Because they are so short, haiku appear simple to write. They aren’t. Good haiku contain several elements that belie their brevity. A good haiku paints a picture; it contains a momentary insight or experience that encourages the reader to pause and see things in a different light. This revelation is often referred to as the ‘a-ha’ moment.
Haiku generally avoid the use of metaphor, and are concrete, not abstract. You should use direct observations and an objective rather than subjective tone. Let the reader make the connections you infer, see what you see, and feel what you feel. Take the reader into the moment so they can share in the experience. Avoid making your haiku strictly descriptive, or everyday. Haiku are generally not obvious. If the images are so generic the reader shrugs, then your haiku is not effective. Hunt for that ‘a-ha’ moment, composed of an interesting juxtaposition of images, of contrast and comparison, of showing rather than telling.
While it is true that traditional Japanese haiku contain seventeen syllables that syllable count doesn’t always work as well in the English language. Trying to pad a haiku to gain a 5-7-5 format can result in unnecessary articles, adjectives, or images. Don’t be constrained by syllable count as a deciding factor for your haiku. Consider the seventeen-syllable count the upper limit, not an absolute.
Traditional haiku contain a seasonal reference and deal with nature, but are not merely weather reports. Aspects of Nature have emotional connotations that serve as a shorthand for what you are trying to communicate. A bare-branched tree in the winter has a different feeling than a leafy summer oak. Use the season reference as a way of suggesting an emotion you’d like the reader to experience.
What’s the difference between haiku and senryu? A senryu follows the same form as a haiku, but the content usually involves human nature, politics, humor or satire. There is a lot of overlap in modern haiku and senryu. Does your poem deal with human emotions and relationships? Then it might be a senryu.
Haiku normally
do not have a title,
do not contain punctuation,
are not list poems,
avoid adverbs and adjectives,
do not contain metaphor or simile, and
are not a sentence.
Haiku do
take advantage of the senses,
have interrelated images,
show, don’t tell,
are brief, and
contain a pivot point or ‘a-ha’ moment.
Take your inspiration from the Japanese version of the form but don’t let the form constrain you. There are many good resources on the Internet for writing haiku, as well as good examples. Read as many good haiku as you can, from old Japanese masters to Modern Haiku magazine to get the feel for the form.
Some links to get you started:
Also if you missed the Oonah’s haiku Inspirations this week, follow this LINK.
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3 Responses to “Editor’s View: Japanese Short Forms – Elements Of A Good Haiku • by Constance Brewer”
Comments
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February 16th, 2012 at 5:03 am
Good short snappy piece on haiku! Here’s another brief overview: http://www.withwords.org.uk/what.html
Alan Summers, With Words
February 22nd, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Very informative – and concise – Constance.
Hurray for haiku! :]
April 15th, 2012 at 12:01 am
[...] haiku [...]