An Evening Walk in the Village:—Imagine yourself taking a walk through the village at nightfall. Tell of the time of day, the season, and the weather. Make your reader feel the approach of darkness, and the heat, or the coolness, or the chill of the air. What signs do you see about you, of the close of day? Can you make the reader feel the contrast of the lights and the surrounding darkness? As you walk along, what sounds do you hear? What activities are going on? Can you catch any glimpses, through the windows, of the family life inside the houses? Do you see people eating or drinking? Do you see any children? Are the scenes about you quiet and restful, or are they confused and irritating? Make use of any incidents that you can to complete your description of the village as you see it in your walk. Perhaps you will wish to close your theme with your entering a house, or your advance into the dark open country beyond the village.
My Idea of Japan:—Suppose that you were suddenly transported to a small town in Japan: What would be your first impression? Tell what you would expect to see. Speak of the houses, the gardens, and the temples. Tell about the shops, and booths, and the wares that are for sale. Describe the dress and appearance of the Japanese men; of the women; the children. Speak of the coolies, or working-people; the foreigners. Perhaps you can imagine yourself taking a ride in a jinrikisha. Tell of the amusing or extraordinary things that you see, and make use of incidents and conversation. Bring out the contrasts between Japan and your own country.
A Dance or Drill:—Think of some drill or dance or complicated game that you have seen, which lends itself to the kind of description in the selection. In your work, try to emphasize the contrast between the background and the moving figures; the effects of light and darkness; the sound of music and voices; the sway and rhythm of the action. Re-read parts of The Dance of the Bon-odori, to see what devices the author has used in order to bring out effects of sound and rhythm.
COLLATERAL READINGS
| Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan | Lafcadio Hearn |
| Out of the East | " " |
| Kokoro | " " |
| Kwaidan | " " |
| A Japanese Miscellany | " " |
| Two Years in the French West Indies | " " |
| Japanese Life in Town and Country | G.W. Knox |
| Our Neighbors the Japanese | J.K. Goodrich |
| When I Was Young | Yoshio Markino |
| Miss John Bull | " " |
| When I Was a Boy in Japan | Sakae Shioya |
| Japanese Girls and Women | Alice M. Bacon |
| A Japanese Interior | " " |
| Japonica | Sir Edwin Arnold |
| Japan | W.E. Griffis |
| Human Bullets | Tadayoshy Sukurai |
| The Story of Japan | R. Van Bergen |
| A Boy in Old Japan | " " |
| Letters from Japan | Mrs. Hugh Frazer |
| Unbeaten Tracks in Japan | Isabella Bird (Bishop) |
| The Lady of the Decoration | Frances Little |
| Little Sister Snow | " " |
| Japan in Pictures | Douglas Sladen |
| Old and New Japan (good illustrations in color) | Clive Holland |
| Nogi | Stanley Washburn |
| Japan, the Eastern Wonderland | D.C. Angus |
| Peeps at Many Lands: Japan | John Finnemore |
| Japan Described by Great Writers | Esther Singleton |
| The Flower of Old Japan [verse] | Alfred Noyes |
| Dancing and Dancers of To-day | Caroline and Chas. H. Coffin |
| The Healthful Art of Dancing | L.H. Gulick |
| The Festival Book | J.E.C. Lincoln |
| Folk Dances | Caroline Crawford |
| Lafcadio Hearn | Nina H. Kennard |
| Lafcadio Hearn (Portrait) | Edward Thomas |
| The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn | Elizabeth Bisland |
| The Japanese Letters of Lafcadio Hearn | " " |
| Lafcadio Hearn in Japan | Yone Noguchi |
| Lafcadio Hearn (Portraits) | Current Literature 42:50 |