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True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,
As those move easiest who have learned to dance.
Alexander Pope, “An Essay on Criticism”
All that I see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
Edgar Alan Poe
Greetings, thank you for once again welcoming me as your guest host for this week’s WDC Poetry Newsletter.
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What does a Haiku have in common with a Sonnet?
A sonnet has a fixed (relatively) metric rhythm; a haiku uses mora to count the units of meaning of the kana, or on (a sound unit of meaning that, for lack of exact comparison, westerners have translated to correspond with syllables).
Each has a turn or shift, where one image is either defined, answered, or sometimes reversed. And, just as the sonnet has a number of possible rhyming schemes (abab, abba, abcb, etc.), the haiku has a number of possible 'syllable' combinations (5-7-5, 4-6-4, 3-5-3), where two of the ‘lines’ form one image, with the third often juxtaposed. Just as a sonnet is not one long image, separated by commas and semicolons, a haiku is not one sentence, but distinct images, one tactile and the other sensory.
Where a sonnet is known as a ‘little song,’ a haiku, I’d say, is a chord, its cohesive yet distinct notes audible to the observant listener. Yes, here I go again, reading poetry aloud. Each form has evolved over time – both as an echo of the past and a dynamic model for the present. Let's explore the 'chord' and see how it resonates for the poet's eye through time past and present
Haiku is written in the moment; in present tense, generally with three unrhymed odd-numbered lines short, long, short (5-7-6), numbering 17 syllables. It includes some element of nature, whether visual, or sensual, and a season word, or kigo, to set the image. Its cousin, Senryu, has a like structure/pattern, but deals with human nature rather than nature. Senryu can be more obviously interpretive and often has a satiric or comedic twist. Both forms, haiku and senryu, can be run in chains; as individual frames, or snapshots of a film.
Many poets combine the two forms above and call them haiku, but as wordsmiths, I think it’s fun to understand and use the difference in developing our own snapshots of nature and life with a poet’s discerning eye and ear.
Haiku and senryu actually evolved from an older question-and-answer form of poetry, the Mondo, which consisted of two individual but related katauta, (three-lined verse with a 5-7-7 syllable count, perhaps the first 'building block' of Japanese poetry). In a Mondo, one person began the poem with one katauta, then another answered. The Sedoka combined the two, question and answer, into one verse, to first pose a question (5-7-5), then respond or complete it in the same 'stanza' (5-7-7).
The Tanka evolved from the Mondo and Sedoka forms, and its basic form has remained fixed over centuries, with the least amount of variation. The tanka is a five-line verse with a fixed 31-syllable count (I use syllable for ease of common understanding) of 5-7-5-7-7. The slightly longer length allows for more depth in exploring an image or idea. It's less of a moment in time than an exploration of the time. The image retains the shift within the first katauta (5-7-5), and is answered or summed up in the final two lines.
In ancient Japan, it is said that this form was often used by lovers, where one would pose a question, and the other would answer. It's also a fun way to teach children to observe nature, or life, and frame their image in verse. The question and answer format often resulted in a 'conversation' of related tanka, or a renga. In a renga, the first person might start with a haiku, and the friend would reply with a tanka, then pass it back or pass it on. This could continue as a game, a challenge, a conversation creative ^_^
I hope you can see the similarities, as well as the variety, in each of these forms, and use them to depict a moment of time, or play a single chord, as seen and heard with your poet's eye.
I know you will enjoy the creative variation of 'chords' by some members of our community and invite you to share your thoughts with the authors.
Some resources for further reading -
Stalking the Wilk Onji: The Search for Current Linguistic Terms Used In Japanese Poetry Circles, Richard Gilbert;
What is a Tanka?, Richard MacDonald.
Keep Writing!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading |
Verse creative; of nature, satire, solitary and conversing.
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And how about this example of the 'conversation' in a renga.
How about this challenge for your Muse Creative
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Thank you for the welcome into your virtual home,
Until we next meet,
With a Poet's Eye,
Keep Writing!
Kate
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Poetry: October 22, 2008 Issue [#2673]
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