NEW BEGINNINGS

An invitation to rediscover the world with eyes full of wonder

Spring, a symbol of renewal and new beginnings, is your favorite season. It is the time when nature awakens from its winter slumber, offering an explosion of color, sound, and scent. Trees bloom, meadows turn bright green, and wildlife returns to the landscape with renewed energy. In many cultures, spring embodies hope and the cyclical renewal of life, bringing with it a sense of lightness and optimism. From a meteorological perspective, spring marks longer days and milder weather. It is the perfect season for nature walks, relaxing outdoors, and celebrating the traditions associated with this time of year. “I know where to go! The Hanami festival in Japan is dedicated to the admiration of cherry blossoms, a simple but beautiful event.” During your trip, you begin reading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, a deeply evocative work that explores love, loss, and personal identity through intimate and sensitive storytelling. The novel is full of insight and meaningful dialogue, and even the symbolism of spring renewal is subtly woven into the narrative. “Spring is coming; the trees are full of blossoms and new leaves, and the meadows are green again. I am so happy to see the Japanese plant world come back to life,” you note in your travel journal. You love short Japanese poems about nature, so you can’t resist jotting down a haiku by Uejima Onitsura: “The wind blows softly, the plum blossoms hold on gracefully, the promise of spring endures.”

Famous locations for Hanami include Ueno Park and Shinjuku Gyoen Park in Tokyo, Himeji Castle, and Mount Yoshino, a true natural spectacle. Many also take advantage of the illuminated evenings known as yozakura, where cherry trees are adorned with lights, creating a magical atmosphere. The Japanese festival of Hanami is a captivating celebration of the ephemeral beauty of cherry blossoms, which bloom each spring. Hanami, meaning “flower viewing,” is a centuries-old tradition that invites people of all ages to gather under blooming cherry trees to marvel at nature’s splendor. During this period, parks and gardens across Japan are filled with groups of friends, families, and colleagues enjoying picnics beneath the sakura trees. Traditional foods are often shared, making the occasion not only an opportunity to admire the blossoms but also to create cherished memories and savor the company of others. The fleeting nature of cherry blossoms, typically lasting only a couple of weeks, evokes the Japanese concept of mono no aware, which reflects the awareness of life’s transience. “For me, Hanami is not just a celebration of beauty, but an invitation to ponder the impermanence of existence.” The memory of a haiku by Kobayashi Issa, brings you back to the theme of travel:  “Come now, my owl, change your expression, this is spring rain falling.”

Both classical and modern poetry celebrate the vibrant energy of spring, though they approach its essence with distinct tones and techniques. Classical poetry often portrays the majesty and grandeur of the season, emphasizing its universal beauty through structured forms and refined language. In contrast, modern poetry explores spring from a more personal and fragmented perspective, capturing fleeting moments of discovery, playfulness, or introspection. Poets from every era and place have drawn on images of spring to evoke emotions ranging from joy and hope to reflection and melancholy. Among Italian poets, many have immortalized spring in their verse, intertwining themes of bloom and optimism. Giacomo Leopardi stands out as a master of this tradition. In one of his works, Leopardi creates a delicate interplay between the jubilant vitality of spring and the introspective nuances of human experience. Through his poetic verses, he reflects on the relationship between nature and humanity, combining celebration with a touch of melancholy: “Spring sparkles in the air, and among the fields it exults, so that to look at it, the heart is softened.  One hears the flocks bleating, the herds lowing; other birds, contented, race together in the open sky, circling in joy, celebrating their best moment.”

Add to your spring journal a collection of classic poems celebrating your favorite season. William Wordsworth’s “Lines Written in Early Spring,” a romantic poem in which the author contemplates the beauty of nature and its harmony with the human soul: “Through the primroses, in that green bower, The periwinkle trailed her garlands; And it is my faith that each flower enjoys the air it breathes.” Another is William Blake’s “To Spring,” a poem that personifies the season as a force that can awaken the natural world: “O thou with dewy hair, that looks down through the clear windows of the morning, turn thine angelic eyes on our western isle, that in full chorus hails thy coming, O Spring!” Inspiring works ranging from the grand and majestic to the intimate and thoughtful, spring has long been a muse for poets. “Wordsworth’s reverence for the simple joy found in nature, and Blake’s description of spring as a transformative presence, highlight the multifaceted beauty of the season.” You want your journal to be a tribute to the inspiration this season provides to artists and thinkers, so you can’t help but write a poem of your own:“Gentle April breeze, your thought dances in the wind songs of blossoming gems, of a time so slow. I wait for the one still unknown, beneath a painted dawn. Scattered petals, my world awakens, sweet dream, bring forth my beloved, my only enchantment.”

Only E.E. Cummings’s “in Just-,” a playful and evocative masterpiece that captures the wonder of spring through the eyes of a child, prompts you to visually represent the full range of emotions you’re experiencing. “Each image should suggest rebirth and joy, interweaving lightheartedness and mystery. The figure of the old balloon man adds depth to the story; his presence is a common thread that connects the present to the past to the eternal cycle of life. Engaged in their outdoor games, four children emerge in the poem as symbols of purity and joy. Cummings portrays a world where even a puddle can seem wonderful and where every corner is full of magic. The old balloon man blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy; his whistle recalls something that resonates from the past or from the depths of nature itself. “in Just-” invites you to immerse yourself completely in spring, to hear the call of nature and to rediscover the world with new and amazed eyes. “It is a poem that reminds you that spring is a journey into innocence, joy and the cyclical nature of existence”, you write on the last page of your journey in spring 2025, leaving the diary on a bench in Inokashira Park in Tokyo, surrounded of over 500 cherry trees. “When the world is muddy, the little balloon man is lame whistles far and tiny, and Eddie and Bill come running from marbles and pirates. And it’s spring when the world is as wonderful as a puddle; the strange old balloon man whistles far and tiny. And Betty and Isbel come dancing from bell and skipping rope. And it’s spring and the goat-legged balloon man whistles far and tiny.”

The soundtrack “The Awakening” by FiftySounds, along with a poem by E.E. Cummings, allow a digital artist to explore spring while defying traditional conventions. Dastilige Nevante creates surreal images characterized by dense, expressive brush strokes, vivid colors, and bold juxtapositions that seem to come from a dream. If you’re interested in seeing his work, you can find his videos on YouTube, @dantenevante1764, which includes this compelling gallery of images that seem to come from Tokyo’s Inokashira Park.