Cherry (prunus serrulata) blossom in Ikawa, Akita Province, Japan. Each flower, James Scherer tells us, has its symbolic meaning. “Patriotism itself is symbolized by a spray of cherry-blossoms, ‘which fall before they wither rather than cling rotting to the stalk.’ The almond, a flower of the early spring, typifies beauty; but the plum-blossom, which is sometimes so early that it bursts through the snow, represents virtue triumphant, or valour breaking through icy obstacle. Victory flames in the iris, which blooms when spring has wholly conquered winter; gentleness is suggested by the willow, strength by the bamboo, long life by the ever-green pine, and so on throughout the Flower Calendar.”
Introduction
In 1915, Britain entered the second year of what later proved to have been the most appalling and wasteful war in human history. Joseph Longford, former Consul in Nagasaki and from 1903 the first Professor of Japanese at King’s College in London, contributed an essay to a series on ‘The Spirit of the Allied Nations’ in which he spoke of the Japanese cherry tree as a symbol of sacrifice.
EVERY season in the year has its own flower, fairest of all being the cherry, whose lovely pink and white blossoms spread their fragrance over the whole land in the sunny month of April, and everywhere provide forest bowers of fairy-like beauty, beneath which happy family groups gather in crowds to revel in happiness and good temper amidst a constant flow of cheerful gossip and soft, rippling laughter. The cherry flower is an emblem of life to the Japanese. Its only failing is that it is very shortlived. The first rough wind scatters its petals and covers the ground with a pale-pink carpet and soon all is over. And so should life be. Sunny, bright and beautiful when all goes well, but ever ready for sacrifice when it is required.
Abridged
From an essay by Joseph Henry Longford (1849-1925) in ‘The Spirit of the Allied Nations (1915), edited by Sir Sidney Low (1857-1932). Additional material from ‘The Romance of Japan Through the Ages’ (1926), by James Augustin Brown Scherer (1870-1944).
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
The cherry tree is one of Japan’s national symbols, and in the eyes of Joseph Longford an appropriate one. The Japanese live life as the delicate cherry blossom lives: while the sun shines they laugh and are glad, but when the winds blow and the time for sacrifice comes, they accept their lot without complaint. (55 / 60 words)
The cherry tree is one of Japan’s national symbols, and in the eyes of Joseph Longford an appropriate one. The Japanese live life as the delicate cherry blossom lives: while the sun shines they laugh and are glad, but when the winds blow and the time for sacrifice comes, they accept their lot without complaint.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, besides, may, not, or, until, whereas, whether.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Ever. Fair. Flower.
2 Being. Bright. Year.
3 Go. Sacrifice. Whose.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Land. 2 Require. 3 Flow. 4 Gather. 5 Fail. 6 Cover. 7 Season. 8 Spread. 9 Cheer.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Best.
2.
Better.
3.
Cover.
4.
First.
5.
Gather.
6.
Go.
7.
Like.
8.
Lovely.
9.
Over.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding dis-.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
lps (8+1)
elapse. elopes. laps. lapse. leaps. lips. loops. lopes.
lops.
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