Another graduate student haiku. I don't know what the silly thing means but it sounds really deep and meaningful. So, haiku it is.
Apartment,
Department,
Advisor,
Budweisor.
Actually, Google informs me that Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. Here it is.
How to write Haiku
In japanese, the rules for how to write Haiku are clear, and will not be discussed here. In foreign languages, there exist NO consensus in how to write Haiku-poems. Anyway, let's take a look at the basic knowledge:
What to write about?
Haiku-poems can describe almost anything, but you seldom find themes which are too complicated for normal PEOPLE's recognition and understanding. Some of the most thrilling Haiku-poems describe daily situations in a way that gives the reader a brand new experience of a well-known situation.
The metrical pattern of Haiku
Haiku-poems consist of respectively 5, 7 and 5 syllables in three units. In japanese, this convention is a must, but in english, which has variation in the length of syllables, this can sometimes be difficult.
The technique of cutting
The cutting divides the Haiku into two parts, with a certain imaginative distance between the two sections, but the two sections must remain, to a degree, independent of each other. Both sections must enrich the understanding of the other.
To make this cutting in english, either the first or the second line ends normally with a colon, long dash or ellipsis.
The seasonal theme.
Each Haiku must contain a kigo, a season word, which indicate in which season the Haiku is set. For example, cherry blossoms indicate spring, snow indicate winter, and mosquitoes indicate summer, but the season word isn't always that obvious.
Please notice that Haiku-poems are written under different rules and in many languages. For translated Haiku-poems, the translator must decide whether he should obey the rules strictly, or if he should present the exact essence of the Haiku. For Haiku-poems originally written in english, the poet should be more careful. These are the difficulties, and the pleasure of Haiku.
More.
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8 comments:
Hi Ramani,
though I had an idea of Haiku; but one can always learn more...
I donno if you've seen that movie; "The Last Samurai" ?
If you have; you'll remember that Ken Watanabe; who acts of a Samurai, is writing a poem, mostly inspired by the season and his state-of-mind... A Haiku
After this movie I had done some research on Samurais; and interestingly; though they were 'warriors" or "men of sword"; they valued gentler art forms. In fact they prided themselves for fine calligraphy and poetic skills ..
Autumn winds
Leaves turn yellow, orange and red
A peaceful soul
*Intern
Intern, you really must watch the movie "Hero" (the one with Jet Li in it). There is one character, who is a calligraphist, swordsman and assassin, who holds back his friends from assassinating the Emperor - his character is portrayed very well, and his ideologies find expression through calligraphy.
Thanks for the suggestion @ Prashanth... will sure see it. Though movies is my forte; there are still some real good ones I havent seen ...
While we are on Samurai, few another interesting things ...
Japan's feudal society was very similar to Europe's feudal society; and Japanese warrior class or Samurais can be compared with European Knights...
But some cultural differences:
- Honor to a Samurai was more important than life; and they would perform "Seppuku" (ritual suicide) in preference to dishonorable death at the hands of enemy. Whereas in Europe there was religious injunction against suicide.
- Though "chivalry" was a celebrated attribute of Knights ( which implicitely implied that women as fragile and weaker) ... Japanese women were expected to be tough and even accept self-destruction out of loyalty.
Sorry Ramani,
moved far away from Haiku,
but was within bounds of Japanese culture...
*Intern.
RAMANI - GET BACK
FAST
@[Intern]
"Autumn winds
Leaves turn yellow, orange and red
A peaceful soul"
Yes a Haiku needs to have a 'weather' word and is intended to give a different feeling for a known experience.
"The first cold shower;
Even the monkey seems to want
A little coat of straw."
The imagery is very nice. It almost gets you the image of freezing rain, a forest, animals in it - shivering.
[Prashanth,Intern] I saw a little bit of Hero. It reminded me of Kill Bill, the elaborate fight scenes, sparse dialogue.
Self destruction out of loyalty. Not fully related but, the family of a suicide bomber is treated with great respect. It's a honor to have a son of the family be a suicide bomber. I guess it's a mechanism that braces people to be open to something so horrendous.
[Anonymous] Get back fast?? Is that Mr. Govind Kabra??
if Haiku NEEDS to have a weather word, then how is this a haiku:
Apartment,
Department,
Advisor,
Budweisor
??????
It's not haiku it's baiku. it's going places. he he he. bad joke.
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