The following represent a series of entries on the topic of the Japanese poetry form, the haiku.

Message 334: On Matsuo Basho and others
telescope07
Jan 30 1999 1:05AM EST

On Matsuo Basho and others

1. A haiku is a 17-syllable poem.
2. It has to follow the pattern of five-seven-five syllables.
3. The haiku poem is in harmony with the rhythm of the Japanese language.
4. It is a compact and most evocative verse form.
5. Nature and life comprise the themes of most haiku poems.
6. The main characteristic of haiku poems is the expression of the poet's intuitive perception.
7. The haiku poem uses words or phrases which are expressive of seasonal feelings.
8. The poet must be sensitive to the changing of the seasons.
9. Matuo Basho (1644-94)was one of the most famous haiku poets in the Edo Period.
10. He wrote numerous beautiful haiku poems while traveling in many parts of Japan.
11. In olden days, haiku poetry was one of the most popular intellectual pastimes among the literati.
12. Haiku poems are enjoyed even by contemporary Japanese.
13. There are many people who belong to haiku poem lover's societies.
14. Other haiku poets is famous Yosa Buson(1716-84) Kobayashi Issa(1763-1827) Masaoka Shiki(1867-1902) and the like.

So, I will post some pictures on photo corner about the image in those days (Edo Period) And Matuo Basho haiku too. (Link to Photo corner.)

On my favorite poem "Why" This is a difficult question it is! Though these haiku poets made "wabi" the beauty to be found in poverty and simplicity; "sabi" an antique look, elegant quiet simplicity . These "wabi" "sabi" feeling is rooted from these poets.

Haiku		English Translation
Negi shiroku Araitate taru Samusa kana		How cold- Freshly washed White leeks
Tabi ni yande Yume wa kare-no o Kake-meguru		When I'm sick on a journey Phantoms move about Over the desolate moor
-- Basho

Other Writers in English Translation Only.

Sparrows Playing hide-and seek Among the tea blossoms -- Issa		The sleet falls As if coming through the bottom Of loneliness -- Naito Joso
Winter seclusion-- The mountains of Yoshno In my innermost mind -- Buson		The morning sun Radiantly Rises above the frosty woods -- Iida Dakotsu
Already in winter A gravestone left unattended Like a signpost -- Nakamura		Winter roses Are a dazzling sight To the eyes of an invalid -- Kato

I place stress on an aesthetic sense "wabi and sabi". This is my reason isn't it.

Message 415: Form and Syllables
AngelPie_Mouse
Mar 6 1999 12:48PM EST

Form and Syllables

> You wrote:
> Haiku...I make 5-7-5 in Japanese language. And translate in English.
> Then I don't care about style in this point. And I do not know how
> to make a syllable in English.

17 syllables? or 17 words? "5-7-5 in Japanese."

What I really like about haiku is that the form is so precise, making you work at expressing the sense of meaning through symbols so that it translates into a wider experience.

Syllables in English (= 2 syllables in my pronunciation), I suspect, are the same as syllables in Japanese...just a sound within a word. Metered verse in English counts the sounds and whether they are accented (voiced phonetically) or unaccented. English, in normal conversation, responds in iambic pentameter...that is accent on the first syllable, five beats (or accents) to a line. The trick is knowing when and how to break that natural rhythm so that the effect is pleasing on the ear and excites the emotional response proper to the poem. Someone correct me if I am misspeaking here.

Message 549: Haiku
mgonzalez01
Mar 20 1999 6:41PM EST

Haiku

The Haiku is a very beautiful form of poetry originated in Japan. This form of poetry uses a 3 un-rhymed line with the first line of 5 syllables, the second line of 7 syllables and the third line with 5 syllables. The most famous Haiku poet was Matuso Basho who was born 1644-94. He wrote stanzas of Haiku No renga which was a sequence of linked verses. The Haiku deals with nature. It is a very beautiful form of Japanese Poetry!

Message 554: RE-Haiku
telescope07
Mar 21 1999 4:46AM EST

Haiku

Oh! Wonderful! You introduced about Japanese Haiku. One more [rule] add, Haiku need a season word. It is now spring season so reader could understand which word is. For example, cherry blossom means itself spring time. And 5-7-5 syllables. This standard is only through Japanese language. I don't know English language how pass it that. Haiku is simple, so today I went to a bookshop and I stand to read a Haiku magazine. I could know many people contribute a Haiku in a book during a month. They use words as much as their likes. I couldn't read very difficult Chinese character. Uhhhhm!

I think it is better English haiku style from now. It is some pioneering event!!!

Message 555: Re-Your Haiku
telescope07
Mar 21 1999 5:05AM EST

How nice it is! you use season word by double (see MGonzalez01, Haiku: Cherry Blossoms). Cherry blossom and February. I do not know bursting like popcorn. Is it a season word? Though it is enough we can understand. I have no idea about English syllables. I think we do not need 5-7-5 syllables in English. How do you think of?

By the way ,is it cherry blossom already in New Jersey! TV news said in here is blossom will be 25th on March. We are different for season sense aren't you!

Message 602: Reply Haiku
AngelPie_Mouse
Mar 25 1999 7:14PM EST

Reply Haiku

Yah, but Mary...nature in this case includes Human nature. Also, usually the last line strikes a sort of discord of irony or revelation, especially the similarity between the natural world and Human nature. The whole form relies heavily on known symbols...what Telescope07 was talking about...the cherry blossom as emblem of Spring, the black dog as emblem of Winter, etc.

The Bride

In the morning, cupped in the palms of her hands, she brought him an orange.

AngelPie_Mouse©Copyright, March 1999
Okay to reprint on the CyberPoet's Homepage.

The irony of submission is inherent in the last line just as the suggestion that it does not continue is something understood. It happened in the morning (the beginning) though that may not be altogether a recognized symbol. Even the description of how the orange was delivered suggests an offeratory, a ritual of sacrifice to a diety, submission. And the orange in this case may be her identity as a person, her heart, or simply what it is.

The poem itself is describing the nature of male/female relationships in juxtaposition with a description of a simple sunrise. The reader male or female brings their own experience to the poem, is supposed to.

Haiku is a very complex form of writing.

Message 610: Haiku--The Beautiful Japanese Poem
mgonzalez01
Mar 27 1999 4:43PM EST

Haiku--The Beautiful Japanese Poem

The Haiku is a beautiful form of Japanese Literature which originated in the 16th century by Zen Buddhist Monks. The Haiku originated from a form of verse called Renga. Basho (1644-1694) was the first Haiku poet in Japan. He wrote many beautiful Haiku. Basho was a Samuri warrior who lived in the 15th Century. In his later years he dedicated his life to write Haiku. His work reflects his beliefs in solitude and meditation.

The Haiku is composed of three un-rhymed lines of 17 syllables all together. There is 5 syllables in the first line; 7 syllables in the second, and 5 in the third. The Haiku presents two contrasting images (usually about nature or the seasons), one consiting of time and place and the other a vivid image. The scope of the poet is not to reveal too much to the reader but to allow the reader to cast the image in his mind using as little words as possible so that the reader can grasp the image the poet is trying to convey.

Message 1599: International Haiku
telescope07
09/13/1999 08:33 am EDT

International Haiku

It was adopted Matsuyama proclamation "how to do Haiku for 21 century."

1. It comes into season word and 5-7-5 fixed form that rule is difficult for request about foreign language at wide range.
2. On condition of a view of nature, International HAIKU was laid down a definition as: "a shortest poem which was integration with nature."

For more information consult the link: http://www.shiki.org/.