The Haiku Foundation Forums

As mentioned earlier, Taoism preaches finding and maintaining the balance in our lives. Though seldom found or maintained, it makes life a continual effort to experience it. This striving allows us to find the harmony between the two extremes and experience the full range, the sweet, the bitter, the happy, the sad – all that comprises life. If we write of the same topics, we have a tool to explore the greater gamut that is our life.

The Other Side of the Coin:
Haiku and the Harsh Realities

Peter Brady
World Haiku Review, August 2001


Peter Brady gives a very good argument why we as poets have a duty and responsibility and that sometimes "the images elicit anger, outrage, pathos, tears — a wider range of emotions than joy or calm or a nod of recognition at some pleasant memory."

The full range, the sweet, the bitter, the happy, the sad – all that comprises life, yet I often find that haiku writers shy away, or hide from, aspects of life, as if we must only talk of flowers, birds, bees and honey.


Here are three examples of Peter Brady's own haiku for the article:



roadkill
the wake of passing cars
ruffles its fur



cut-off
to the abandoned death camp
its rails still shiny



mum just dead
the neighbor's stereo
blaring


Other examples from the article:


Fleas, lice,
The horse pissing
Near my pillow

Basho [trans. R.H. Blyth]



evening—
wiping horse shit off his hand
with a mum

Issa [trans. David G. Lanoue]



the waiting
for the bombers
prolongs our night

Dragan J. Ristic



too early for sunrise
the horizon glows with the red
of burning villages

Ruzica Mokos
Croatia



"Takashi Nonin has described his own experiences in World War II"


dead quiet...
no signs of bombers -
going out for food



Two from me:


street attack -
I hold the young girl
through her convulsions


Alan Summers
1. World Haiku Review  Vol 2: Issue 3   November 2002
WHCvanguard - Hard or "Real" Haiku
Vanguard Haiku Selected by Susumu Takiguchi

2. Short Stuff  a journal of 'short form' poetry Ninth Issue Vol 2, Issue 1, January 2003



sultry evening
liquid from the take out bag
runs near the victim


Alan Summers
World Haiku Review  VOLUME 2: ISSUE 3   NOVEMBER 2002
WHCvanguard - Hard or "Real" Haiku
Vanguard Haiku Selected by Susumu Takiguchi


Croatian war haiku that have inspired me with their harsh truths:


a cloud of dust
takes away the house with it
leaving the scream behind

Davor Cevanic


a foot in the mud
and under it
an autumn oak leaf

Vesna Skocir


the doll's eyes
blown out by a mine
replaced with sweets

Mirko Vidovic


baking in the oven
for a stray dog-
an old man's brain

Mirko Vidovic


This doesn't mean I go seeking these hard haiku, but I do want to be able and allowed to have a choice available, and it is the job of the poet not to hide or shy away from this responsibility.


I'll look forward to examples, preferably actual experience please.

Alan

Hi again! ;-)

Is your name Dmitri?

I don't think the Lucien Stryk and Takashi Ikemoto book has Japanese text, but in association with the other book will prove useful.

I tend to think we need as many books on Basho as we can budget for if we want to study his work properly. 

Yes, it's good to have a non-poetic translation alongside a poetic version (can't be a translation literally).

all my best,

Alan

Dear new member,

Welcome to The Haiku Foundation forum! ;-)

Apologies for not knowing your name.

Do you have the English-language version translator's name for the one line version you posted?

Year's end, all corners of this floating world, swept.


There is this three line version:

English version by Lucien Stryk and Takashi Ikemoto:

Year's end,
all corners
of this floating world, swept.

Zen Poetry: Let the Spring Breeze Enter [Paperback]
Lucien Stryk (Translator), Takashi Ikemoto (Translator)
Publisher: Grove Press; 1st edition (January 20, 1995)
ISBN-10: 0802134076
ISBN-13: 978-0802134073
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802134076

The book appears incredibly cheap to purchase!  But do please note review further down.

The U.K. price is a bit more though, but still reasonable, if you are living in the U.K.:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zen-Poetry-Lucien-Stryk/dp/0802134076/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323517738&sr=1-2-fkmr0

Amongst the many fine books on Basho, this is one for your library, and will contain the original Japanese:

Basho and His Interpreters: Selected Hokku with Commentary [Paperback]
Paperback: 468 pages
Publisher: Stanford University Press (May 1, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0804725268
ISBN-13: 978-0804725262
http://www.amazon.com/Basho-His-Interpreters-Selected-Commentary/dp/0804725268/ref=sr_1_26?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323518103&sr=1-26

all my very best,

Alan

Quote from: HaikuCat on December 10, 2011, 04:07:59 AM
I've been trying to find the original Japanese text for Basho's Haiku below. Does anyone know the original for this Haiku? (The original text does not have to be written in Japanese characters, could be English written -- although if anyone could provide the Japanese character version, that would be great as well. I read Japanese.)

Year's end, all corners of this floating world, swept.

Thank you in advance for your help. :)

Please do let anyone living in the South West of England (Britain) who may be interested about this course. ;-)

Become well-versed in haiku
http://tinyurl.com/versedinhaiku


Who is the course for?

This course is for everyone, whether new or familiar with the haiku genre.
It's both for those wishing to increase their confidence in creative
writing, and those wishing to further their general written skills.  This
course is also ideal for those who enjoy trying something different, and
new, in a relaxed, friendly, fun, supportive and inclusive atmosphere.


What does the course aim to do?

The course aims to bring participants a new depth of knowledge of a
fascinating and addictive  form of writing, and to familiarise them with
its leading writers and history.  It aims to bring a new creative outlet
to student's lives that can continue after the course – nobody is too busy
to write haiku!


What will be covered?

The following topics will be covered during the course:

•        The origin, background, and history of haiku through Classical, Modern, and contemporary Japan.
•        The various styles of haiku inside and outside Japan.
•        A number of tools and techniques to understand, and write, contemporary haiku.
•        How to keep a Haiku Journal (http://area17.blogspot.com/2008/11/royal-festival-hall.html)
•        How to edit & strengthen your haiku drafts with confidence using a self-critical and analytical eye.
•        What haiku editors and publishers are looking for in online and print journals.
•        What competitions to send your haiku.
•        Depending on course length we will also cover forms related to haiku such as tanka and renga.


What are the final qualifications?

There are no final qualifications associated with this course though you
will have attended an authentic haiku workshop by experienced Japan Times
award-winning writer Alan Summers.


ALAN SUMMERS

Alan Summers has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa
University; he is a past General Secretary of the British Haiku Society;
and a Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renga.  His haiku are
translated into 15 languages (including Japanese) as well as British
Sign Language. His new haiku collection is due out March 2012 (tba New Year).

Alan is an experienced workshop leader, and editor, in haiku and other
haikai disciplines. He has appeared in literary festivals, and readings,
all over Britain  His 1000 verse renga city-wide projects have been
supported by local councils and libraries, and reported on by the BBC's
Poetry Season.

Looking forward to the tanka that's been selected.  I only know of Colin Stewart Jones, managing editor for Notes from the Gean, so I can at least congratulate him. ;-)

Alan

I concur with Kristjaan on this, although I too love Chris's verse which is a joy to read.  But Scott's haiku feels it has more vertical axis to me.

I vote for Scott Metz.

all my best,

Alan

Quote from: Chèvrefeuille on November 09, 2011, 09:54:44 PM
the word god being eaten by a field of robins

Scott Metz


say it so it sounds like starling she says

Chris Gordon

I will give this a try. I am not so very good in giving of comments. But I shall try.

I love the verse written by Scott. By reading and another time reading I see a torn Holy Scripture in the fields and Robins who are using the paper for their nest's. So the Holy Scripture becomes a building material and that ... I think is what it was meant to be.

The verse by Chris ... I love the aliteration, but that's all. Sorry Chris.

My vote goes to Scott.

I will, by the way, include a haiku I once have written in the same picture as the one by Scott:

the Holy Scripture
torn apart and thrown away
moves with the breeze

Hi Phil,

You should always hear back.  I'm surprised that a haiku magazine should do that.  It could be a mistake, I certainly hope so.

I've had two haiku accepted that didn't appear in a couple of magazines, way back, but I know it was a plain mistake and didn't follow it up.

One wasn't a great haiku so partly relieved. ;-) 

I think if you don't hear back from a haiku or haikai magazine within 3-4 weeks, then it should be okay to check if they received your haiku okay.

all my best,

Alan

Quote from: PAllen on November 07, 2011, 11:15:05 AM
Hi Alan, you answered my question. 

Rejection I have come to realize is never hearing back, or not finding the submitted verse in the anticipated published journal.

I appreciate your reply!

Phil

Hi Phil,

Not sure what you mean, but what I can say is that once you've sent a submission in, you shouldn't send it elsewhere as most if not all publishers dislike that practice.

But if you get a rejection, always look to see if you can improve it and then immediately send it onto another publication.  That means the rejection is not so hard to take.

I've often in the past, sent a piece of work several times, and it's been eventually accepted, and in at least one case it received a place in a competition.

all my best,

Alan

Quote from: PAllen on November 07, 2011, 07:49:51 AM
Along the lines of multiple submissions. . .

Once a publication is made available to the public and a submission is not among the esteemed verse, it can then be assumed the rejected piece can be submitted elsewhere?

Phil

Dear Andy,

I would be very wary of this practice, although there are exceptions:

"Similar Haiku"

aftershock
the empty swing
swinging

Alan Bridges
2nd Place Vanguard section
World Haiku Review
http://sites.google.com/site/worldhaikureview2/whr-august-2011/haiku-3-vangaurd-august-2011

aftershock
empty swings
swaying

Michael Dylan Welch
http://sites.google.com/site/graceguts/sequences/the-last-leaf

Also check out:
http://sites.google.com/site/graceguts/essays/introduction-to-deja-ku

all my best,

Alan

Quote from: Andy on November 05, 2011, 09:03:08 AM
I recently posted a haiku with a revision:

still morning
two leaves fall
in unison

still morning
two leaves fall
together

I am wondering how different two haiku should be in order to not be considered under consideration by another publication if submitted to two journals?  How different should they be in order to simultaneously submit them to different publications? 

Andy

Details are up on Area 17: http://area17.blogspot.com

all my best,

Alan

Look out for the review in the forthcoming December issue of Blithe Spirit by me!

BHS: http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/journal/

The journal editor's email is actually: "Colin Blundell" <coljo@metronet.co.uk> if you are a BHS member who hasn't submitted any work yet.

all my best,

Alan

There is a letter missing in the original link:
www.chrysanthemum-haiku.net/

The current issue can be downloaded here:
http://www.bregengemme.net/chrysanthemum/pages/en/current-issue.php

Enjoy!

all my best,

Alan

It is!

I'll post a new topic about this.

I'm hoping my wife can come along again as co-tutor.

It's full board, with plenty of rest and refreshment breaks.

Meals are high quality, and the course is as intensive as people want, but in a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere.

We always end on a renga which is always great fun.

If there's any chance you can come that would be fantastic.  The course really suits both newcomers and seasoned writers alike.

I always have an amazing group of people attend too. ;-)

Alan

Quote from: John McManus on October 26, 2011, 08:32:18 AM
Hi Alan, is it going to be in Surrey again?

warmest,
John

The Purely Haiku residential course will happen again next year in May 21st - 25th 2012.




"I use every corner of my life as a way of reflection of my psychological personal development - haiku in itself is great for this, but working with you has just elevated the experience 100 fold.   
Your support over the last couple of years or so have just been such an amazing gift to me - bless you." 
July 2011 - Workshops in Bradford on Avon.

Alison has a good point.

Also, you can find your haiku (good and bad) by simply googling.

Michael and myself did google Alison for her haiku, and some of those results were ones that went into this fine anthology which Alison is featured: http://area17.blogspot.com/2010/11/fifty-seven-damn-good-haiku-by-bunch-of.html

It sounds like Alison has enough quality work to consider going for the Snapshot Press Book Collection!  If you've got them collated neatly as Alison suggests in a private blog, it'll help make things easier.

But do back them up on old-fashioned record cards or sheets of paper too! ;-)

Alan