One of my favourite poems is Winter Solitude by Matsuo Bashō: “Winter solitude - / In a world of one colour / the sound of wind.”
I adore this poem because of its many layers - even in these short few lines. Many people argue that this haiku's first line is mistranslated from Japanese, this is because there is no English equivalent that can be derived from the original Japanese word. However, a more accurate translation would be “Winter Bleakness” or “Winter Desolation”. This poem does not talk about the mere solitude of the cold season, but the bleakness, and the vacantness of a withered winter.
Living in Canada, we are accustomed to extreme temperatures. But have you ever stepped outside, without your winter coat? Sometimes, the cold is so utterly overwhelming, that it sweeps you from your feet - it freezes you at that moment. If you expose bare skin to these temperatures, you risk getting frostbite, or hypothermia - both of which pose serious danger. This concept perfectly represents the moments in our life when we feel frozen; defeated by various setbacks or uncontrollable obstacles. If we allow ourselves to be engulfed by that type of negativity, it will ultimately lead to dangerous consequences.
In the second line of the haiku, “In a world of one colour”, Bashō uses imagery to describe how white snowfall can rapidly engulf the summer scenery. Winter being described as ‘one colour’ also puts emphasis on the dreary nature of the season. I find it interesting how Bashō repeats the word, ‘of’. I think this stresses the winter season's lack of variety and predictability.
When we feel frozen, it’s hard to think clearly. It can feel as though our thoughts are overtaken by the coldness. Life can feel pretty bleak. Even “the sound of wind” can blend in with a unicolour world.
Thankfully though, you can avoid getting hypothermia by wearing a coat. Similarly, we have the ability to make small shifts in our mindsets, in order to prevent life from becoming miserable during the harsh winter months.
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