The Anarchy of a Haiku Challenge

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.)