The content of a haiku is typically, but not always, focused on what a person witnesses in everyday life that is more outstanding or important than normal, something deemed worth reaching for in written expression. The something can be auditory--a bird call, or visual--light glistening on water, or a human sentiment--a fleeting infatuation, or a memory associated with something seen, heard, felt. Some argue that a haiku must contain an obvious reference to a season and must be nature focused, but at least half the English language haijin do not have a nature focus. After all, for the most part we live in cities, not the rural Japan of several centuries ago when the haiku form was invented by a monk named Basho.
The content of a haiku might be about a everyday, but noticable event, or about an awe-inspiring experience, or about a transformational experience--an epiphany or special insight. Part of writing haiku is finding the 'awe' that is usually passed by without notice--the act of creating a haiku is the act of a focusing our attention more closely than we might otherwise do.
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Date: 2005-03-17 04:05 am (UTC)http://raysweb.net/haiku/pages/haiku-definition.html
Date: 2005-03-17 02:09 pm (UTC)The content of a haiku is typically, but not always, focused on what a person witnesses in everyday life that is more outstanding or important than normal, something deemed worth reaching for in written expression. The something can be auditory--a bird call, or visual--light glistening on water, or a human sentiment--a fleeting infatuation, or a memory associated with something seen, heard, felt. Some argue that a haiku must contain an obvious reference to a season and must be nature focused, but at least half the English language haijin do not have a nature focus. After all, for the most part we live in cities, not the rural Japan of several centuries ago when the haiku form was invented by a monk named Basho.
The content of a haiku might be about a everyday, but noticable event, or about an awe-inspiring experience, or about a transformational experience--an epiphany or special insight. Part of writing haiku is finding the 'awe' that is usually passed by without notice--the act of creating a haiku is the act of a focusing our attention more closely than we might otherwise do.