Japanese Religions: Texts & Art Theology 3731 How does the poem about Mount Fuji teach you what Kami means?
Pick a line or two from the poem about Mt Fuji and use Ellwood's what is Kami (attached) as secondary evidence source.
Explain the significance of kami and how does the 1 or 2 lines from the poem explain kami.
Attached are the poem, the essay assigment guidelines and grading rubic, also the ellwood's what is Kami.
Japanese Religions: Texts & Art Theology 3731 First Paper Assignment: Hard copy of Final Draft due at the beginning of class on February 7 (3 pages, minimum). Please respond to the following prompt. • How does the poem about Mount Fuji (Kitagawa, 47) teach you what kami means? To succeed, please choose a second source (I would suggest choosing one passage from either Kitagawa, Blacker (pp. 34-43), or Ellwood “What is Kami”). Use this second source to help you to define one aspect of what kami means. In your essay, please explain HOW the Mount Fuji poems helps you to understand this one aspect of kami. Optional: consider writing this essay as if you are trying to teach a friend or family member about kami. Explain your ideas so that they will understand! Writing Guidelines: To succeed, your paper will need to do the following: (1) Generate a thesis statement (an argument) that answers the “How” question posed above. (2) Explain, as clearly as possible, the words in the poem, that lead you to your conclusion. Be as specific as possible in discussing your evidence—cite specific words (and a specific passage from your second source). Show me how these words and this passage help you to understand what kami is. For details on how I will grade your writing, please see the “Writing Rubric” on Blackboard, along with the “Grading Codes” that follow for a list of common comments on student writing. Please also consider consulting the “Thesis Statements” document on Blackboard and visit the Writing Center. The only way to improve writing is to practice, preferably with feedback from another human being. (1) Thesis & Evidence Every paper should have a clear thesis statement in the first paragraph. A thesis statement will state the argument that you will defend in the paper. The entire rest of the paper should explain your argument and defend your argument. In defending your argument, please be sure to use specific evidence from our readings. The more specific the better. For this assignment, you will have to explain HOW the poem shows you what kami is. All paragraphs in the paper must serve to defend the thesis. Their job is to persuade me of whatever you claim in your thesis. 2 (2) Clarity Please be sure that you define all of your terms. If you are using any fancy vocabulary from class, please be sure to explain what you mean by them. After completing your first draft, please reread your paper and ask yourself the following: Does the reader have enough information to understand each sentence that I have written? Does each paragraph have one, single, clear topic? Does each sentence make one point? Does every single paragraph help to defend my argument? How? If I have included a quotation in the paper, do I explain why I included it and what it means? Clarity of prose is challenging. It inevitably demands editing, and a separate set of eyes. Grading: Please see “Essay Rubric” on Blackboard While “A” papers take a strong stance on something, “B” papers often list a series of ideas but do not connect those ideas together. “B,” “C,” and “D” papers do not make a single, coherent argument. Low “B” and “C” papers suffer from poor organization. As your reader, I won’t be able to follow where you are going, from paragraph to paragraph (or often from sentence to sentence). Format, etc. (1) The paper should be at least three pages in length. (2) Please use 12 pt. font, with normal (1 inch) margins, double-spaced. Please give your paper a title, number the pages, and include your name, the class title, and the date in a single-spaced heading on the first page. (3) Parenthetical citations will suffice. No need for a bibliography. Examples: Quotation “Japanese religion is a variegated tapestry created by the interweaving of at least five major strands,” (Earhart, 2). Paraphrase In his book Japanese Religion: Unity and Diversity, H. Byron Earhart proposes that Japanese religion is made up of five interwoven elements (Earhart, 2).
How the Poem about Mount Fuji Teaches on the Meaning of Kami
Name
Institution
How the Poem about Mount Fuji Teaches on the Meaning of Kami
Historical texts and accounts of the early religious beliefs and traditions often depict a common element of symbolism among the diverse cultural backgrounds of communities around the world. Divinity, for instance, would be attached to natural or rather aspects of nature perceived through the eyes of a group of people as bearing unique features with a profound unanimous appeal to society. The divine status would further be defined by a common term with a symbolic connotation of the reverence attached to the uniqueness of the identified aspects of nature. The Japanese, religious practices and traditions provide an excellent depiction of natural features as symbolic representations of the community’s belief in the mystery and awe of the divine power behind life or nature itself. “Kami” was a common, but revered, term often used by members of the Japanese community in reference to various natural aspects whose appearance created a sense of awe and wonder that could only be explained as marvels of divinity with a general appreciation from the society as a whole. The ancient Japanese poems make for interesting revelations and insights into the meaning of the term through the various poetic depictions of nature. However, it is important to understand how the ancient poetic texts developed or rather taught the meaning of “Kami”. The poem about Mount Fuji presents an effective platform for showing how the poet develops or teaches the meaning of Kami through an intricate analysis of some of its key elements.
The poem’s first line, “Lo! There towers the lofty peak of Fuji,” captures the speaker’s wondrous appreciation of the beautiful appearance of the Mountain. The exclamation further portrays the emotional reaction towards the captivating scenery of the mountain. Ellwood’s article, What is a Kami? Poses that the term refers to anything that can fill people with wonder and awe CITATION Ell85 \l 1033 (Ellwood, 1985). The author goes ahead to give a wide range of natural aspects or occurrences that would elicit such a reaction or experience in a group of people as definitive of the term’s meaning. The poem concurs with Ellwood’s definition as it teaches through the narrator’s description of the marvelous element of nature. Ellwood’s article also reiterates on the fact that Kami did not represent the feeling of awe and wonder ...