Introduction to Deal Writers’ Community Poem, Number 2.                       August 2009

Dear Colleagues,

I’m sure that we have all heard of the poetic form, haiku, so I won’t insult anyone’s intelligence by pretending to be an expert steeped from head to foot in the history, major proponents and spiritual message of the form.

Instead I will just say that as the haiku form will be the focus of Deal Writers’ second Community Poem, I have put together a few notes on the form. Please feel free to read them if you’d like to, and to investigate haikus for yourself if you wish to do so.

In terms of Augusts’ Community Poem, there is no title, as that would be a) too intrusive upon your contributions; and b) a little too forceful for the form itself. But the idea of this poem is as follows.

For the sake of clarity, I would like us all to stick to the three line form haiku, with the first line having 5 syllables, the second 7, and the third 5. This puts us all on a level playing field and will avoid any differences of opinion as to whether it is difficult to follow a two syllable line or a one line haiku etc, etc.

At the end of the experience, what I envisage us creating is a Haiku-Chain. By this I mean that each writer will read the haiku/s that they receive and then respond to either: a) the feel/ tone/ atmosphere of the haikus; or b) any theme they think is present; or c) the actual words in the previous haiku/s.

Thus, as the poem progresses it should get easier to respond to, as although each writer should predominantly pay attention to the verse written by the immediately previous writer, there will obviously be more lines to respond to as the writing continues. The haiku - chain should hopefully, by this method, develop organically and happily.

The process should be pretty self-explanatory, but for those who haven’t done it before, please note:  

Every person who has asked to join in this writing experience will receive a list in order of who will write first, second, third etc. I will write the first haiku (in the form of a Word document) and then email that haiku as an attachment to the second person on the list. The second person will then open the Word document, read my haiku, leave a three line gap after my haiku, write their haiku, and send the whole document as an attachment to the third person. The third person then reads the document, leaves a three line gap after the last haiku, writes their haiku and emails the attachment/all three parts onto the fourth person, and so on down the list.

NB: the use of the three line gap differentiates between each writer, and allows each part of the haiku chain to breathe. I ask that we don’t annotate our names next to or near the haikus at this point as it would be too intrusive to the flow and appearance of the piece.

NB: This process will obviously be reliant on whether the list operates well/in order. To enable it do so, if  anybody is going to be away for an extended period without internet access, then please tell me and the person you would receive the haiku from, so that we can juggle the order it is sent in.

NB: Currently there are 9 members who have said that they would like to take part, and so, with the 3 line gaps and 3 line haikus, the total will be 57 lines if all of the 9 take part. As such, the poem will continue over two pages. Quite impressive, I’m sure.

NB: If there is now anybody else who wishes to join in this activity, please let me know and I will see what I can do about finding a way to accommodate everybody.     

When the last person on the list has received the previous haikus and written their own haiku, they should send the Word document as an attachment back to me, and I will let all concerned know that our second community poem is complete. Although the finished piece will be an item on its own, I will then annotate in someway - probably unobtrusively on the bottom of the page, - so that we will all know who wrote haiku part 1, haiku part 2 etc.

After all this is done, I will send our Haiku-Chain to Jo and ask her very nicely to put it on our website so all members can see it. In the meantime, good luck to one and all and happy writing!

Gary Studley   

 
Some Haiku Information (not exhaustive).                Gary Studley

Haiku: In origin, a traditional form of Japanese poetry, usually dealing with nature.
A haiku has three lines and describes a single moment, feeling or thing.
Generally, in the contemporary Western world, the first and third lines contain 5 syllables each, whilst the second line contains 7 syllables.

 Form: a minimalist form of poetry. The writer has 17 or fewer syllables through which to convey an experience…..Since the early 1900s, there has been a great increase in the number of English language haiku poets… ..Because English is so different than the Japanese language, and because so few people now live in 'pure nature' the English form has evolved in its own way.

17 or Not?: English speaking/writing poets have come to feel that a haiku length of less than 17 syllables, with something like 6 or 7 beats overall, typically in three phrases with the middle line a little longer than the other two (i.e. with extra syllables and possibly an extra beat) sounds natural/ right/ light/ and enough for our purpose. To insist on 17 syllables therefore, may result in the 'half-said thing' becoming the 'too-much-said thing'. On the other hand, some haiku poets choose to write 5-7-5 as a discipline and enjoy the challenge of trying to do so spontaneously, whilst maintaining lightness.

From Then to Now: While traditional Japanese haiku has focused on nature and the place of humans in it, some modern haiku poets, both in Japan and the West, consider a broader range of subject matter suitable, including urban contexts. While pre-modern haiku avoided certain topics such as sex and overt violence, contemporary haiku sometimes deal with such themes.

Content of a haiku: Typically, but not always, focused on what the writer witnesses in everyday life that is more outstanding or important than normal, something deemed worth reaching for in written expression. The something can pertain to any of the five senses, seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, smelling, for example, hearing – a bird's song, or seeing – light glistening on water. Some traditionalists argue that a haiku must contain an obvious reference to a season and must be nature focused, but many of the English language haiku of the last half century do not employ a nature focus. After all, for the most part we live in cities, not the rural Japan of centuries ago.

Common techniques of English poetry (alliteration, assonance, enjambment, rhythm, melody) have a part to play in haikus, though none of these should attract too much attention to itself. Even rhyme may occasionally be used without detriment to taste, but it can appear to glare. These are matters each poet is entitled to settle for him/herself, using personal taste in a pragmatic way.

Titles: are usually avoided - they may compromise the open-endedness and brevity, narrowing the context whilst lengthening the poem.

Brevity: one to three lines totalling 17 syllables or less; the average length of published English-language haiku is about 13 syllables. Some suggest that a better measure of brevity is that when read aloud, a haiku can be completed in one breath.

Two phrases in Juxtaposition: most (not all) haiku are composed of two distinct phrases. The two phrases are seemingly about different elements noticed by the writer, but the relationship between them is what provides the poetic spark. NB: in some haikus the cut, or changing point, between the two phrases, is marked by the use of a comma or other form of punctuation, which usually does not majorly jar when read. NB: Capital letters are rarely used to start lines/phrases.

Lack of poetic devices: in general (though not globally so) an avoidance of traditional poetic forms such as rhyming, simile and metaphor.

Purpose: communication and awareness. Along with other forms of writing and poetry, haiku is a vehicle for conveying feelings, sentiments, impressions, perceptions to other persons.

A form of meditation: By starting with an intensification of 'noticing' what is going on in the everyday world, followed by the practice of mental writing – eg creating haiku in the mind and playing with the form and rhythm until it feels right, before finally putting the haiku to pen and paper – writing and rewriting the haiku can feel like, or act as, meditation.

Some qualities that may be found in haikus: 

Some Modern Haikus

layoffs

the blow up santa

as buoyant as ever                                                                       LeRoy Gorman, 2009

 

she will need fresh fruit

but with our central heating

it dies within days                                                                         Gary Studley, 2008

 

casualty lists –

smaller and smaller

print                                                                                               Kristen Deming, 2007

 

there, his boots mildewed-

laces too hard for knuckles

wag redundant tongues                                                                 Frank Johns, 2006

 

in haste

a slice of cheek

bleeding                                                                                          Anon, 2005

 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 And Finally: As well as the usual Wikipedia, here are dozens of websites with definitions of haikus (both traditional and modern) to refer to. www.modernhaiku.org; www.toyomasu.com; www.poemofquotes.com; www.thegreenleaf.co.uk/basho; www.poemhunter.com etc, so enjoy the search. Writing haikus can be both an exercise in discipline and minimalism, and a liberating or spiritual experience, so if you haven’t written one before, I hope you enjoy the experience.