The Anarchy of a Haiku Challenge
Artist or Poetry Police?
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.)
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)
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!!
Super inspiring 🙌
Good information!
I saw in passing your words cry, and wishes filled from understanding.
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
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!
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..."
haiku, and senryu? this got complicated. thanks for your insight, now I'm off to write something haikuitis...
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)!
I was like yesss and then I was like noooooo lol
You made me laugh out loud at this. And you better keep that copyright before I steal "haikuitis"! 🤔
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!
Loved this!
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!
To writing creating and rule bending! Great post
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.
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.
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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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!
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.
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... 😳
Well written! I appreciated learning more about this and of course, enjoyed your haiku :) Congratulations on Top Story!!
This is a comprehensive lesson. I love the dichotomy of Anarchy and structure within Haiku.