Haiku A to Z: I is for Imagery and Ideas

across the road 2014

"The most important characteristic of haiku is how it conveys, through implication and suggestion, a moment of keen perception and perhaps insight into nature or human nature. Haiku does not state this insight, however, but implies it. In the last hundred years--in Japanese and English-language haiku--implication has been achieved most successfully through the use of objective imagery." --Michael Dylan Welch, Becoming a Haiku Poet

Characteristics of haiku: implication and suggestion, a moment of keen perception, perhaps insight into nature, yes. Achieved most successfully through the use of objective imagery, yes. Haiku is a beautiful medium that offers so much in so few words.

But what is the one thing that comes first? Why, the idea! 

Where might the idea come from? Tom Painting (here) suggests three possibilities: 1. memory; 2. imagination; 3. the 'here-and-now.' I'd add a #4: inspiration. And for me, inspiration often comes on walks or through photography. For others it might mean being around people, listening to music, reflecting on a good book (or even, as we found out in the last two A-Z days, grammar and history).

No matter the source of our inspiration, there's one more element (another 'i'-word) to fit into the equation: intentionality. If we want to write haiku (or any form of writing) we must choose to actually write. It was after I set a goal of writing two haiku a week that poems began to come. I might not have known what I was doing, but at least it was a start--only because I was intentional.

Having said all of that, I offer this invitation to my Day Nine Haiku:

ice rinks fall through night,

snow-laces freeze and tangle...

dodge 'em cars skate past

--Kenda Turner

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Haiku A to Z: H is for History in Haiku

photo courtesy of pixabay

"'If you wanted to, you could write history in Haiku.' I'd been saying this for some years when one semester, one bright student said, 'Well, Professor Brands, have you ever written history in haiku?'"--H.W. Brands, author and history professor

 Talk about picking up a challenge and running with it. H.W. Brands, author of over 25 books and professor at the University of Texas started tweeting the history of America in haiku in 2009, and is still at it today. In an interview with PBS News Hour he said, "I've observed that the forms available to writers have changed over time and I thought one of the most radical changes was Twitter, the idea that you would send this message in 140 characters. It occurred to me that the 17 syllables in a haiku fit conveniently in 140 characters of twitter." He began his project at 15,000 B.C. with the first peopling of the Americas. To date he's up to the first moon landing.

Now that's a highly innovative use of haiku!

I often visited a dear neighbor who lived into her nineties, and she would share stories of growing up in pre-war Germany. One of her accounts prompted my history in haiku, day eight:

happy German kids

bike into Holland, nineteen-

thirties' innocence

--Kenda Turner

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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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Haiku A to Z: F is for Feeling

backyard discovery 2014

"Does your poem give readers a feeling? It can do this by presenting what caused your feeling rather than the feeling itself. So others can feel what you felt, don't explain or judge what you describe." --Michael Dylan Welch, Haiku Checklist

Haiku is a great medium for sharing the feeling of a moment. A moment is just that, a moment--fast, fleeting, fading. You don't have time to explain. You don't want to explain. You simply want to invite the reader into a fresh, flowing moment--with freedom to feel it their way.

A hard concept to capture, but worth trying. That's where the fun comes in!

Having fun with my Day Six Haiku:

flickering sunlight

partners with trees--dance breaks out

in silver shadows

--Kenda Turner

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Haiku A to Z: E is for Essence

on road home 2015

"The essence of haiku is the way it describes natural phenomena in the fewest number of words, making an indelible impression on the reader." --Bruce Lansky

The word essence, from the Latin essentia (esse to be) has a number of different meanings, depending on how the word is used:
1. "the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing"
2. "a substance obtained from a plant, drug or the like, by distillation, infusion, etc. and containing its characteristic properties in concentrated form"
3. "an alcoholic solution of an essential oil, spirit"
4. "a perfume, scent"
5. "something that exists, especially a spiritual or immaterial entity" (source: dictionary.com) 

I suggest that the "essence" of haiku takes on each of these meanings in its own way. Yes, the essence of haiku, as in Lansky's definition above, is in the way it describes natural phenomena in the fewest number of words, hence: definition #1, the basic nature of the thing.

Haiku is also a distillation (definition #2): the poet's thoughts distilled into an image or a moment and containing properties of observation in concentrated form.

Haiku, though not alcoholic (but maybe addictive?) and not liquid, also consists of essential oils (definition #3)--or, in this case, we might say 'qualities.' These might include, but are not limited to, a quietness, calmness, insight, or surprising lift.

Haiku, because of its emphasis on engaging the five senses, often carries a mental "perfume," especially when a reference calls to mind an association to a seasonal scent (definition #4).

And haiku, in its existence (definition #5), often speaks of spiritual things, hence it can be said to contain 'heart'--a spiritual entity.

Essence: nature, substance distilled, spirit, scent, heart. Who would have thought haiku could take us to all of these places. At the same time it can be said that the essence of haiku can be elusive--the poet has her work cut out for her.

Of course, none of this discussion touches on other e-words of the day: experience, emotion, editing, experimentation, exercise, engagement of the right side of the brain, encapsulating the feeling of a scene, evoking. So many things to touch on, so little time!

All of this being said, I extend to you my Day Five Haiku:

evening clouds sweep the

sky and cool daytime's fire...

ashes bank embers

--Kenda Turner

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Haiku A to Z: D is for Differing Opinions, Debate, Discovery

morning moment 2015

"There are understandably differing opinions about the 'proper' way to write these wonderful poetic forms. Those traditionalists who think that retaining the classic Japanese style is most important are totally committed to their stance. Contemporary liberals who believe that adaptations are appropriate are equally as dogmatic in their opinions. Who's right? I feel the answer lies completely and subjectively within the mind of the writer...or perhaps the reader... doesn't it?" --Nancy Ness

I appreciate the debate about haiku...

Nancy Ness (All About Haiku, here) expands on the thought:
          "The appeal of these seemingly simple verses undoubtedly stems from their unique messages that deliver succinct words of wisdom to their readers. A well-written Haiku will incorporate two criteria. It will impart a universal sentiment that relates to all of humanity--in 17 'onji' (Japanese equivalent of syllables) or less--and it will allude thematically in some way to nature...Modern day Western versions of Haiku differ somewhat from the original classic format. The ultimate "English Haiku" challenge is to write effective verse in fewer syllables than the standard 17. 
          "The Western writer must make a choice. If she/he opts to conform to the rigid structure of form, then a 17-syllable Haiku will adhere to the Japanese onji format. If one prefers to adapt to the doctrine of brevity, an abbreviated version of genre is choice..."

Lee Wardlaw (Eight Things I Learned From My Cats About Haiku, here) says:
          "Japanese haiku feature a total of seventeen beats or sound units: five in the first line, seven in the second, five again in the third. This 5-7-5 form doesn't apply to American haiku, however, because of the differences in English phonics, vocabulary, grammar and syntax. Forcing an unnecessary adjective or adverb into a haiku simply to meet the 17-beats rule can ruin the flow, brevity and meaning of your poem. So feel free to experiment with any pattern you prefer (i.e. 2-3-2, 5-6-4, 4-7-3)--provided the structure remains two short lines separated by a longer one. Remember: what's most important here is not syllables but the essence of a chosen moment."

Recognizing there are differing opinions on haiku patterns, I still lean toward the traditional form, but who knows? After all, discovery (not dogmatism) is what writing's all about, isn't it?

On the discovery journey with Day Four Haiku:

dawn switches on stage 

lights--windblown trees bow to the

opening curtain

--Kenda Turner

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Haiku A to Z: C is for Capture

moment in time 2012

"Haiku captures a moment in time, revealing a surprise or evoking a response of aha! or ahhh. This pounce helps the reader awaken and experience the ordinary in an extraordinary way." --Lee Wardlaw

"Captures a moment in time": this is one aspect of haiku that draws me to the form. Catching a moment, an image, in words that in turn offers an invitation to linger over and savor the moment again. Wardlaw says it is to experience the ordinary in an extraordinary way. It's also seeing something seemingly common in an uncommon way, to make a forgettable moment an indelible one, to slow a hectic pace to a pause that encourages wonder.

I didn't realize this when I first started writing haiku. I thought I was simply adhering to a pattern of syllables. Boy, was I wrong. There's a whole world out there that haiku invites one into. I'm captivated!

And so I offer my Day Three Haiku:

cardinal swoops in

to paint red feather strokes on

evergreen canvas
--Kenda Turner

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