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A purple iris
Spattered with the droppings
of a passing hawk.
- Yosa Buson (Japanese haiku master) ()
The first line of this haiku suggests the season; it is late spring because the
iris has already bloomed. The second and third line are very interesting, because,
although the dropping and the hawk are part of nature, they are in contrast with
the beauty of the iris. One interpretation of the combination of these two opposing
images is "Nature's disdain for its own beauty" ().
Another interpretation is how unexpected things can happen to something that is
perfect. The haiku is a reminder to the reader to not take things for granted.
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