Josep Masats
Poesia i haiku
Josep Masats Safont
Josep Masats Safont (Sant Fost de Campsentelles, 24 June 1953, Poet). "He writes / and doesn't waste / ink," as formulated in one haiku. He composes this and other poetic forms.
Referring to haikus, Joaquim Molas writes:
"The poet, against the trumpets of the prevailing rhetoric, including the literary, commits himself, if not to the least degree, to the synthetic form of haiku, in general, to the classical 4-6-4 of Bashoo, and subjects it, as it is common in recent Japanese tradition, to all kinds of variations, while always maintaining a sandwich of a long verse between two short verses, sometimes with the addition of a consonance which is neither lost nor retained.
By definition each haiku stands by itself, but more than once, they are intertwined to form a small series of monographs of a lyrical or philosophical nature". (Prologue to "Fragments of glass". Vic: Emboscall, 2008).
According to Antoni Isarch Borja, Josep Masats, who is well-versed in a modern conception of literature, consistently seeks coherence and logical meaning between the texts comprising El penjat (The Hanged Man). This referential framework functions to unify the poems, which can be interpreted 'as notes from a diary' (Rafart, 2005), forming a biographical journey. The predominant themes within the book collectively paint a vivid portrait of human existence, that of the 'hanged man.’
In the book, we encounter various themes that contribute to the construction of one's identity, exemplified by memory as a tool for self-definition ('Forging memories/ Perhaps for a life to thrive/ Invented, they breathe') (p. 14), and the concept of childhood as a lost paradise ('Carousel's delight/ Spinning, threads of childhood's light/ Horse of joy in flight') (p. 28). Death is portrayed as an ordinary and non-traumatic aspect of existence ('Slumber's gentle light/ Dreams to the departed fly/ Letting them find rest') (p. 32), and essential human emotions, such as love and friendship, are explored ('Unbeliever's soul/ Finds faith in passions, friends' grace/ Warm bonds make it whole') (p. 42). There are also moments of delicate sensuality ('Snail, fleeing from pubis/ Sketches Treasure Island's tales/ Nature's art revealed') (p. 41). While the text may initially seem simple, the depth to which Masats delves is undeniably remarkable, as exemplified in the following passage:
Can't just cease to be,
Let me be wind, old mill's plea,
In air, I am free.
Antoni Isarch Borja. "In the Infinite Instant: Josep Masats and Poetry." Vicenç Plantada Collection, vol. 14. Center for Molletan Studies, Mollet del Vallès City Council, 2022.
Source.:Viquipedia
More information:
http://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josep_Masats_Safont
Geografia Literaria del Països Catalans
