The Haiku Often Less is More

History of the Haiku Haiku is a tradition Japanese style of poem. It was originally used as the opening stanza to a much longer Japanese form known a Renga. Between 1644-1694, Matsuo Basho popularized the form as a stand alone short poem. Beginning in the early 1700s, Haiku began to appear in western poetry. Prized for its brevity and powerful imagery, its popularity has endured to modern times.

Characteristics Traditional Haiku is generally characterized by three qualities: 1. “Cutting”- the juxtaposition of two opposing ideas or images 2. “17 Morae”- loosely translated to ‘syllables’ in the western tradition. 3. “Kigo”- a seasonal reference.

Cutting The essence of Haiku is “cutting”. This is often represented by the juxtaposition of two images or ideas and a kireji (cutting word) between them, a kind of verbal punctuation mark which signals the moment of separation and colors the manner in which the juxtaposed elements are related. while hard to define in the English language, generally punctuation is used as the cutting element in English language haikus. First autumn morning the mirror I stare into shows my father's face. - Murakami Kijo

Morae Often Japanese Haikus don’t translate well into English. However, the English equivalent of the Japanese ‘morae’ is the syllable. Haikus contain 17 syllables divided into 3 lines following the pattern 5-7-5. Although some modern haiku have stretched this tradition, we use it as a base from which to deviate. Traditional: It feels like eating the same small, perfect red grape again and again. Modern: The mute girl talks: It is art's imperfection. This impenetrable speech.

Kigo Kigo is a seasonal reference pulled from an extensive, but defined grouping of Japanese words. In English, These words should impart the feeling of the seasons on the reader. These reference words can be direct of implied. Direct- Spring colors explode Silent in the shadowed woods; Out-sung by the wren Implied- A harvest auction; Full days work gone in seconds An empty ride home.

Traditional Haiku The ocean waves crash, As a storm brews in the sky, Mad mother nature

Modernized Forms IN A STATION OF THE METRO The apparition of these faces in the crowd: Petals on a wet, black bough. -Ezra Pound

my dead brother… hearing his laugh in my laughter

Just friends: he watches my gauze dress blowing on the line.