1. Basho’s Narrow Road of the Interior Zen and the Art of Poetry in in Japanese Poetic Forms

2. Tanka: Early Poetic Form (c. 700 A.D.) Two forms Two forms Single, 31-syllable line Single, 31-syllable line Five-line 5/7/5/7/7 Five-line 5/7/5/7/7 Themes Themes Men and women in courtship, exchanging poems as a form of thanks, after a night alone together. Men and women in courtship, exchanging poems as a form of thanks, after a night alone together. Similar to Italian sonnet, with its two-part structure and “turn” from image to personal response. Similar to Italian sonnet, with its two-part structure and “turn” from image to personal response.

3. Renga: Origins of Linked Verse (c. 1300 A.D.) Collaborative Poems Collaborative Poems Pairs of poets, totaling up to one hundred. Pairs of poets, totaling up to one hundred. Poets would alternate, creating three-line and two- line stanzas, up to thousands of lines. Poets would alternate, creating three-line and two- line stanzas, up to thousands of lines. Stanza one: 3 lines, seventeen syllables. Stanza one: 3 lines, seventeen syllables. Stanza two: a couplet of seven-syllable lines Stanza two: a couplet of seven-syllable lines Evolved into the 36-line kasen. Evolved into the 36-line kasen. Evolved into the three-line, seventeen-syllable haiku (5/7/5) Evolved into the three-line, seventeen-syllable haiku (5/7/5)

4. Renga Themes Pastoral language with words and images of Pastoral language with words and images of Seasons Seasons Nature Nature Love Love Each poet advances the themes with his stanza that flows from the preceding stanza thus creating a thematic movement and links all the parts to the larger whole. Each poet advances the themes with his stanza that flows from the preceding stanza thus creating a thematic movement and links all the parts to the larger whole.

5. Haiku Philosophy: Image as Speech Focus on a brief moment in time. Focus on a brief moment in time. Provocative, colorful images. Provocative, colorful images. Read in one breath. Read in one breath. Sense of sudden enlightenment. Sense of sudden enlightenment. An old pond! An old pond! A frog jumps in— A frog jumps in— the sound of water. the sound of water.

6. Haiku Form: Original Opening Phrase of a Renga Seventeen syllables Seventeen syllables 5/7/5 line breaks 5/7/5 line breaks Present tense Present tense Images are associated. Images are associated. Pause at the end of line one or two. Pause at the end of line one or two. A “season-word,” or kigo, specified the time of year. A “season-word,” or kigo, specified the time of year.