Interesting haiku link

[Harry R]

This is a history of haiku, traced through the works of 10 major haiku poets -

http://www.big.or.jp/~loupe/links/ehisto/ehisinx.shtml

I think it's interesting because in the introductions to each poet, it touches on some of the debates within the world of Japanese haiku - different schools of thought about subject matter, tone, appropriate language and so on.

The majority of things I've found about haiku on the net are incredibly simplistic (and often either patronising or over-reverent). At least this potted history gives some sense of the diversity within the tradition. The problem is that neither the haiku themselves, nor the critical analyses, are translated into flawless English. That means I found I had to take their word for it on a lot of the effects that were supposedly found within the poems. A few more detailed analyses of particular poems to demonstrate the points made might have been good.

Anyway, even though it's a bit frustrating at times, I found it worth reading.

Harry

[BrianIsSmilingAtYou]

I read it through and found it somewhat interesting. It is something I would like to understand.

Certain points, like the idea of distant imagery (Mount Fuji in the distance) contrasted with foreground imagery (dew on the leaf of a tree before you) were easier to get a grip on.

My oldest brother's wife is Japanese, and my nephews are of mixed heritage; they still go to Japan every summer for a month of summer school in their mother's home country.

I have a certain amount of exposure to Japanese culture through this kinship--but less than I might, as I am here in Philadelphia, while my brother and his family are in Chicago, and we do not get back and forth often enough.

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On another note, I had tested the haiku generator a while back--and something oddly interesting came up.

Odd, in the first place because it did not strictly fit the "haiku" rules, when all the others that had come up did.

Interesting, in the second place because it seemed to make some kind of sense and "work'.

This is what came up:

raucous cowgirl prays
prays, eye flirts, crag
sobbing shadow leaps

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The middle line is only 4 syllables! (I'd just add "in summer", "in autumn", or " in winter" to the end of line 2 to fit the syllables and the need for a seasonal reference.)

But this strange snippet has a certain beauty, and makes a kind of narrative sense--more so that many deliberately written haiku that I have seen.

BrianIs:)AtYou

[BrianIsSmilingAtYou]

I thought I'd draw some attention to this thread again, since there seems to have been a recent rash of haiku and senryu in General C&C and Another General.

At this time, the first five threads in General C&C are haiku or senryu.

I did one myself, and I still don't think I completely get it (but I don't completely get sonnets or pantoums or triolets etc either, so what else is new?).

I thought it would be a worthwhile exercise in focusing imagery and writing concisely, if nothing else, since I have had a tendency to write longer pieces lately.

If you haven't read the link that Harry provided and you have any interest in the form, do so, it is well worth the read.

BrianIs:)AtYou