Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/29
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In a message dated 4/29/02 8:41:14 AM, geeman1066@earthlink.net writes:
<< Karina,
The definition I've always liked and taught my students is "single breath
poetry." Some choose to define the form by syllables and numbers of lines--5,
7, 5, or 4, 6,4 are common structures--but my readings of Japanese haiku, the
country in which, I believe, the form originated, demonstrated to me that the
form needn't be that restrictive. Haiku are meant to convey a single image
without personal commentary by the author, i.e. the poem should not have an
overt message or theme, but merely seek to paint a picture in the mind. There
are many similarities between Haiku and the Imagist movement founded by Ezra
Pound. In fact, one of my favorite examples is Carl Sandburg's "Fog," who
was one of the imagist poets: >>
And there's the heirs to that movement the Beat writers like Kerouac's "pop"
american haiku as well...with an emphasis on sound, a small meditation that
as Kerouac said is "as simple as porridge and yet makes you see the real
thing." In some ways a great definition of art as well. Some examples:
Early morning with the
happy dogs--
I forgot the Path
The dog yawned
and almost swallowed
My Dharma
And from desolation angels
A bubble, a shadow -
woop -
The lightning flash
Thunder in the mountains -
the iron
Of my mother's love
Mist boiling from the
ridge - the mountains
Are clean
Mist before the peak
- the dream
Goes on
as cold
water in a dell
on a dusty tired trail -
Girls' footprints
in the sand
- - Old mossy pile
Wooden house
raw gray -
Pink light in the window
Neons, Chinese restaurants
coming on -
Girls come by shades
- -kim
- --
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