ANALYZING A POEM THE SWIMMER BY SAKUTARO HAGIWARA

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the poem The Swimmer by Sakutaro Hagiwara, based on the theory of phenomenology, as well as on reader-response criticism, and on the context provided by the poet’s belonging to the Modernist movement. The poem The Swimmer can be regarded as an illustration of Merleau-Ponty’s concept of the body, which offers readers the opportunity to consider the body not as an object but, instead as a subject which allows us the opportunity to perceive the world, as well as to interact with it. The sensory experience is suggested clearly all throughout the poem. This experience allows the poetic persona to experience subjectively the reality of swimming and to express this personal perception. The reader-response approach also focuses on subjective experience, and this paper shows that, in expressing an emotional reaction to the text, as well as an interpretation of it relying on background knowledge, readers rely on free associations based on the elements present in the poem. For Merleau-Ponty the external space is experienced subjectively, as an internal space, a subjectivity which underlies reader-response approaches, as well as Modernist literary works. Poetry is also focused on a subjective experience and view of the world. We cannot remain objective as readers even, when reading the poem The Swimmer by Hagiwara. We see the swimmer completely merging with his surroundings, showing that he is in his environment and that he is enjoying himself.