Pocket-sized 4.25 x 6”, perfect bound, Allbook Books’ most popular book. 1/2 how-to write haiku, 1/2 anthology, plus background info on haiku and the philosophies and spirituality that flavor it, and original brush calligraphy of ancient Chinese pictographs, and more.
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“...haiku is a pebble thrown into the pool of the listener’s mind evoking associations out of the richness of his own memory. It invites the listener to participate instead of leaving him dumb with admiration while the poet shows off.” — Alan Watts The Way of Zen pp.183-84. *
Part 1 - Structure and Technique
cultural overview
Haiku are poetic-literary expressions from a culture that values humility, precision, and a connection with the true nature of being (or Spirit) through daily ritual. Although not limited to Zen, haiku is considered one of many Zen Arts. Others are: Tea ceremonies cha-no-yu “the art of tea,” and chado “the way of tea”; kodo (incense ceremony); Zen rock gardens; feng shui “wind-water” (the art of placement and natural energy flow); ikebana “the art of flower arranging”; shakuhachi, the hollow, Zen flute; sumi-e painting and brush calligraphy; kendo “the way of the sword”; the classic Noh Theater; and the martial arts of which tai chi chuan (Chinese) is the most peaceful— all forms whose ‘products’ are visibly sparse, yet whose inner workings are quite vast.
Many of these Arts (along with Zen koans or Master pupil interchanges) are classified by some as belonging to the Rinzai school of Zen which aims toward ‘sudden recognition or enlightenment,’ as compared with the Soto school whose aim is a gradual moving toward such a state of awarenes, or more like ‘there is no where to get to’ Buddhist approach. Both of these qualities are apparent with haiku.
Haiku have the smooth timelessness of tai chi; the brushstroke motions of sumi-e painting or calligraphy; the natural precision of flower arranging; the grace of a tea ceremony; the mask of Noh theater; the austere beauty of a rock garden; the immediacy of a sword; the positive energy-flow of feng shui.
haiku overview
Haiku are a creative offshoot of and reflect the spiritual traditions and philosophies of, especially, Buddhism (more specifically Mahayana Buddhism,) Taoism, Zen and Zen Buddhism where the emphasis is taken off of the mere ego-self, thus allowing one to better experience the ‘other’ and Greater parts of Self. However, please note that classical haiku poems are not of themselves precepts nor necessarily any of the direct teachings of those enlightened philosophies and spiritual practices; haiku may reiterate such principles, or reflect the essence of such, but any similarities as well as differences need to be honored. There are numerous literary infuences as well, among them are Buddhist and Chinese poetry. Although lacking descriptive language, haiku exemplify a literary cell, a building-block of larger literary molecular structures. Haiku’s popularity outside of Japan is a kind of gift that resulted from WW II, for it was while R.H. Blyth (tutor to Crown Prince Akihito,) Harold G. Henderson, and Faubion Bowers were stationed in Japan that they learned of haiku in great depth. Kenneth Yasuda (Shson) is also an influential haiku figure, and the writings of D.T. Suzuki and Alan Watts helped familiarize the West with Asian culture, arts, and philosophy.
formula (2) recognition/sensory surges; don’t try to write haiku
This is not just reverse psychology. For recognizing that a haiku is ‘happening,’ I normally notice/experience that there is a combination of (one or more of) seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, along with a clear awareness, all combined with a ‘surge’ of energy/feeling/emotion that says: ‘this is noteworthy!’
Alan Semerdjian describes the process as “similar to picking grapes off a leaf, fruit off a tree.”
For me it is the moment of biting into the fruit, though one could consider THAT as the sharing of the haiku. Suffice it to say: haiku is “a ripe moment.”
The process is: “Organic. When something strikes me in an emotional way, words seem to appear,” according to Saul Waring.
Cliff Bleidner, a Zen-practioner with twenty years of haiku experience, says that a haiku poet is a “trained observer,” thus trained to recognize the haiku moment or experience. He describes the haiku essence as (non-violently) “three bold strokes with a sword.”
Vivina Ciolli knows she has a completed haiku when the following criteria are met: “My ‘tests’ are: if I can read the poem slowly, knowing more as I move along the poem one word at a time; if there is no word or punctuation or spacing I ‘must’ change; and if the hair on my neck stands, each time I read it.”
Kay J. Wight writes: “I have not been able to sit and plan to write a haiku... for me it has to be a moment, a sound, a smell, or just casting an eye on something that inspires me to want to paint or write or somehow capture the "feeling" so that I might share with others.”
On a frigid winter night with high winds, I made some toast, and the orange glow from the toaster coils was visually ‘noteworthy’ along with the little bit of warmth it provided. This spontaneously contrasted nicely with the cold, windy weather:
orange glow from the old toaster— 30 mph winds
This formula is also: “don’t try to write haiku,” simply observe and feel, and learn to recognize what is a haiku moment or experience worth jotting down; or sometimes the words are just there and pop out.
Following this formula I have sometimes gone for months without writing a haiku, and then suddenly 3 or 5 may occur in a week. Yet everyday I read at least one haiku of other writers, some classical, some modern.. so there is still that connection with the haiku essence.
Spring:
Red-headed Woodpecker rattles the roof's gutter-- first day of spring! ~ Mankh
Summer:
down the path to the garden the sound of rain
~ Marvin Schlesinger
Autumn:
geese rising over marsh grass along rivers and shoreline
-- Kay J. Wight
Winter:
in late winter garlic tops sprout green spikes toward spring
--Tom Stock
More:
Paddling ashore in the still night, only the heron sees me.
-- Russ Perry
shrouded by trees beatific splintering orb sunshine greets my eye
-- Christian Laura
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Website © 2010-2020 by Walter E. Harris III. Each author © 2020. All rights reserved.
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