Senry

Senryu ( 川 柳 "river willow") is a genre of Japanese poetry that arose during the Edo period . It coincides in form with haiku , that is, it is a three-part line consisting of lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables in length. But, unlike the haiku lyric genre, senryu is a satirical-humorous genre, far from admiring the beauty of nature. It is characteristic that Senry usually do not contain kigo - an indication of one of the four seasons of the year , which is mandatory for classical haiku.

In laughter culture in Japan, humor always prevailed over satire. This is written in the book "Japanese Art Tradition" by T. Grigoriev. Therefore, the haiku in the Senryu genre were not persecuted by the authorities, as would be the case with satirical works. Satire can also be in opposition to power even when it does not touch on social issues: due to the constant denunciation of morals, if the spiritual authority considers this to be a violation of the monopoly of the upper classes on criticism. But Senry did not deal with the moral conviction of ordinary human vices. Rather, even in satirical verses, the genre of jokes, jokes , sketches .

Although outwardly, in content, senru is similar to European jokes, there is a fundamental difference between senru and European laughter tradition. Senryu had a serious ideological justification, and Senry masters did not consider themselves poets who were inferior to poets of past eras in aesthetics. Laugh in Japanese "okay." Here is what T. Grigoryeva writes about the laughable culture of 18th-century Japan: “It is not surprising that Hisamatsu puts okashi on a par with avare , yugen , and sabi . They are equal. Each time has its own feeling: the severity of Nara , the beauty of Heian , the sadness of Muromachi , the laughter of Edo . Society removed what it was losing interest in and highlighted what it needed. The criterion of beauty remained constant. ”

Senryu got its name from the poet Karay Senryu (柄 井 川 柳, 1718 - 1790 ), thanks to which the genre gained popularity.