English Poetry

和歌

Japanese Poetry

リズム

Rhythm

韻

Rhyme

ウィリアム・ブレイク

William Blake

English poetry is said to be difficult for a Japanese to understand. The reason is that the principle of verse is quite different from that of prose. In prose, especially the one used in everyday life, the content of a message is vital, while words are only means by which to convey it. So it is hardly damaged, if it is conveyed in different words or translated into another language. In poetry, on the other hand, high value is attached to the beauty of words, especially to the comfortable rhythm and rhyme. So it is necessary for a Japanese to understand the basic difference between Japanese and English. Japanese sounds flat and smooth, as most of the words end with a vowel, while English sounds stressed and rhythmical, as many of the words end with a consonant. Accordingly, Japanese poetry or tanka has the rhythm made by the number of words, that is, 5 and 7, while English poetry has the rhythm made by a combination of stressed and unstressed words, and by the number of its repetition. William Blake's two poems are mainly analyzed to see how rhythm and rhyme reflect the content.