Meeting of a Poetry Club c. 1860

This woodblock print, made by Fujii Teisa in 19th-century Japan, depicts a gathering of poets. Note the circle they form, a symbol of unity and shared experience. Each figure, with their bald head, embodies the pursuit of knowledge and spiritual insight. Consider the circle. It echoes in Renaissance paintings, where the Madonna is often framed by circular halos, embodying divine perfection. Here, the poets, too, seek a kind of perfection through their art. The act of communal creation binds them, just as rituals bound ancient communities. Observe how some figures bow, almost in reverence. This gesture transcends culture. Think of supplicants before altars, heads bowed in deference. It’s a primal expression of humility before a higher power—in this case, the power of poetry. These images, these gestures, resonate with deep-seated human impulses. They are echoes of our shared past, resurfacing in new contexts, continually reshaped by the currents of history and culture.