I've been noticing the Haiku cropping up all over the prompt sites lately and must confess to not understanding how they worked until a few days ago.
I gather it's 3 lines with a syllable ratio of 5 -7 -5
well since that point I've been having a go,
and quite frankly I feel this innocent little 3 liner really should carry a warning underneath.
Since doing them I've found myself counting through words and sentences like a thing possessed unable to stop!
For the sake of my own sanity I am going to write one and no more in an attempt to get the little blighter out of my system ...
I gather it's 3 lines with a syllable ratio of 5 -7 -5
well since that point I've been having a go,
and quite frankly I feel this innocent little 3 liner really should carry a warning underneath.
Since doing them I've found myself counting through words and sentences like a thing possessed unable to stop!
For the sake of my own sanity I am going to write one and no more in an attempt to get the little blighter out of my system ...
addictive haiku
Oh you sweet syllabled verse
vacate my head .... please!
Well that's it, I've done it, no more, I'm completely cured .....
umm .... I'm completely cured, 5 syllables ..... aaaaah!
10 comments:
Nice haiku. :)
I just started following your blog earlier tonight and just saw this new post in my reader. I found the most liberating article on haiku that expands on the usual instruction for writing haiku. I am so excited by it, but have been wondering how to go about trying what I've learned in my blog, i.e., must I give this link to explain to everyone why I am not adhering to the old 5,7,5 bit?..... Anyway, click here for the full article.
This is a portion of the section I'm referring to:
You may have noticed that thus far I've said almost nothing about form in haiku. That's because form is not nearly as important as the other strategies I've covered. Form, in fact, is the most misunderstood aspect of haiku. Haiku is frequently mistaught in schools, and many textbooks and dictionary definitions are superficial and sometimes even misguided. Many textbooks are simply out of date, and haiku is best understood as a genre of poetry, not a form. Haiku in Japan are arranged in a single vertical line, and traditionally (meaning, not always) have three parts of 5, 7, and then 5 Japanese sound symbols (which are not the same as syllables). Many English-language textbooks say that haiku in English should be 5-7-5 syllables. This assertion exhibits a gross misunderstanding of the differences between Japanese and English syllables and how the languages differ. Indeed, the vast bulk of serious haiku written in English are usually shorter than 17 syllables, and choose to follow or apply a free or organic form rather than an arbitrary external syllable count that hasn't proved effective or appropriate in the English language. This fact may come as a surprise to many poets who are new to haiku (or even some who think they aren't that new to it),...
Wanna start a haiku revolution with me? :)
Hi Lydia, thanks everso much for the info, my first reaction was eeek! there's even more too them!!! LOL
I'll certainly take a look, who knows a revolution may indeed be brewing :o)
lol I don't really know much about the haiku thing either... I don't need another obsession lol
You made me smile! I love haiku - I like the idea of conveying an idea succinctly. AND you did! :)
Wonderful tribute to the venerable 'ku!!
peace,
JP/deborah
There is so much heavy poetry out there (I have enve written wome myself) I like reading something light. Love this.
"The caterpillar
Found the right place to pupate
A butterfly now"
Just for you.
Thank you for your comments, it's lovely to get them, to get any really! They're much appreciated ... and thank you oldegg, I just love the caterpillar haiku! :o)
I know what you mean, I love haiku! But Lydia is right, there are many variations (I may join her revolution). I tend to stick with the 5,7,5 for posting, though. I don't have the energy to explain the subtleties of haikuing to angry blog followers. If you're on Twitter, tons of people Tweet #haiku.
Aaah tweeting ... not tried that yet! thanks for stopping by Monica x :o)
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