Haiku Page
Haiku Page
Welcome to my super haiku page! I hope the new design is a bit easier to read.... Once you have browsed this page (and joined in the fun) go and visit the compositions page where you can see some more examples. Once you have had a read, why not go to my bookshop page and purchase some haiku books?
What is haiku?
Haiku is a Japanese style
of poetry that is composed of seventeen syllables arranged in
three lines of five, seven, and five syllables. The art can be
traced back to the eleventh century and is based on a style of
poetry dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries.
Before the sixteenth century, poetry was an art practiced by the gentry. Poems were exchanged between writers, who attempted to out-do the others in wit and skill. Verses were linked together by rules in order to create a linked, or chained poem. The chain poem was called a renga. Renga of a less serious nature become more popular and these became known as haikai renga, or just haikai.
When the Tokugawa family founded their dynasty in 1603 many areas of society began to change. Writing also changed because it became more popular.
The haikai poem always started with a three-line seventeen syllable opening verse (the hokku, or hook). This developed into a style of its own and became haiku. Haiku was popular amongst ordinary people because it was less formal than its ancestor. One of the most important composers of haiku was Matsuo Basho, a samurai who lived between 1644 and 1694. His best known work is about his travels to the northern part of Japan (Honshu). It is called "The Narrow Road to the North". Here is an example from the Master:
Furuike
ya,
Kawazu tobikomu,
Mizu no oto.
An old
pond
A frog jumps in -
The sound of water!
Typical of the Japanese, the style became very strict and formal over the years. This provoked reaction, and a form of poetry was developed in the eighteenth century using the same structure as the haiku. Known as senryu, it is a type of haiku that is less stylised.
The difference between the two is content. A haiku captures a moment in nature and is usually concerned with observations of animals, birds, the elements, etc. The senryu is more of a comment about the human condition. Both forms are equally popular and are generally accepted as the same thing (I'm not a purist! Its just a bit of fun!)
Write
your own...
Why not have a go at writing your own haiku? Here are some hints
and tips to get you started.
I have even been nice enough to provide you with a form so you can send me your own creations. The best ones will be put on my Haiku Compositions page. Get scribing!