Kenneth Yasuda

The Japanese haiku is a form of poetry that originated in Japan in the 17th century. Haiku is a short poem consisting of three lines. The first and third lines have five syllables, while the second line has seven syllables. Haiku typically focus on nature and the changing of the seasons, and often use simple language and vivid imagery to convey a sense of beauty and wonder.

Here's an example of a classic Japanese haiku, written by Matsuo Basho:

An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond—
Splash! Silence again.

This haiku beautifully captures the tranquility of a pond, interrupted by the sudden splash of a frog. It's a simple yet powerful image that evokes a sense of the natural world and its rhythms.

Haiku is known for its brevity and simplicity, but it can also be deceptively complex. The best haiku often contain multiple layers of meaning and can be interpreted in different ways. Haiku is also known for its use of seasonal words or "kigo" that indicate the time of year or the changing of the seasons.

Today, haiku has become a popular form of poetry around the world, with poets from different cultures and languages adapting the form to their own traditions and styles.
Haiku is a poetic form that has evolved over time and has been adapted by many cultures and languages around the world. While the traditional Japanese haiku is still highly regarded, there are now many variations on the form that differ in terms of structure, subject matter, and style.

In addition to the traditional structure of three lines with five, seven, and five syllables, modern haiku often use a looser syllable count or even no syllable count at all. Modern haiku also often use more contemporary subject matter, such as urban life, technology, and politics.

Despite these variations, haiku continues to be associated with nature and the changing of the seasons. Many haiku use seasonal words or phrases, known as "kigo," to indicate the time of year and to evoke a sense of the natural world. These seasonal references are often symbolic and can convey deeper meanings beyond the literal description of the natural world.

Haiku also often employs a technique known as "cutting," where the poem is divided into two distinct parts that are separated by a pause or shift in focus. This cutting technique can create a sense of contrast or surprise and can add depth and complexity to the poem.

Overall, haiku is a poetic form that continues to evolve and adapt to changing times and cultures while still maintaining its roots in the natural world and the changing of the seasons.

Here's an example of a modern haiku that doesn't follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllable structure:

city park—
a fawn nibbles
on a fast-food bag

This haiku by Michael Dylan Welch uses a looser syllable count and deviates from the traditional focus on nature by incorporating an urban environment. However, it still captures a sense of the natural world and the impact of human behavior on wildlife. The cutting technique is also used to create a contrast between the innocence of the fawn and the unnatural presence of the fast-food bag.… (mehr)

I was given this by my sister and her husband after my various attempts at haiku on Twitter. It's an old thesis turned into a book, which explains the fairly academic style. At points this can be fairly dry, and can assume you know a lot about the background of poetry and haiku (which I don't), but there are also some excellent parts to it, and overall I found this really interesting.

The first and last sections held my interest the most. The first is a discussion on what a haiku should be, and discusses ideas about zen experience in poetry form, the idea that a haiku represents a single breath, and the notion that the haiku should give you, as the reader, a complete sense of what, when, and where.

The middle section deals with the 5-7-5 rhythm and why it may actually be essential, and how the haiku developed. This was a bit of a slog, as reference to poetry timing terms is completely lost on me, and I always get mixed up between hokku, renga, and so on. Still, very interesting in terms of Japanese history and the emphasis placed on poetry in society. Tales of haiku competition being organised, with 3,000 poems being written against each other, were fairly other-worldly.

The last part then elaborates on the use of the seasonal element, and is well worth a read as it's worth getting a deeper insight into what this should entail, along with how it's been used over the last thousand years or so.

As haiku develop in pace with the world, but also as they get taken up with some misunderstanding and simplicity in the West, this is a pretty fascinating book, and offers some excellent advice and perspectives for those looking to understand what a haiku is, beyond its simple rhythm.… (mehr)

This book reads like a PhD thesis (and it probably is one), so for those of you who like to read technical literary theory, this is the book for you. It does provide the most thorough analysis of haiku theory, history, and writing techniques I've found anywhere, but it is a bit dry. Also, the dramatic flaw of this book is that the author insists on almost always writing and translating haiku with the first and third lines rhyming - UGGH! It sounds awful...rhyme makes every poem seem trite. I found myself mentally converting each poem into a more natural non-rhyming form as I read.… (mehr)