Critical Analysis of Haiku Poems - Essay Example

Basho's poem is the harder of the two to analyze in this way because it was written when Japan was not really in contact with the rest of the world. In that regard, it is not post-colonial, but this actually makes it an even better example of third-world consciousness because its author was completely steeped in the tradition of his own country. He uses images and sounds that he would have been familiar with from his own life in the countryside of Japan in the 17th century. Ishida's poem, which comes from after World War II, would definitely be a better choice for post-colonial discussion.

This was a time when Japan was occupied by victorious U.S. Military forces, so his choice of subject matter, the Japanese “Star Festival” could be seen as a rejection of Western values. Likewise, his request for “more life” could have a similar force.