Everyone is different, everyone is good (Misuzu Kaneko #QuoteNote53)
The quote I would like to introduce this time is as follows!
“Everyone is different, everyone is good”
It is more of a passage from a masterpiece poem than a quote, but I think it is a wonderful phrase, so I will explain it!
Who said it
Misuzu Kaneko
What kind of person was she?
Misuzu Kaneko was a Japanese children's poet.
Misuzu Kaneko's poems contain deep philosophy and a warm heart within short words, and they continue to be loved by many people today. In particular, they are familiar to a wide range of generations, from children to adults, as they are included in elementary school textbooks.
Real name and dates of birth and death:
Her real name was Teru Kaneko. She was born in 1903 (Meiji 36) in Senzaki Village, Otsu District, Yamaguchi Prefecture (present-day Senzaki, Nagato City), and passed away in 1930 (Showa 5) at the young age of 26.
A gentle gaze toward the vulnerable:
She left behind many poems that found life in small creatures like insects, birds, and fish, or even things often overlooked like stones on the roadside or empty cans, and cast a warm gaze upon them.
Unique sensibility:
She captured the beauty, wonder, and joy hidden in everyday life with her own unique sensibility and expressed them in honest words.
Empathy and coexistence: Her poems are filled with empathy for others and a desire for coexistence with all things.
“The Phantom Children's Poet”:
During her lifetime, she was highly regarded by Yaso Saijo and her poems were published in several magazines, but she was not widely known. However, after her death, her poems were forgotten, but from the late 1960s to the 1970s, thanks to the efforts of poet Setsuo Yazaki, her works were rediscovered and re-evaluated, and she came into the spotlight as the “Phantom Children's Poet.”
Life:
In her private life, she was not blessed in her marriage and suffered from her husband's violence and heartless words. Ultimately, she met a tragic end by taking her own life to avoid living apart from her daughter.
“Everyone is different, everyone is good”
Even if I spread my arms wide,
I cannot fly in the sky,
but the little birds that can fly
cannot run fast on the ground like I can.
Even if I shake my body,
I cannot make beautiful sounds,
but that ringing bell
does not know as many songs as I do.
The bell, the little bird, and then me,
everyone is different, everyone is good.
It feels rather tacky to go out of one's way to verbalize and explain what is good about this poem. No explanation is needed. You understand it when you read it. Its goodness is conveyed directly.
Misuzu Kaneko's poems are highly regarded overseas, translated into over 10 languages, and cherished in many countries.
However, it seems there haven't been many opportunities for them to be enjoyed in the English-speaking world until now, but with the publication of the English version "Are You an Echo?", it is expected that Misuzu Kaneko's poems will be enjoyed in the English-speaking world from now on.
Summary
This time, I introduced a passage from a famous poem by Misuzu Kaneko as a quote.
"Everyone is different, everyone is good"
Have you ever read Misuzu Kaneko's poetry collection?
If you haven't read it, I recommend picking it up. You can get a sense of fresh sensibility, or perhaps the feeling of how you saw the world when you were a child—that kind of innocent feeling. Somehow, when I read it, I have this strange sensation where the way Misuzu Kaneko must have seen the world rises up in my mind like a visual image.
For example, there is a poem called "Wonder," and when you read this, the silver-shining rain, the realistic depiction of silkworms, and the evening primrose that opens in a flash can be imagined even more vividly and beautifully than reality.
I wonder about it so much,
that the rain falling from black clouds
is shining silver.
I wonder about it so much,
that the silkworms eating blue mulberry leaves
turn white.
I wonder about it so much,
that the evening primrose, which no one touches,
opens all by itself.
I wonder about it so much,
that when I ask anyone, they just laugh
and say it's only natural.
Conversely, if I can't really concentrate or don't feel moved when I read Misuzu Kaneko's poems, I think my mental state is a bit tired. That's the case for me, at least.
Each poem is wonderful, but they also serve as a yardstick for how exhausted my mental state is, and I find myself flipping through them whenever it crosses my mind. I recommend it.
📢 Announcement
Thank you for reading to the end. "Likes" and "Follows" are very welcome! It encourages my activities on Note!
Once again, hello. My name is "Nick." I didn't go to university, but I've continued reading and have been at a foreign-affiliated company for over 10 years. As a down-to-earth salaryman like that, I introduce "quotes that pierce the heart" that I've encountered through reading over 200 books and in my daily work and life. I also include many quotes from subcultures like manga, anime, and movies!
Click here for my self-introduction and main topic introduction! ▼
Click here for the list of quote notebooks! ▼
I also dream of publishing a book someday! ▼
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