Welcome to Poem of the Day – The Morning Glory Also by Matsuo Bashō.
Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694), one of the most celebrated poets in Japanese literature, is best known for his contributions to the form of haiku—a brief but profound poetic expression of nature, human emotions, and the fleeting beauty of life. Among his most iconic works is a haiku that celebrates the morning glory flower, which serves as a vivid symbol of transience and the ephemeral nature of existence. This essay seeks to analyze Bashō’s haiku about the morning glory, examining its themes, literary techniques, and the deep philosophical undertones that have made it a timeless masterpiece.
The Morning Glory Also Poem
the morning glory also
turns out
not to be my friend
The Morning Glory Also Poem Explanation
At its core, this haiku reflects Bashō’s deep engagement with the theme of mono no aware—the awareness of the impermanence of things. This concept, central to Japanese aesthetics and philosophy, speaks to the fleeting nature of beauty, life, and experiences. The morning glory, which blooms only in the early hours, is the perfect embodiment of this idea. Its brief existence, often lasting just one day, captures the transitory nature of life itself. By choosing the morning glory as his subject, Bashō evokes the fragility and short-lived nature of beauty, a beauty that is often taken for granted because it is so ephemeral.
However, what elevates Bashō’s haiku beyond a simple reflection on the flower’s short lifespan is the interaction between the flower and the well rope. The morning glory is caught in the rope, a mechanism that symbolizes human intervention in nature. The flower is not merely a passive object; it is affected by its environment, entangled in the very process of receiving life-sustaining water. This imagery suggests that even the most fleeting forms of beauty are shaped by forces beyond their control—forces that may not always be harmonious or gentle.
The Use of Imagery and Symbolism
Bashō’s use of imagery is sparse, yet potent. The morning glory itself is a vivid symbol in Japanese culture, often associated with purity, impermanence, and the fleeting beauty of summer mornings. It blooms with the rising sun, and its petals curl and fade as the day progresses, underscoring the fragile nature of life. The “well rope” (tsurube) in the haiku is not just a literal object; it is a symbol of human effort and labor, and its presence introduces the theme of interdependence between humanity and nature. The morning glory’s entanglement in the rope evokes a sense of helplessness—while it seeks sustenance, it is simultaneously ensnared in a process it cannot control.
The act of “receiving water” (morai mizu) further deepens the haiku’s meaning. Water is often a symbol of nourishment, but here it also represents the transient nature of life’s offerings—water that flows through the well, always moving, never staying the same. It also suggests that survival, or continued existence, comes at a cost: the morning glory must endure entanglement with the rope in exchange for the life-giving water. This reflects the paradox of human life—our need for sustenance and growth often involves vulnerability and entanglement with forces beyond our control.
The Structure and Economy of Language
In the classic form of haiku, brevity is both a constraint and a strength. Bashō masterfully employs this constraint to convey deep emotional and philosophical insights. The haiku contains only seventeen syllables, yet these few words encapsulate an entire world of meaning. The simplicity of the language, with its focus on the essential and the natural, reflects the Zen Buddhist influence on Bashō’s poetry. Zen emphasizes the importance of direct experience and the understanding of the present moment, and Bashō’s haiku exemplifies this focus on immediate, unembellished reality.
The structure of the haiku itself—five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third—creates a rhythmic flow that mirrors the natural cycles of life. The opening line introduces the morning glory, the middle line describes the action of the flower being caught in the well rope, and the final line presents the flower receiving water. This progression mirrors the passage of time, from the birth of the flower in the morning to its eventual fate in the process of survival. It also highlights the cyclical nature of life and death, growth and decay, in a way that resonates with both personal and universal experiences.
The Philosophical Underpinnings
Underlying the haiku is a profound meditation on the interconnectedness of all things. The flower, the rope, and the water are all part of a greater system, a web of existence in which everything depends on everything else. The flower’s beauty is a momentary gift, but it cannot exist without the support of the environment, symbolized by the well rope and the water. This connection between nature and human life, the seen and the unseen, is a central theme in Bashō’s work and in much of classical Japanese poetry.
At the same time, the haiku’s gentle tone and its focus on a single, seemingly insignificant moment remind the reader of the Zen concept of “non-attachment”—the idea that one must appreciate life as it is, without clinging to it or seeking to preserve it. The morning glory’s fleeting beauty, caught in the well rope, suggests that even in moments of constraint or entanglement, there is beauty to be found in the present moment. This acceptance of impermanence, and the awareness that everything must pass, is a key tenet of Zen Buddhism, which deeply influenced Bashō’s poetic philosophy.
Conclusion
Bashō’s haiku about the morning glory is a work of simplicity and depth, using a fleeting moment in nature to evoke profound insights about life, beauty, and impermanence. Through his sparse yet vivid imagery, he captures the essence of mono no aware—the awareness of the transience of all things. The morning glory, caught by the well rope and receiving water, serves as a metaphor for human existence, caught in the forces of nature and time, yet still capable of experiencing beauty and sustenance in the moment. Bashō’s genius lies in his ability to express this complex interplay between nature and human life within the constraints of the haiku form, leaving readers with a sense of quiet contemplation and an appreciation for the fleeting beauty of the world around them.
