Defining (?) Haiku – Thoughts from a Study in Progress
..... John Bird, May 2009

Dear Members,

In August 2007 the President of AHS asked me to advise the Society on definition(s) of English-language haiku (ELH). I’m still bumbling along on that task. The recent, ‘What is haiku?’ exercise was an offshoot of my study and prompted discussion on points I’ve been thinking about. At President Beverley’s invitation I here share some of my thoughts and tentative conclusions. I’d really like to get your reactions. Please send them to me at [email protected]

[ Now, this is my bus and nobody else is allowed to drive it!]

Continue reading "Defining (?) Haiku – a Study in Progress" »

Posted by Beverley George at 11:31 AM | Permalink

John's careful investigations to date are greatly appreciated; as are the descriptions by haiku writers, published over 16 weeks. The study is not an easy one but I believe it is worthwhile.
Beverley George
President
Australian Haiku Society

Posted by Beverley George at 11:27 AM | Permalink

Between October, 2008 and March, 2009 HaikuOz published 74 responses by 71 poets (57 Australian) to the question, What is haiku?. These numbers reflect our enduring fascination with the nature of this haiku thing. Rich pickings are there to be had. Perhaps our scholars will be encouraged to persevere with discovering the aesthetic(s) of English-language haiku?

Responses ranged from formal, descriptive definitions to abstract expressions. I found the latter at least equally interesting and instructive. I won’t try to paraphrase them – it’s best they be (re)read in the authors’ own words.

But looking to the definitive answers, some analysis is possible. The near-universal view was that a haiku is a poem whose most distinguishing feature is brevity.

It seems we insist that our haiku is poetry despite daily-published ‘haiku’ that might persuade others to a contrary view. Is it that we don’t wish to be known as writers of anything less than poetry? I wonder if this mind-set encourages a striving for ‘depth’ or ‘intellectual significance’ or ‘semantic complexity’ that might make an older Bashõ uncomfortable. What happens to haiku when stressed to measure up to its bigger cousins?

Brevity. We are agreed the haiku is: small, short, concise, a snapshot, brief as a synaptic flash, a molecule of poetry, an atom! Nobody suggested that it should, like its Japanese parent, have a minimum length.

Continue reading "What is Haiku? - personal reflections on the exercise ~ John Bird" »

Posted by Graham Nunn at 06:29 PM | Permalink

Andrew Lansdown ( Perth, WA)

(1) "Haiku are poems modelled on the seventeen-syllable three-line poems of the
ancient Japanese. Being poems, haiku are a form of literature and may employ
literary techniques and may be judged by literary standards. Generally
speaking, haiku stir emotion and stimulate reflection in the reader through
simple precise objective depictions of things in nature."

(2)
"Haiku are pebbles
poets lob into the pond
of our emotions."

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Jack Prewitt (Serelemar, NSW)

‘Haiku are the little poems I write and call haiku.’

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Lynette Arden (Adelaide, SA)

'haiku are small and humble poems that depict the everyday world around us, aiming to give a flash of insight into that world.'

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Earl Keener (Bethany, West Virginia)

“Haiku represents
the smallest atom of literature in which we might study
the heart beat of the muse. Haiku is verbal resonance
resulting from psychological projection. It is the literary equivalent of the Shinto experience of the kami.”

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 Susan Murphy (Sydney, NSW)

'Nothing is ordinary and to notice it without intruding, saying only what's needed, quite naturally touches eternity.'

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Beverley George (Pearl Beach, NSW) endorses John Bird’s description:

‘A haiku is a brief poem, built on sensory images from the environment. It evokes an insight into our world and its peoples.'

-------------------------------------

This is the final publication of responses to What is haiku? Next week I’ll briefly review what we have shared over the past five months. John Bird, for the AHS Definitions Project.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 10:10 PM | Permalink

Timothy Russell (mile 61 on the Ohio River, Toronto, Ohio, USA)
“Haiku is a single molecule of poetry.”

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John Swabey (Teneriffe, Qld)
’This moment / sliced / by these words’

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Vasile Moldovan (Romania)
“A Haiku Poem is heavy water and perfume essence in the same time; a
pearl appearing from pain and hope; the moment that passes in no time
and that you meet a few while in life; hurry up, don't lose it!”

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Ynes Sanz (Brisbane, Qld)
“haiku is 'aha' / even from / afar “

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Sharon Dean (Alstonville, NSW) likes Roland Barthes' assertion that a haiku is:
"not a rich thought reduced to a brief form, but a brief event which immediately finds its proper form".

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The response to this exercise has been wonderful but it is time to wind it up – no more submissions, please. I will later attempt a collage to summarise what we have shared. John Bird, for the AHS Definitions Project.
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Posted by Beverley George at 12:44 PM | Permalink

Laryalee Fraser (British Columbia, Canada)
‘A good haiku instills a moment with new awareness which surprises and satisfies the reader.’
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Gina (Invermay, Tas)
(1) the moment – begging to be a haiku – excites my senses
(2) a stack of pages looking for a fragment – coffee-stained phrases
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Barbara A Taylor (Mountain Top, NSW)
half a blink away
an instance of awareness
in the moment
keen and
understanding
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Claire Holloway (Sydney, NSW)
Harmony bookmarked… Earth, Heaven and Humankind – In divine synch.
-------------------------------------

Angelee Deodhar (India)
“ A haiku is a three lined (short, long, short) poem of Japanese origin which expresses simply the essence of an emotion keenly felt at a particular moment in time. It may or may not have a seasonal reference.”
-------------------------------------

The response to this exercise has been wonderful but it is time to wind it up – no more submissions, please. I will later attempt a collage to summarise what we have shared. John Bird, for the AHS Definitions Project.
-------------------------------------

=====================

Posted by Beverley George at 12:39 AM | Permalink

Claire Gardien (France)

Haiku, poem of a brief instant of nature life and the emotion
felt at the precise moment it happened. A three lines'prose of
5/7/5 syllables. The third line is either opposed to the text or
re-inforces it.
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David Terelinck (Guildford, NSW)

Haiku is a journey along a road lined with small windows. Each
time we pause to peer into one of these, we are astounded by the
beauty and depth of the vista behind them.
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Julie Simpson (Millford, NSW)

Sometimes a simple, stunning mental snapshot, sometimes as
boring as a slideshow at the neighbours.
-------------------------------------

Luong Son Truong (Khanh Hoa, Vietnam)

When sounds are used to echo immortal silence a haiku is
tuned.
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Matt Hetherington (Melbourne, Vic)

a poem of a poetic moment
written as briefly as possible
in the present tense

if regarding nature, it’s haiku
if human nature, it's senryu
-------------------------------------

The response to this exercise has been wonderful but it is time
to wind it up no more submissions, please. I will later attempt a
collage to summarise what we have shared.

John Bird, for the AHS Definitions Project.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 06:42 PM | Permalink

Carmel Summers (Pennant Hills, NSW)

“A concise poem, based on a sensual observation of the natural
world, that bridges the gap between nature and human understanding,
behaviour, feelings and thoughts.”
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Karen Coller (Baronia, Vic)

“Haiku is wonder in a heartbeat; a moment to say 'yes' to life.
Haiku is brightness in a raindrop; a wing beat of thought
on the cheek and in the heart. Haiku pens a precious, funny
or insightful moment for us."
-------------------------------------
Mandy Langenhorst (Brisbane, Qld)

‘a connection with nature expressed as briefly as the synaptic
flash that registered it.’
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Greg Piko (Yass, ACT)

(1) 'A haiku is a brief poem that evokes an insight into our
world and its peoples through the association of images.'
(2) ...the following comment, attributed to Marcel Duchamp, is
especially relevant to haiku:
'It is not what you see that is art, art is the gap.'

-------------------------------------
Alexander Ask (Beaumont, SA)

‘Haiku is a unique perception of nature captured in a simple
verse.’

Posted by Graham Nunn at 10:18 AM | Permalink

Helen Davison (Alstonville, NSW)

‘Haiku are concise poems, without poetic contrivances,
capturing a moment in the present. Set in nature, they
express a universal sensory fact.’
-------------------------------------
Bett Angel-Stawarz (Barmera, SA)

"A haiku is a short poem about the real world that prompts the
reader to make discoveries that enrich their lives".
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Leigh Rees (Brunswick Heads, NSW)

'... implementing a fine-edged scalpel to shape poetic
responses into a simple sculpture that touches a universal
chord in the hearts of listeners/readers.'
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Rupert Summerson (Canberra, ACT)

'Seventeen syllables / Japanese season poem / Captures the
essence'
-------------------------------------
David McMurray (Kagoshima City, Japan)

'An immensely powerful though intrinsically limited instrument,
like the Australian didgeridoo, haiku finds enormous beauty within
severe constraints. ‘

Posted by Graham Nunn at 11:57 AM | Permalink

peterb (Moonset publisher) opines

“Haiku are sensual awarenesses of man, his natural perceptions; Simply recorded (hopefully denouncing influences of the contemporary worlds' surround) and offered up for others to review, enjoy, and ponder. Thus, challenging each, to create their “own” awareness … their “own” haiku.

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Nathalie Buckland (Nimbin, NSW)

‘Haiku is a moment in time, sketched in a few words, shaped by the sensory experiences and emotions of the writer.’

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Agnieszka Niemira (Toowong, Qld) endorses John Bird’s: 'A haiku is a brief poem, built on sensory images from the environment. It evokes an insight into our world and its peoples.' and Agnieszka adds:
‘Haiku is an epiphany put into (very few) words.’

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Gavin Austin ( Elizabeth Bay, NSW)

‘... the snapshot of a moment from life.’

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Carol Negiar (Chajin -The House of Japanese Green Tea, Paris, France)

"A short poem with 3 lines, which in Japanese corresponds to 5, 7 and 5
syllables, but can stray from that in languages other than Japanese.
Description of a unique moment.a surprise ending. no rhymes. an evoked
season."

Posted by Graham Nunn at 07:34 PM | Permalink

Naomi Madelin (New Zealand)

'Haiku is a delicate framework whose spaces provide room for its
words to echo and resonate. It is about what is not said, as much as
what is.'
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Jo McInerney (Boolarra, Vic)

'Haiku present moments of insight into the natural world or human
experience. Haiku often suggest a unity in things, a point of connection
between the human and the natural world or between two aspects of the
natural world.'
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Carolyn Alfonzetti (Epping, NSW)

When writing a haiku Carolyn aims to create:
"A succinct poem of 17 or fewer syllables when written in English,
free of poetic device 'frills' and overt writer comment on the subject, in which
an image from nature is presented to the reader for their response."
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Leonie Bingham (Nimbin,NSW)

'A haiku is an evocative snapshot which captures the extraordinary
in the ordinary through keen observation and sensory perception of
the natural world.'
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Can you answer THE question in less than forty words.? Then please tell
John Bird at [email protected] He is is editing this feature
for us.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 01:53 PM | Permalink

Jacqui Murray (Ocean Shores, NSW)

'Haiku are brief but highly evocative poems imparting fresh, even
startling, images of humanity and the natural world.'
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Brett Brady (Hawaii, USA)

'haiku's a modest composition whose content defines its form… a
breath-length that suggests a narrative… a pebble toss't into the
reader's memory; inviting them to ride-the-ripples beyond thought and
contemplation thru knowledge and wisdom into the surprise of
understanding'
-------------------------------------

Margaret Mahoney ( Kingsgrove, NSW )

'an observation mostly from nature but not always, it is a thought,
a glance, a lasting moment, a perfect picture, penned in time'
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Cynthia Rowe (Sydney, NSW)

'Haiku is a poem of universal power, a brief observation on nature
and all its forms.'
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Can you answer THE question in less than forty words.? Then please tell
John Bird at [email protected] He is is editing this feature
for us.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 01:32 PM | Permalink

Dick Sanders (Charlestown, NSW)

‘Haiku is of the seasons and the ten thousand things; it evokes; it
never describes.’
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Carolyn Cordon (Redbanks, SA)

(1) ‘Haiku is a poem describing a moment in nature, with few words.’
(2) 'Haiku is a joke played by the Japanese on Westerners, who, at
best, only think they get it.'
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Vidur Jyoti (Gurgaon, India) .

'It is a tide contained in a ripple.'
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Max Ryan (New Brighton, NSW)

‘A haiku is a small, undramatic disappearing act where the poet is
lost in the poem. What is left is an overall image that may be
composed of more than one element from nature but that nevertheless
conveys the sense of a single moment.’
-------------------------------------

Can you answer THE question in less than forty words.? Then please tell
John Bird at [email protected] He is is editing this feature
for us.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 08:31 AM | Permalink

Graham Nunn (Brisbane, Qld)

‘a short poem that captures the true essence of a moment in time.'
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Jan Rikken (The Netherlands)

‘For me a Haiku is the "condensation" of a personal feeling evoked
by a natural phenomenon, into a little poem, without the explicit
expression of that feeling.’
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Duncan Richardson (Brisbane, Qld)

' ... the classic elements meet what appeals to me in haiku, namely
intensity, capturing the moment and relating to nature in some way, all done in
a very brief manner.'
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Larry Bole (New York City, USA) Paraphrasing U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Potter Stewart:

“I shall not attempt to define the kinds of material I understand to
be embraced within the shorthand description haiku; and perhaps I
could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I
see it.”
------------------------------------

Can you answer THE question in less than forty words.? Then please tell
John Bird at [email protected] He is is editing this feature
for us.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Bob Jones (Bingal Bay, Qld)
“A renga-related nature-based poem whose plain imagery evokes a particular moment, stripped to its most telling features, classically intimating the quick of all moments.”
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 Janice M Bostok (in collaboration with John Bird)
"A haiku is a brief poem, built on sensory images from the real world. It evokes a personal insight into how people are connected to their environment."
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Bea Holmes along with a number of others, favours the current definition of the Haiku Society of America:
“A haiku is a short poem that uses imagistic language to convey the essence of an experience of nature or the season intuitively linked to the human condition.”
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Lorin Ford (Melbourne, Vic) Her working description (not definition) is
‘Haiku in English are brief poems about observable things. Haiku suggest connections and relationships between the things of nature and human life. Abstractions are avoided, as is the overt use poetic devices such as metaphor, simile and other tropes.’

Can you answer THE question in less than forty words.? Then please tell
John Bird at [email protected] He is is editing this feature for us.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 09:14 AM | Permalink

Dawn Bruce (Sydney, NSW)

'The writing of haiku captures a moment that reveals the extraordinary in the ordinary; it allows one to slow down and value the present; it enables one to forget the ego and feel the miracle of nature; more than anything it is the heart of poetry.'

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Alison Williams (UK)

‘A haiku is a short poem that finds the intangible in the tangible.’

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Janet Howie (Melbourne, Vic)

‘Haiku is a concise poetic form that captures a keenly perceived and felt moment in nature, leading to further reflection on universal human experience.’

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Merle Packham (Alstonville, NSW)

“A haiku is a brief poem expressing a moment of observation, with
awareness of all the senses to nature, the seasons, and one's
surroundings."

-------------------------------------

Can you answer THE question in less than forty words.? Then please tell John Bird at [email protected]
He is editing this feature for Haiku Oz.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 05:22 PM | Permalink

Katherine Gallagher (UK)
(1) “Haiku is a brief season-oriented poem of Japanese origin but
increasingly adapted to Western usage and local tastes. A haiku mirrors
a moment’s experience often shown via contrasting images - the so-called
‘haiku moment’ bringing about a. sudden illumination to dramatic
effect.”

(2) and Katherine’s short description:
"Haiku is a brief poem about the sensory vibrancy of the planet."

Maureen Sexton (Perth, WA)
"Haiku exalts nature by recording, in as few words as possible,
something from the natural world that creates an insight which
resonates with the reader."

Posted by Graham Nunn at 05:34 PM | Permalink

Dhugal Lindsay (Yokosuka, Japan) believes English language haiku should aspire to be:

"Short poem of rhythmical structure, usually between 7 and 17 syllables in length. It contains a reference to a seasonal or otherwise natural entity, is concrete, and illuminates some aspect of the existence of one or more of the elements or entities within the poem."

Dhugal and John Bird collaborated for this short description:

"A haiku is a brief poem, built on sensory images from the environment. It evokes an insight into Our world and The world."

Cynthia Ludlow (Brisbane, Qld)

"Haiku are small nature poems that I don’t understand but know to be true."

Posted by Graham Nunn at 06:27 PM | Permalink

What is Haiku?

Today we begin a weekly display of members’ responses to the question:
What is haiku? Our hope is that by sharing our responses (definitions,
descriptions, comments, or quotations of wise words by others) we will
achieve a broader and more sympathetic understanding of this poetry we
love.

Quendryth Young (Alstonville, NSW)

‘A haiku is a short poem of traditional Japanese origin which
captures the essence of a moment, finds the extraordinary in the
ordinary, and links nature to human nature.’

Kevin Sharpe (Blue Mountains, NSW) responds:

'haiku, senryu : of the moment’

Nicholas Barwell (Perth, WA) endorses Harold Stewarts’s definition:

"Haiku try to express what Japanese call Mono No Aware, the
ah!ness of things: a feeling for natural loveliness tinged with a
sadness at its transience."

Thanks to Quendryth, Kevin and Nicholas for sharing these.

Can you answer THE question in less than forty words.? Then please tell
John Bird at [email protected] He is is editing this feature for us.

Posted by Graham Nunn at 08:48 PM | Permalink

In 2007 the Australian Haiku Society committee requested John Bird to advise the Society on haiku definition(s) and to try to formulate one that we could adopt, officially, as meaningful for our members and helpful to those new to the genre.

John reports that he has considered many descriptions and definitions of haiku by overseas writers and now wants to understand how Australian poets, at all levels of experience, think about haiku.

He hopes to include some examples of the latter in his published report and would like to share a subset of these on the Australian Haiku Society [HaikuOz] site, if this is agreed to by their authors. If you would like your views to remain anonymous, please say so at the time you submit them. This will be respected.

Haiku are elusive to define. But in attempting to describe them we may come to understand them better. Please don’t feel intimidated that your definition must be academic, or even wise. It’s simply what you think haiku are about that counts. Please send John your personal definition of haiku, whether long-standing or written for this exercise, at: [email protected]

Please try to restrict your thoughts to 40 words, preferably no more than 25. If you have adopted a published definition written by somebody else, please include all details.

Below are two personal definitions of haiku. You are warmly invited to share yours.

Beverley George
President
Australian Haiku Society
www.haikuoz.org

Continue reading "Defining haiku" »

Posted by Beverley George at 07:15 PM | Permalink

Haiku Definitions- appointment
On behalf of the committee of the Australian Haiku Society I am pleased to announce the appointment of John Bird
to act on behalf of the Australian Haiku Society to consider the following questions and make recommendations to the Society on:
1. What haiku-related terms, if any, should the Australian Haiku Society define for its members?
2. What wording should be used in any such definitions?
3. What supporting or clarifying notes are required?
4. How should the Australian Haiku Society definitions be adopted and promulgated?
Please send any comments and input to
[email protected]
Beverley M George
President, Australian Haiku Society

Posted by Beverley George at 12:03 PM | Permalink

Work on this category is proceeding.

Posted by Beverley George at 12:25 PM | Permalink