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The Anarchy of a Haiku Challenge

Artist or Poetry Police?

By J. S. WadePublished about a year ago Updated about a year ago 3 min read
Top Story - December 2022
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The Anarchy of a Haiku Challenge
Photo by Priscilla Gyamfi on Unsplash

Vocal Media has taught me many things through the poetry challenges of the past two years. First, I learned the traditional form of a Shakespearean Sonnet and drove myself quite mad counting syllables, creating the rhythm of Iambic pentameter, and stressing every other syllable. I worked hard. Then, low and behold, the winning sonnets broke all the rules. What?

Second, I learned poetry allows the free license to break the rules with a compelling cause. Third, the poem belongs to the creator, and ultimately, the author makes the rules.

Haiku

As an example, two Haiku challenges have been presented by Vocal Media (with one completed and the second currently open.) What are the rules for haiku? Since many have considered dialing 911 to report poetic crimes.

Haiku… haiku… it's another haiku poem, or is it? Five syllables followed by seven, then five. The poem must be Haiku. How dare you challenge my poetry.

A haiku poem contains seventeen syllables in three lines of groups of five, seven, five. Traditionally, there are two elements, a seasonal word and a cutting word.

A seasonal word (Kigo) is a word that invokes a particular time of the year. The reference can be a literal word or a given perception of a season.

Spring is passing--

The birds cry, and the fishes fill

With tears on their eyes.

Basho (1644-1694)

A Haiku poem requires contemplation of both the writer and the reader. Cutting words (Kireji) are utilized in the poem's middle or end to provide structure. The technique cuts the stream of thought. In western literature, we call this a twist to create an emotional response or transpose the earlier text.

Spring is passing--

The birds cry, and the fishes fill

With tears on their eyes.

Basho (1644-1694)

What if our poem does not utilize a Kigo or Kireji? Is it a Haiku? Before you blast someone's creation, it might be the Haiku imposter, the cynical and dark cousin, a Senryu (River Willow).

Both poetic forms have three lines of seventeen syllables, usually broken down into groups five, seven, and five, but the Senryu does not utilize the Kigo or Kireji. How dare they! Call the Poetry police. A creator added or subtracted a syllable? Please put them in Writer's jail!

A Senryu generally does not reference the season nor contain a cutting word but tends to be cynical and dark-humored.

I grab the robber

and find I've caught

my own son.

____

As a man fond of both

loose women and senryu—

please remember me.

—Two senryu by Karai Senryu (the form's namesake)

Wait, where is the five-seven-five? Sometimes the writer abandons tradition; in other instances, the syllable count is lost in translation. We’d need to learn the Japanese language and culture to truly comprehend the poetic form.

There are rules for Haiku that you must follow, we argue. As with all poetry, there are many forms, traditional and modern, but the desired cause and effect of the creator is the ultimate rule. In the past, great creators altered the conventional format, broke the rules, and amazed the world with their creations. There is only one rule: The writer's emotive purpose to the reader must be fulfilled.

Following the path of writers who have come before us with your entry into the Haiku challenge may create a new form and tradition. Move over Basho and Shakespeare. Write from your mind and heart, and you may become the next Senryu. Does it feel like anarchy? Well, welcome to the Hall of Poets.

My final lesson… either we are artists or poet police. I choose to create and not worry; the greats before us didn't.

Here’s my latest Haiku, or is it a Senryu? Either way, it’s my creation.

Chill out

Some are blue with dread

Sick with Haikuitis chills--

It’s okay, relax.

(Creator claims all rights to the term “Haikuitis” as a byproduct of the Vocal media challenge entered.) (Laughing.)

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About the Creator

J. S. Wade

Since reading Tolkien in Middle school, I have been fascinated with creating, reading, and hearing art through story’s and music. I am a perpetual student of writing and life.

J. S. Wade owns all work contained here.

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Comments (36)

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  • Canuck Scriber L.Lachapelle Authorabout a year ago

    I luv the analysis you provided on Haikus. I prefer no rules and relish in free form poetry. However, trying structure once in a while is good, though if one is going to do that the it makes no sense not to follow the rule of poem structure. I liked your Haiku!!

  • Noor about a year ago

    Super inspiring 🙌

  • Laura Pruettabout a year ago

    Good information!

  • Zachary Keiferabout a year ago

    I saw in passing your words cry, and wishes filled from understanding.

  • Brian Furphyabout a year ago

    Inspiring. Thank you. I've decided to go for an all original Haiku. Our local bowling alley went out of business and I'm prepared to open a new one. So, I boiled an entire investor pitch deck into the blue Haiku challenge... let me know what you think? Here's what I wrote: https://vocal.media/poets/bowling-alley

  • Paula Romeu about a year ago

    Ha Ha that's very funny 😂

  • Omg! I've never heard of a Senryu before. That's so fascinating! I'm excited because I can never use Kigo or Kireji. And my poems are always on the darker side, lol!

  • Gloria D. Gonsalvesabout a year ago

    I resonate with your final lesson which sums up my thoughts on poetry writing: "...either we are artists or poet police. I choose to create and not worry; the greats before us didn't..."

  • Deasun T. Smythabout a year ago

    haiku, and senryu? this got complicated. thanks for your insight, now I'm off to write something haikuitis...

  • SC Wellsabout a year ago

    This was really interesting. Haiku have always intimidated me. So few syllables to capture such a specific sensation. This article has demystified them for me but also given me a renewed respect. I also loved your haiku at the end (Haikuitis is genius)!

  • Hanaabout a year ago

    I was like yesss and then I was like noooooo lol

  • Kendall Defoe about a year ago

    You made me laugh out loud at this. And you better keep that copyright before I steal "haikuitis"! 🤔

  • Linda Bromleyabout a year ago

    As I’m brand new here, you have the honour if being the very first post I comment in! That was really interesting. I just entered the haiku challenge and now I think I’ve done it’s cousin! Oh well, it’s all learning! Great post!

  • Alex H Mittelman about a year ago

    Loved this!

  • Claire Guérinabout a year ago

    Awesome! Thank you for this, Scott Wade. I actually learned something, AND your piece is quite liberating for a wannabe poet such as myself. I hope we get to hear about sonnets next!

  • Brian Gradyabout a year ago

    To writing creating and rule bending! Great post

  • Rachel M.Jabout a year ago

    Ah, the agony I faced on the social media pages after being selected as the winner of the sonnet challenge! Haha, that was anarchy indeed. LOVE your haiku at the end, had a chuckle.

  • Rick Henry Christopher about a year ago

    First and foremost congratulations on your Top Story. This is definitely worthy of the honor. I learned quite a bit from reading this. As a matter of fact this writing inspired me to write a blue haiku titled "Hello Darkness" with which I took creative license and broke the rules just a bit. Thank you for the inspiration.

  • E.K. Danielsabout a year ago

    I must admit I was a bit apprehensive when reading the subtitle for this piece, but I was delighted upon delving deeper. I was not expecting the inclusion of Basho and insights into poetic license and the nuances of translation and culture. This plays such an important role in Haiku, and as a fellow Basho fanatic (if you haven't read "Narrow Road", I highly recommend it), this made me smile. Thank you, and good luck if you enter the challenge!

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  • Jessabout a year ago

    Though I'm not a poet myself, with any creative field there always seems to be a toeing of the line between strict rule following and a know-the-rules-to-break-the-rules philosophy. Interesting take indeed!

  • Stephanie J. Bradberryabout a year ago

    When I was learning Japanese, we were tasked with writting traditional Haiku. You are on point when you state that most people question where are the correct number of syllables when a poem is translated. The Japanese syllabary count is more strict and goes based on characters and not syllables often times.

  • Kevi Babout a year ago

    Haikuitis, I think there's a cream for this. Apply liberally, especially around the "kutias" area. I write poetry as it happens and try not to get too worried or stressed over the final result. Usually after the fourteenth rewrite... 😳

  • Heather Hublerabout a year ago

    Well written! I appreciated learning more about this and of course, enjoyed your haiku :) Congratulations on Top Story!!

  • Matthew Frommabout a year ago

    This is a comprehensive lesson. I love the dichotomy of Anarchy and structure within Haiku.

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