Page:A handbook of modern Japan (IA handbookofmodern01clem).pdf/262

198 Mr." In dates the order of year, month, day, is followed. The word for roof (yane) means literally "house-root," because a Japanese house is constructed to fit the roof, which is made first. But, as words are only the expression of thought, this contrariety must be traced back to the thoughts and ideas of Japanese, who, in so many other things, seem to us as "topsy-turvy" as we seem to them.

Japanese literature of the old régime was written partly in classical Chinese, partly in pure Japanese, and comprised mostly mythology, history, law, poetry, romance, drama, and Buddhist and Confucian philosophy. As we cannot go into details on this subject, so tempting, we shall confine ourselves to a few comments on Japanese poetry, which is more original and less Chinese than prose. The Japanese are very much addicted to writing poetry; like Silas Wegg, they drop off into poetry on every possible occasion. They are, in one sense, "born" poets, and, in another sense, made poets: poeta Japonicus et nascitur et fit,—"The Japanese poet is both born and made." There are certain rigid forms, and only a few, for verse; and all fairly educated Japanese know those forms. In school, moreover, they are carefully taught the theory and the practice of versification.

Occasionally a Japanese poem will be rather long, and is then called naga-uta, (long poem); but usually it is only a "tiny ode" of 31 syllables, arranged in 5 lines of respectively 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 syllables. The