Friday, April 8, 2016

Haiku A to Z: G is for Goals and Groups

on walk 2015
"Your goal (in haiku) is to paint a picture in the mind of your reader." --nursery-rhymes-fun

Oh, to paint a picture with words. Certainly that is the goal of all writing, but for haiku the goal carries its own set of challenges. You're writing a snippet, an impression, a glimpse--and in so few lines, words, syllables. But you're not alone! There are groups and gatherings with a passion for haiku around the world. One source (here) shows active groups throughout Europe, in New Zealand, Bangladesh, Croatia, and Sweden--as well as the home of haiku, Japan. You can also find haiku groups on Facebook and Twitter.  The haiku writer never needs to feel isolated. Websites are dedicated to haiku, as well as magazines, submission opportunities, and contests.

Speaking of contests, how about a haiku contest in honor of National Grammar Day? Ha, I didn't even know there was such a thing as a national grammar day (March 4 each year). And to celebrate, the American Copy Editors Society holds a yearly haiku contest on Twitter. Submissions are not in your traditional form, but great fun. Have you ever tried to write a haiku about a verb or about sentence fragments? Check out the 2016 winners at Grammar Girl's Winning Haiku.

So here we are, going forward with Day Seven Haiku:

goldfinches this morn
chirp joy tunes from fence row seats
sunny symphony
--Kenda Turner
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4 comments:

  1. A bright sunny image you created! Did not know haiku was so popular.

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  2. Sharon, there's a lot I didn't know about haiku until I set out to learn more about writing it--the popularity of it on the internet is one of the things I stumbled on. Lots of haiku to read!

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  3. Thanks, Ann! Glad you came by again :-)

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