This is an incredible Japanese haiku that conflates the human and natural worlds. It shows the changes which occur as seasons end, and the effect it has on people.
Prospective readers could look up images or videos of rural Japan, paying close attention to the ways in which scenes evolve over the course of a year. Japan is one of the most beautiful countries anywhere in the world, and Issa was inspired by its nature, in this poem and others.
The Snow is Melting Kobayashi IssaThe snow is meltingand the village is flooded with children.
Summary
‘The Snow is Melting‘ describes the period at the end of winter and the changing of the weather in a striking and innovative way.
Like many haiku, the poem’s first line also functions as its title, which immediately establishes the time of year. This is crucial as many haiku relate to a specific moment in the natural cycle. Issa’s poem continues by describing how the melted snow has flooded the village, before subverting the readers’ expectations by highlighting how the flood is a group of children, rather than water.
Expert Commentary
Insights by Joe Santamaria
B.A. in English and Related Literature, M.Phil in Irish Literature
Context
Kobayashi Issa was one of the four great masters of Japanese haiku, known for his deeply human, often humorous observations of everyday life. He wrote during the late Edo period, a time marked by relative peace and social stability in Japan, which allowed for flourishing artistic expression. Issa’s haiku are known for their accessibility, both because of their language and their subject matter. This poem, like many of his works, captures a small seasonal moment, the end of winter and the joyful return of children outdoors, using natural imagery to suggest renewal and the cyclical nature of life.
Detailed Analysis
The snow is melting
(…)
with children.
The word snow, in this translation, functions as the haiku’s kigo, which refers to a kind of seasonal anchor which immediately informs the reader about the time of year, or time of day that the poem is taking place in. The first line establishes that the poem is taking place at the end of winter, with everything that connotes, including hope, new life, and potential for the future.
These positive connotations are then challenged by the second line, which implies that the melting snow has caused some kind of disaster. This concern is then eased when Issa describes that the flood refers to a number of children rather than water, returning the poem to its lighter and more playful tone.
The metaphorical flood of children serves several purposes in the poem. Firstly, Spring is the season in which more children are born than any other, both for humans and most animals in the wild. The arrival of Spring also signifies the fact that the harshness of winter is over, meaning the chances of child mortality drop significantly as food becomes more abundant and seasonal illnesses decrease.
Additionally, the mention of the children alongside the melting snow could suggest the poem is engaging with one of haiku’s most enduring thematic preoccupations: impermanence. The melting snow could mirror the fleeting nature of childhood more broadly, which will only be truly appreciated once it is over.
Similar Poetry
Readers who enjoyed ‘The Snow is Melting‘ might want to explore other Kobayashi Issa poems. For example:
- ‘Everything I Touch‘ – Issa speaks emotionally on what the speaker receives in return when they reach out with tenderness.
- ‘O Snail‘ – A well-known poem that celebrates nature while also inspiring readers to take their time to overcome great obstacles.
Some other poems that may be of interest include:
- ‘The first soft snow!‘ by Matsuo Bashō – A beautiful haiku about the first snow of the year by another one of the great haiku masters.
- ‘Now fades the last long streak of snow‘ by Alfred Lord Tennyson – A moving poem that explores spring and rebirth, written in memory of a friend who died.
FAQs
This poem predominantly features nature and its cycles, as it follows the transition from winter into spring as the snow melts. Through this, Issa equally explores the theme of transience: the snow, like everything else, is impermanent. This is mirrored in the behaviour of the children, who also change with the season, reclaiming the world as their playground.
While the seasons are not explicitly mentioned in this poem, they are certainly alluded to through nature’s cycles. As the “snow” which symbolises winter melts, one can assume this heralds the arrival of spring. This is accompanied by a “flood”of children, highlighting the symbolic significance of spring. It represents youth and life, which is reflected in the children.
Although this poem form was a favourite of Issa, its use here has particular significance. It provides a suitable accompaniment to the subject matter, as haiku often focus on the small changes within nature.
This poem is written in the present tense with a neutral tone from the speaker. However, the overall tone of the poem is celebratory, as the children’s presence in the village functions as a celebration of the coming spring.
