Japanese Haiku

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Japanese Haiku
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• Japanese Poem
• 5 syllables/ 7 syllables/ 5 syllables
• In all the rains of Maythere is one thing not
  hidden -the bridge at Seta Bay.

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An introduction to Haiku

• The earliest poems were songs, prayers, and
  incantations to the gods.
• There are similar forms of poetry in Japan
  including Tanka and Rengu
• Haiku writers admit to living the Way of Haiku
  (in an awareness of just this moment) and in the
  spirit of Haiku (to hold all things with
  reverence.)

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The many problems of Haiku

• Translate
• Japanese has 3 scripts
• Some characters translate as phrases
• Rewrite the poem

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How to write a Haiku

• All languages cannot duplicate this method of
  counting syllables so you must decide to the
  follow either the traditional method by writing
  5-7-5 syllables in English or if they wish to
  fully imitate another Haiku they must feature
  less words.
• Beginners (particularly non Japanese speakers)
  often do well to follow the 5-7-5 discipline at
  first before getting better acquainted, later you
  may find it easier to feature less words in the
  shorter styled Haiku.
• In Japan, Haiku are written in one line
  vertically but as we cannot achieve this in
  English, we instead use line breaks (illustrating
  the breaks that a Japanese person could hear in
  an Haiku) to form the famous three lined Haikus
  which are more commonly seen in the western world.

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How to write a Haiku (continued)

• Haikus are easier then you might think.
• But, like any form of poetry certain
  rules apply.
• In Japanese, Haiku pronouns (he, she, it, they,
  you, me etc) are rarely used so the poem has an
  air of ambiguity more variations are possible
  for the reader.
• Because the Japanese language uses articles less
  and differently then we do in English we must add
  them to our Haikus.
• A Haiku must be brief. Avoid adverbs and
  adjectives. Use modifiers only to make your Haiku
  images more exact and precise. Many adverbs and
  adjectives imply judgement (beautiful, graceful,
  ugly) so by avoiding them, and more importantly
  your own opinion, the Haiku is left with images
  of things just the way they are.

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Haiku examples

• An old silent pond... A frog jumps into the pond,
• splash! Silence again.
•  The first soft snow! Enough to bend the leaves
  Of the jonquil low.
• In the cicada's cryNo sign can foretellHow soon
  it must die.
• No one travelsAlong this way but I,This autumn
  evening.
• In all the rains of Maythere is one thing not
  hidden -the bridge at Seta Bay.
• The years first daythoughts and lonelinessthe
  autumn dusk is here.
• All of above by Basho (1644-1694)
• Over the wintry forest, winds howl in  rage
• with no leaves to blow.
• by Soseki (1275-1351)

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The English alternative
Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was slightly
grey. It didn't have a father, just some borrowed
DNA. It had a sort of mother, Though the ovum
was on loan, It was not so much a lambkin As a
little lamby clone.
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Arigatou
Thanks for listening to me, and good luck with
your Haikus