Double Meaning in Poetry

According to Shinkei, double meaning is the lifeblood of poetry, the source of its vitality. Without double meaning, composing waka and renga becomes rather difficult. However, double meaning necessarily includes much that is vulgar, so that it is important to exercise the greatest discernment when using it. The overwhelming importance assumed by double entendre in Japanese classical poetry is inevitable in view of the poem's brevity. The poem's limited space can be maximized by a form of ellipsis, punning allusiveness. Ellipsis allows a poet to superimpose a strand of meaning or situation that differs from, yet is related to, what the words say on the primary level. The poetic effect of the pun is evident at the end of a jo, an introductory section that typically describes an external scene or situation not directly related to the poem's main statement, but forming a metonymical adjunct to it.