My primary topic, opium in China, morphed into heroin's evolution and its current presence in China. Frustrated with the topic, I've become interested in exploring poetry's current status in Japanese society.
When I studied Japanese Literature in Translation, we focused half of the term on Japanese poetry. Having already studied poetic greats such as Basho, I'm more interested in poetry's presence in modern day Japanese society. As seen in the movie Chunhyang, poetry plays a vital role in East Asian culture, representing a wide array of expression. It has been used for displays of intellect, art, and, of course, love. Does it still possess the same literary power as in Basho's day? Is it still a form of evaluation for professors and statesmen? Does passion still move lovers to compose poetry, or have they given up the literary formality?
Posted by owingsj at October 12, 2004 04:54 PMPierce,
Yeah I understand where you are coming from. Governments in the East either arent ready to acknowledge a drug problem, and hence do not keep much information on it, or the drug problem is not as bad as some estimates put it. I might end up changing my topic as well because methamphetamine use is such a specific, but interesting, topic, that I am feeling frustrated as well. I might move onto political freedoms in China as they have developed over the past two decades.
Dan
Haiku is certainly alive and well as a form, and sites like Japanese Poetry resources and Some sources for contemporary Japanese poetry and 20th c. Japanese Poetry in Translations suggest that there's a lot going on. The limitation of having to read in translation may make this a difficult topic to succeed with, but you might want to think of broadening it to look at the appreciation of Japanese poetic forms by non-Japanese readers. Plenty of action in that realm: Haiku casts big Net is only one of many reflections. I do it myself...
For a curiosity, take a look at The Hiroshima Poetry Hoax.
I think your topic will be a great one - poetry possesses so many different meanings, and depending on who the person is, where he's from, etc, the meaning discovered could greatly differ from another's perception of poetry.
I'm not sure how too relevant it may be, but I think philosophy - using it to discover various meanings - could be helpful within this topic.
Check out this site...
http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/G100/