Introduction

Haiku is both a type of poetic pattern and a way of experiencing the world. This short, 17-syllable form, usually written in three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable count, focuses our attention on a single, insightful moment. Closely tied to the Japanese aesthetic of Yugen and the spirituality of Buddhism, Haiku looks deceptively simple, yet can take years to master. A well-executed haiku is rooted in the physical world of our senses, yet suggests something deeper, often evoking the mysterious, transitory nature of all existence.

Lightning flash— what I thought were faces are plumes of pampas grass. Basho

History

Haiku derives from a type of Japanese court poetry called tanka that was popularized and refined during the 9th through 12 centuries. Tanka was often written to explore religious or courtly themes and had a structure of five lines with 5-7-5-7-7 syllable structure. During this period, it became a popular activity to write long strings of linked tanka verse. One person would often contribute the first three lines (5-7-5) of the poetic chain and a different author would complete the chain by composing a 7-7 section. Then another author would build on the previous 7-7, with another 5-7-5 passage. This chaining of verses called renga, could sometimes add up to hundreds of linked tanka.

The first part of the poem, called hokku or "starting verse," frequently set the tone for the rest of the poem, and the authors of hokku often earned the respect and admiration of their follow poets. By the 19th century, largely through the work of Masaoka Shiki, hokku began to be written and read as individual poems. From the word hokku derives our word haiku.

Three great masters of hokku, Basho, Buson and Issa, lived during Japan's Edo-period (1600-1868) and their work still exerts a great deal of influence on how haiku is written today. All three men were born in rural villages and spent many years practicing and refining their art form as well as wandering the countryside, observing nature and the human condition. They followed in a long Japanese tradition of poet-wanders, who seek to experience the word through direct contact.

Basho (1644-94), considered the father of haiku, studied Taoism and classical Chinese poetry in his youth. At first he wrote derivative verse, but eventually broke free from the conventions of Japanese poetry, which at the time, had an elegant, refined style full of allusions to the court. He began to wander the countryside and write travel journals as well as tanka. During the last part of his life he attempted to live with "karumi" or "lightness." Or as he said in one of his poems "like looking at a shallow river with a sandy bed."

Here is an example of one of Basho's poems:

Contemporary usage

Haiku has emerged as one of the most popular poetic forms of the 20th & 21st centuries. The form, with its brevity and pinpoint illumination of the spiritual, appeals to a contemporary audience that yearns for meaning in a chaotic and rushed world. In some ways, haiku dovetails with some aspects of Post-Modernism, in its capacity to reveal telling moments and express spiritual loneliness. Many poets including Alan Watts, Robert Hass and Jack Kerouac have written and been influenced by the form. There are haiku societies in almost every country, and there are many books, journals and websites devoted to the art of writing haiku. Some practitioners remain loyal to the traditional Japanese format of 17 syllables, but others, especially English speakers, have taken the form in new directions, adapting it to the English language and allowing the use of non-natural images common to modern life.

Advantages of writing in haiku

This form is a good vehicle for capturing a single moment in time. It is relatively simple to learn, but can take years to master. Like a small jewel, the closer and more deeply you look at the form, the more complex and more mysterious it becomes. Regular reading and practice are the best ways to enter the word of haiku and its aesthetics.

Objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

identify the number of lines and syllables in a traditional Japanese haiku

name at least one of the three great masters of haiku

know what the term "kigo" means