Left and Right both state that the opposing poem is pretentious.
In judgement: the Left’s poem seems well-constructed in its initial and final sections. However, as in Mototoshi’s poem long ago, ‘breaking a stem of miscanthus on the beach at Ise’, this seems to be a case of poetic allusion. The Right’s ‘Sleeves spread atop the rocks, waves breaking atop them’ (iwa shiku sode no nami no ue) seems to have been newly composed and seems elegant, but the final section is somewhat inferior. The Left has beginning and end matching. The Right has a superior initial section, but an inferior final one. Thus, the round ties.
After Izumi Shikibu had been abandoned by Michisada, Akazome Emon heard that almost immediately Prince Atsumichi had begun to visit her, and sent her this:
うつろはでしばしゝのだのもりをみよかへりもぞするくずのうら風
utsurowade
shibashi shinoda no
mori o miyo
kaeri mo zo suru
kuzu no ura kaze
Turn not! And
For a while on Shinoda
Forest rest your gaze!
For it may return again:
The breeze ‘neath the arrowroot leaves.
