Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Haiku A to Z: W is for Worthwhile

photo archive 2013
"As with any art, your first attempts may not be the most successful, but it's worthwhile to persist in learning and studying haiku, because few poetic forms manage to capture life's joys and pleasures (and also its sadnesses) as well as haiku." --nahaiwrimo, "Why 'No 5-7-5?'"

Worthwhile--a great word in describing haiku. Nancy Strauss at Creative Writing Now, says it this way: "A haiku uses just a few words to capture a moment and create a picture in the reader's mind. It is like a tiny window into a scene much larger than itself."

Oh, the -W-words: worthwhile...window... add the process itself, writing! Maybe sprinkle a bit of wisdom? Haiku can offer all of these and more.

For example, what about wit? After all, humor can also factor into the craft. Although wittiness is not one of my strengths in writing, I appreciate it when I see (or hear) it. Thus I can't resist sharing the following haiku I've found along the way:

"To convey one's mood
in seventeen syllables
is very diffic"--John Cooper Clarke

"The only problem
with Haiku is that you just 
get started and then"--Roger McGough

And what about this one, reportedly seen on a t-shirt:
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense.
Refrigerator.

(typed with a chuckle!)

Wandering on in the world of haiku, I pause with day twenty-three haiku:

bubbles ricochet
on rush to falls...splash! weary
feet soak in the sound
--Kenda Turner
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7 comments:

  1. Love your witty haiku examples! They remind me of Dr. Seuss, who found that you can rhyme anything if you just make up your own words. (Now I'm trying to think of something that rhymes with refrigerator! What on earth will I be writing about today!)

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    1. Peggy, when you think of a rhyme for refrigerator, let me know! Wishing you a great writing day :-)

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  2. The closest I've come so far is defibrillator. (Which suggests an interesting plot when paired with refrigerator!)

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    1. Okay, now you have posed a challenge. Refrigerator--5 syllables, first line. Defibrillator--5 syllables, third line. Now all we need is a 7-syllable second line and we'll have a haiku! What fun this challenge has been. Thanks for being a part of it :-)

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  3. Nice, Kenda. Great quotes! Refrigerator, ha ha.

    http://atozwriting.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you, Sati--and thanks for stopping by. Nice to see you!

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