHONAGON'S

THE PILLOW BOOK
The Pillow Book (枕草子
Makura no Sōshi?

-a book of observations
and musings recorded by
Sei Shōnagon during her
time as court lady to
Empress Consort Teishi (
定子) during the 990s and
early 1000s in Heian
Japan.

-The book was completed

in the year 1002.
INSIDE THE
PILLOW BOOK

-lists of all kinds, personal thoughts,

-interesting events in court,

-poetry, and

-some opinions on her

contemporaries.

- a valuable as a historical document.

-shows "mono no aware" or pathos of

things/ enlightenment

"Okashi"- beauty/ loveliness of the

world
"In Spring It is the
Dawn"

"The Cat Who Lived in the

Palace"
IN SPRING IT IS THE
DAWN
“ In spring it is the dawn that is most beautiful. As the
light creeps over the hills, their outlines are dyed a
faint red and wisps of purplish cloud trail over them.

In summer the nights. Not only when the moon

shines, but on dark nights too, as the fireflies flit to
and fro, and even when it rains, how beautiful it is!

In autumn, the evenings, when the glittering sun sinks

close to the edge of the hills and the crows fly back to
their nests in threes and fours and twos; more
charming still is a file of wild geese, like specks in the
distant sky. When the sun has set, one's heart is
moved by the sound of the wind and the hum of the
insects.

In winter the early mornings. It is beautiful indeed

when snow has fallen during the night, but splendid
too when the ground is white with frost; or even when
there is no snow or frost, but it is simply very cold and
the attendants hurry from room to room stirring up the
fires and bringing charcoal, how well this fits the
season's mood! But as noon approaches and the cold
wears off, no one bothers to keep the braziers alight,
and soon nothing remains but piles of white ashes.”
THE CAT WHO
LIVED IN THE
PALACE
THE CAT “NEKO”
(猫), (ネコ),(ねこ)

• Lady Myobu

• Awarded the head-dress of

nobility

• The Emperor's favorite

• Caused the dog's

banishment from the
palace
THE DOG
"INU"(いぬ)(犬)

• Okinamaro

• Used to be Empress's favorite

• Was chastised by the Emperor by

accidentally catching him scaring/
biting the cat

• Was banished from the palace

• Returned and was flooged to death

by 2 guards

• Survived, was given pardon by the

emperor and brought much joy in
the palace
ANECDOTE

An anecdote is a brief, revealing account of an individual person or an incident.

Often humorous, anecdotes differ from jokes because their primary purpose is not simply
to provoke laughter, but to reveal a truth more general than the brief tale itself, such as to
characterize a person by delineating a specific quirk or trait, to communicate an abstract
idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative.

An anecdote is "a story with a point.

It can be real or fictional, with digressions, exaggeration and dramatic shape to entertain
the listener

Shows a special realism and historical dimension (Jurgen Heine)

Any short tale utilized to emphasize or illustrate whatever the author wished to make a
point
LADY MYOBU
VS.
OKINAMARO

• Both loved by the people in the

palace

• Change of Okinamaro's fate, yet,

was restored to everyone's
omotenashi (happiness in
hospitality)

• Pets are treated as humans:

rewarded when good but punished
when bad.

• Pets bring much joy to people from

the nobles down to the lady-in-
waiting and courtesans
OTOMO NO YAKAMOCHI'S

MAN'YŌSHŪ
 I LOVE HER
LIKE THE
LEAVES
• Written by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro

• a Japanese waka poet and

aristocrat of the late Asuka period.

• He was the most prominent of the

poets included in the Man'yōshū,
and was particularly represented in
volumes 1 and 2.

• He is ranked as one of the Thirty-

six Poetry Immortals. From the
Heian period on, he was often
called "Hito-maru"
 WAKA:
CHOKA VS
TANKA
Waka is a type of poetry in classical
Japanese literature.
A choka is longer poem
A repetition of 5-7 on phrases with a
last phrase containing 7 followed by
envoi
5-7-5-7-5-7-5-7-7
A Tanka is a short poem widely used
type of waka throughout history
5-7-5-7-7
Sample of Choka No. 802 from the Man'yoshu by Yamanoue
no Okura

Uri hameba (5) When I eat melons

Kodomo omohoyu (7) My children come to my
mind;
Kuri hameba (5) When I eat chestnuts
Mashite shinowayu (7) The longing is even worse.
Izuku yori (5) Where do they come from,
Kitarishi monoso (7) Flickering before my eyes.
Manakai ni (5) Making me helpless
Motona kakarite (7) Endlessly night after night.
Yasui shi nasanu (7) Not letting me sleep in peace?
 I LOVE HER
LIKE THE
LEAVES
THE LUSH GREEN LEAVES OF SPRING
THAT PULLED DOWN THE WILLOWS
ON THE BANK'S EDGE
WHERE WE WALKED
WHILE SHE WAS OF THIS WORLD
I BUILT MY LIFE ON HER.
BUT MAN CANNOT FLOUT THE LAWS OF THIS
WORLD.
TO THE SHIMMERING WIDE FIELDS
HIDDEN BY THE WHITE CLOUD,
WHITE AS A WHITE SILK SCARF
SHE SOARED AWAY LIKE THE MORNING BIRD
HIDDEN FROM OUR WORLD LIKE THE SETTING
SUN.
THE CHILD - THE GIFT SHE LEFT BEHIND-
HE CRIES FOR FOOD; BUT ALWAYS
FINDING NOTHING THAT I MIGHT GIVE HIM.
I PICK HIM UP AND HOLD HIM IN MY ARMS.
ON THE PILLOWS WHERE WE LAY,
MY WIFE AND I, AS ONE,
I PASS THE DAYLIGHT LONELY 'TIL THE DUSK.
THE BLACK NIGHT SIGHING 'TIL THE DAWN.
I GRIEVE AND I GRIEVE AND KNOW NO REMEDY.
I ACHE AND KNOW NO ROAD WHERE I MIGHT
MEET HER.
 ELEMENTS

• Persona

• Addressee

• Situation

• Tone

• Mood

• Causes, motives

• Themes

• Style of the choka