| |
Haiku
Haiku is one of the most important form of traditional Japanese poetry.
Haiku is, today, a 17-syllable verse form consisting of three metrical
units of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.
The history of haiku begins only in the last years of the 19th century.
The famous verses of such Edo-period (1600-1868) masters as Basho, Yosa Buson,
and Kobayashi Issa are properly referred to as hokku and must be placed in the perspective of the history of haikai even though they are now generally read as independent haiku.
The distinction between hokku and haiku can be handled
by using the terms Classical Haiku and Modern Haiku.
Modern Haiku has been gaining popularity all around the world
during the 20 th century.
It's origin lies in spiritualist philosophy and the Taoist symbolism
of the oriental mystics and Zen-Buddhist masters who express
much of their thoughts in form of myths, symbols, paradoxes and poetic
images like the Haiku.
It's a contemplative poetry that valorizes nature, color, season, contrasts and surprises.
It must register or indicate a moment, sensation, impression
or drama of a specific fact of nature.
It's almost like a photo of some specific moment of nature.
The seasonal element is found in many Haiku.
Examples
An old pond!
A frog jumps in-
The sound of water
The sea dark,
The call of the teal
Dimly white.
The beginning of autumn:
Sea and emerald paddy
Both the same green.
Matsuo Basho |
Harvest moon,
And mist creeping
Over the water.
Hattori Ransetsu |
Spring rain:
Telling a tale as they go,
Straw cape, umbrella.
Spring rain:
Soaking on the roof
A child's rag ball.
Yosa Buson |
The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson & Issa
A collection of the three greatest masters of haiku -- Basho (17th century),
Buson (18th century), and Issa (19th century) -- chosen, translated,
and introduced by the distinguished American poet Robert Haas
Links |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Books |
|
Haiku Menagerie,
A : Living Creatures in Poems & Prints
Some 120 haiku by such masters as Basho, Issa, and Buson -- all written on themes of animals, birds, and insects -- are combined with the woodblock prints and paintings of such artists as Hokusai, Sesson, and Kano Tan 'yu. The poems appear both in skillful English translation, as well as the original Japanese. Lovely poems, lovely art, and lovely production by Weatherhill. A great gift |
The Haiku Handbook
This work gives readers everything necessary to begin writing or teaching the Japanese poetry, haiku, with examples by great Japanese masters. |
|
|
