(D1, EE) Returning to the Ball Alone (Training Grounds) (Open)

[Kakita Yuji]

"Sometimes a sloppy strike is enough to defeat an opponent. Would you like for the details of such a poor strike to be granted eternity in ink and paper regardless? To be remembered as Kakita "quite meh but it did the job" Yuji?

A poem is a poet's strike. Only the ones that hit true are worth recording."

My but what a venomous Scorpion she was.

He shook his head.

"Of course not, Shosuro-san. he replied. "But nor would I care to be known as Kakita 'Never wrote anything down because he was too scared' Yuji. I mean, not only is that a mouthful, but a samurai ruled by Fear is a failure. A clumsy strike is inferior to a perfect strike, true, but how can you achieve victory if you never draw your brush? Do you intend to simply practice forever, that one poem that you feel perfect always somehow slightly out of reach? You wish to be Shosuro 'Training Dummy' Kaoru?"

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"Straw men can be useful in sword training. Not so much in arguments.

Poetry is not a binary opposition between a perfect first draft and a blank page. Making a poem worth it takes time and hard work, that I'm unlikely to be able to spare on the side on such important event, and settling down for the first improvisation for lack of a better opportunity is just disrespectful to whoever might read it.

We're not children anymore. If we hold out to people we respect a terrible piece of art, we aren't going to get a pat on the head this time."

[Kakita Yuji]

"Straw men can be useful in sword training. Not so much in arguments.

Poetry is not a binary opposition between a perfect first draft and a blank page. Making a poem worth it takes time and hard work, that I'm unlikely to be able to spare on the side on such important event, and settling down for the first improvisation for lack of a better opportunity is just disrespectful to whoever might read it.

We're not children anymore. If we hold out to people we respect a terrible piece of art, we aren't going to get a pat on the head this time."

Yuji truly did not understand the point about poetry being hard. It was as simple as could be to him.

He chuckled a bit.

"A clever line, Shosuro-san. I will have to use it someday. But as we talk, your faith in your poetry seems to be falling faster than a star across the night sky. We've gone from adequate poetry to terrible poetry in the span of but moments."

He put the bokken back on the rack.

"But by what standard do you judge poetry to be 'terrible', Shosuro-san? Whose poetry are you comparing it to? Rezan? Kakita? The Shining Prince? Doji? Hantei? Because there's lots of criticisms you can level against a poem crafted by someone. They formatted it poorly, they were insincere, they were derivative, and so on. But terrible? That says far more to me about the critic than it does the piece itself." he retorted.

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"I guess I am myself not immune to the disease of emphatic exaggeration that seems to be rampant in this part of the academy.

But to answer your question, the blatant issue there is the lack of musicality. The poem does not flow well, either on the tongue or in the ear. Each word resounds on its own, they don't form a whole.

It's not perfection out of imperfect parts. It's mediocrity out of perfectly serviceable words. Assemblage is key here, and one can smell the glue used to stick together pieces that don't match."

[Kakita Yuji]

"I guess I am myself not immune to the disease of emphatic exaggeration that seems to be rampant in this part of the academy.

But to answer your question, the blatant issue there is the lack of musicality. The poem does not flow well, either on the tongue or in the ear. Each word resounds on its own, they don't form a whole.

It's not perfection out of imperfect parts. It's mediocrity out of perfectly serviceable words. Assemblage is key here, and one can smell the glue used to stick together pieces that don't match."

Yuji looked thoughtfully at the Scorpion for a few beats.

"i have to say, Shosuro-san, no matter what else is said, you do have a wonderful understanding of how to judge the quality of poetry." he said, sincerly.

Having put the bokken away, he focuses more fully on the Scorpion.

"But I think that perhaps in having come to such understanding, you have built good poetry up into something unattainable. As if you have visited the gardens of Doji, and then looking at a flower seed you say, 'Ah, this is impossible. Even if the weather, insects, or disease do not claim this bloom, it still will likely not be as lovely, therefore I should not plant it." And so you sit in a darkened warehouse full of seeds, and the world is poorer for it.

He shook his head

"I will not argue that bad poetry is not possible. Some blooms will never blossom. I will not argue that it will be painful when bad poetry is created. There are long thorns in those bad blooms that must be weeded. But I cannot agree that the attempt should not be made."

He smiled a bit

"But surely Shosuro-san would not make that argument either. She is, after all, competing in the Topaz Championship. Were she one who was unwilling to risk themselves in pursuit of an incredible goal in the full view of many important people, she would have never set foot in Tsuma." he concludes.

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"But Kakita-sama, I never said I wouldn't be making bad poetry.

Just that you won't be seeing it if I deem it bad.

It takes a special someone to share your failures with. A person I just met half an hour ago is unlikely to be among their number.

And while I appreciate that you worry about my standing in the current tournament, you don't have to. I'm as trained at recognizing the moment I have to drop my guard to deliver the decisive strike as you. Just, more metaphorically."

[Kakita Yuji]

"But Kakita-sama, I never said I wouldn't be making bad poetry.

Just that you won't be seeing it if I deem it bad.

It takes a special someone to share your failures with. A person I just met half an hour ago is unlikely to be among their number.

And while I appreciate that you worry about my standing in the current tournament, you don't have to. I'm as trained at recognizing the moment I have to drop my guard to deliver the decisive strike as you. Just, more metaphorically."

Let alone from our traditional courtly rival was added unspoken.

Yuji bowed.

"Ah well then, I shall have to satisfy myself with your eventual success, Shosuro-san. Given your high standards, I am definitely looking forward to it." he offered, looking to bring the verbal spar to a close.