Frozen flakes, holiday haiku, seasonal sijo, and winter words Snow Day Frozen flakes, holiday haiku, seasonal sijo, and winter words

How to Properly Read Poetry The punctuation in poetry is essential to determining it’s rhythm. When reading aloud, do NOT pause at the end of a line unless there is a punctuation mark like a comma or period. Otherwise, just read through the line until you come to the first mark. For example: The birds are gone, the world is white, The winds are wild, they chill and bite; The ground is thick with slush and sleet (no pause here) And I can barely feel my feet. -- “Winter” by Anonymous

Winter Words… “Dust of Snow” by Robert Frost The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued.

More… “Snowball” by Shel Silverstein I made myself a snowball as perfect as could be. I thought I'd keep it as a pet and let it sleep with me. I made it some pajamas and a pillow for its head. Then, last night it ran away. But first -- it wet the bed.

And lastly… “February Twilight” by Sara Teasdale I stood beside a hill Smooth with new-laid snow, A single star looked out From the cold evening glow. There was not another creature That saw what I could see - I stood and watched the evening star As long as it watched me.

Haiku

Haiku Basics Haiku is one of the most important forms of traditional Japanese poetry. Haiku is, today, a 17-syllable verse form consisting of three metrical units of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Authors often deviate from the 5/7/5 rule. Each haiku must contain a kigo, a season word, which indicates in which season the haiku is set. For example, cherry blossoms indicate spring, snow indicates winter, and mosquitoes indicate summer.

Haiku Samples Green frog, Is your body also freshly painted? In the cicada's cry No sign can foretell How soon it must die. The year’s first day, thoughts and loneliness; the autumn dusk is here.

Mr. Richard’s Attempts… Snowflakes cascade down, Icy flakes that tickle skin, Carpeting the Earth. Jack Frost lingers close, Spreading his frozen fingers To form crystal life. La neige descend lentement. Petits glacons vapoureux Je veux les attraper.

Mrs. Damminger’s Attempts… He looks so amazed as he watches the snow fall, all for the first time. Despite the low temp, he smiles so broad and bright, with his cold, red cheeks. I’ll never forget it, him rolling around in the freshly fallen snow.

Remember for haiku… First line: 5 syllables Second line: 7 syllables Third line: 5 syllables There must be at least one word, your kigo, in the poem that indicates the season. You may work around the 5/7/5 rule, but your syllable count should not exceed 20 or so syllables.

Sijo

Sijo Basics More ancient than haiku, the Korean SIJO shares a common ancestry with haiku, tanka, and similar Japanese genres. All evolved from more ancient Chinese patterns. Sijo is traditionally composed in three lines of 14-16 syllables each, totaling between 44-46 syllables. The sijo may be narrative or thematic, introducing a situation or problem in line 1, development or "turn" in line 2, and resolution in line 3. The first half of the final line employs a "twist": a surprise of meaning, sound, tone or other device. 

Sijo Samples Oh that I might capture the essence of this deep midwinter night And fold it softly into the waft of a spring-moon quilt Then fondly uncoil it the night my beloved returns. ...Hwang Chin-i (1522-1565) most revered female Korean classical poet You ask how many friends I have? Water and stone, bamboo and pine. The moon rising over the eastern hill is a joyful comrade. Besides these five companions, what other pleasure should I ask? ...Yon Son-do (1587-1671)

Remember for sijo… First line: 14-16 syllables (introduces problem) Second line: 14-16 syllables (turning point) Third line: 14-16 syllables (first half of line employs a “twist” and then resolution)

Protection Guaranteed? An injection in the arm. No guarantee of safety. “The Next One” was the first one, to the team’s surprise and demise. Quarantined too late. The virus spreads. Oh, well. Time for puck drop!

Your Turn Write one haiku and one sijo. You may interpret “season” to mean the holiday season as well as the four seasons of the year. Let Mr. Richard/Mrs. Damminger read your poems. Choose the best of your haiku or sijo to put on a snowflake. Get the snowflake, a pair of scissors, and a pen. Create your word art, and give it to Mr. Richard/Mrs. Damminger when you’re done. If time and paper allow, you may create additional snowflakes.