Why haiku?

Why read the blog when you can watch the uduforu vlog on YouTube!

        You do Haiku: A Poetry Tutorial and Workbook is an activity book I created to encourage folks to write haiku poems. The book's introduction teaches readers the basics of haiku writing and hints at a larger field of study. I list reasons to write haiku in the book: stress relief, entertainment, and focusing one's thoughts. On my website, I state, "I do not think I am an excellent haiku poet, but occasionally I write something I want to share." Also, I am not a haiku scholar, and my interest in writing them is as simple as I say. So, why is haiku important to me? It is time I honor those who influenced the creation of haiku poetry. I owe them my life.

        The origin of haiku is found in Japanese poetry called renga (linked verse) or haikai no renga (comic linked verse). Renga poetry is collaborative and was performed live and written down by scribes. As a collaborative effort, a renga poem starts with a prompt, and participants add up to one hundred or more verses.

        The prompt is a three-part verse of 5,7 and 5 morae called a hokku (first stanza). Mora (Morae is plural) is a timing unit in languages but is not a syllable. The hokku is followed by two-part verses of 7 and 7 morae. And there are additional rules for how specific verses flow and their role in the poem.

        Overall, renga sessions were enjoyed by commoners and royalty though each class had its preferences. By preferences, I mean the style of content. Renga was live entertainment and could contain potty humor, political commentary, and shocking language. However, cultures have different triggers for controversy, so reign in your imagination. Rules about the subject matter and mathematical structure codified variations of renga poetry as it evolved over four hundred years. And what began as poetic wordplay transformed into literary art.

        I view this progression as the equivalent of improv at a comedy club becoming a TED Talk lecture. Predictably, earlier works of renga were cast out of the realm of literature during this process, and the poetry style's massive popularity also died. So if you have a penchant for academic superiority, please respect the value of entertainment. You do you, but do not ruin it for everyone else. Though, I am sure moral and political censorship also played a role.

        The first verse of renga was eventually accepted as a form of poetry but was still called hokku. The poem was initially written in one line but separated into three lines as the poetry form evolved as haiku in English, and counting syllables made more sense.

So who do I thank for haiku?

Matsuo Basho (1644 – November 28, 1694) is considered the greatest master of hokku.

Masaoka Shiki (October 14, 1867 – September 19, 1902) was a poet and poetry critic. He greatly influenced the revitalization of Japanese poetry and invented the word haiku by combining the words haikai (a humorous form of renga) and hokku. During his life, the cultural exchange between Japan and the world grew, and haiku was one of the art forms that took root elsewhere.

        James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Amy Lowell, Marianne Moore, Ezra Pound, Carl Sandburg, and William Carlos Williams were influenced by haiku poetry. The popularity of R.H. Blyth’s work titled Haiku in the 1940s attracted the attention of Beat poets Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and Jack Kerouac. An argument can be made that the 1960s were the high point of haiku popularity in the USA.

        I learned how to write haiku in grade school, but I do not remember what grade. I doubt famous names or haiku poets were included in the lesson. That was in the 1980s. If YouTube search results indicate haiku's introduction to USA students in 2022, little has changed. In my reading, I found a mention that teaching haiku in grade school was about explaining syllables.

        Grade school is where I learned how to write haiku, but haiku is not grade-school-level poetry. Including haiku in education should also be at an age when a student's vocabulary and intellect are more advanced. I think haiku would be an easy example to use in a humanities class. A diversity of people write haiku. Mentioning celebrities, poets, and songwriters that write or are influenced by haiku might inspire pupils. The multi-national history, philosophy, and social viewpoint aspects might not put the students to sleep. And hopefully, drive home that haiku is more than a syllable counting lesson.

        How to write haiku stuck with me, and almost 40 years later, in a time of crisis, I started writing haiku. It is how my poetry series, Down Town Haiku, was created, and it saved my life. That is why haiku is essential to me and why I encourage others to try it. I do not regularly write haiku. And my poems probably suck in the eyes of the pros, but the writing process benefits my mental health.

        At the start of this piece, I mentioned my book, You do Haiku: A Poetry Tutorial and Workbook. The workbook provides a tutorial for writing western-style English language haiku poetry and templates to practice composition with sixty-four writing pages divided by eight blank pages.

        The book received an Amazon review titled, "1.0 out of 5 stars Not to purchase it unless for a grade school child." Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2021. It is a Verified Purchase, and the reviewer says, "This was a waste of one’s money!!!! Just get a notebook with paper in it and google “haiku” ! That would be a better choice than this book. VERY 😞 disappointed!!"

        Ouch, right? I love how a frowny face emoji interrupts the sentence. But that was how I wrote my haiku minus the Googling. I think the book would be less disappointing if the reviewer had read the product description. In any case, I hope writing haiku was beneficial. That aside, the workbook has otherwise been well received. But the review does beg for a lesson about expectations.

        The subject of haiku is complex, encompasses centuries, and expands when you explore beyond Japan. Narrowing your investigation of haiku to its poets and poems is not a shortcut. Reading histories, biographies, and poetry can be a multi-lingual endeavor or muddy the water. If you are curious, prepare for a deep rabbit hole with a steep learning curve.

        Rules for writing complicate haiku composition, and knowledge of history and people will not help. While poetry can be about anything, traditional haiku is limited to themes of nature, the seasons, and places. Other haiku-like poetry forms, such as senryu, allow more diversity of expression. Rules are great, but there are haiku that do not adhere to the 5-7-5 rule and are still called haiku. Resist getting paralyzed by particulars and get your poem out. Worry about what others will call it later. Better yet, do not worry or care. A robust vocabulary in the language you are drafting the poem is necessary. Have a dictionary and a thesaurus on hand or Google words to find alternatives.

        I use a technique to get the poem concept out and prune the verbiage into haiku form. In the following example, I started writing with:

Spring is here, and I am ready. My roots feel the cold receding, and my sap is restless in the warming breeze. New growth will soon push the rest of last year's leaves off my branches.

And played with words and syllables to eventually form the haiku:

After a slumber,

roots warm, and sap becomes restless.

Buds replace old leaves.

        A lot of trial and error took place before I was happy with the poem. Sometimes going back to the drawing board is the simplest solution if you get stuck. Remember, you do not have to create a haiku as a haiku from the start. And the concept might require more than one poem.

        I thank Matsuo Basho, Masaoka Shiki, and their peers for developing haiku poetry. Both Basho and Shiki worked to reinvigorate Japanese poetry and ensure its continuation. The form of poetry that preceded haiku was an exhibition of improvised verses that could stray into controversial territory. Teaching haiku should include more than counting syllables. And forms of poetry that are identical to haiku can confuse new writers. Scholars should strive to balance their efforts to preserve the art form and attract new poets. The entire world recognizes the word haiku, so let the masses use it. The fans that care about the specifics will find their way home. Now, buy my disappointing book, You do Haiku: A Poetry Tutorial and Workbook. Or write haiku on scrap paper or with a note-taking app on your smartphone. Just write haiku. It could save your life someday.