History of Haiku and other Japanese oriental forms of poetry

[whitedove]

Higginson's book and others give a history of haiku and it's evolution.  What I didn't gain from reading sources however was the history of haiku in Japan before and during World War II and even after.  Immediately before World War II tensions arose between different groups of haiku poets—those who wanted haiku to remain traditional and who supported the war propaganda and those who wanted innovation.  I believe the latter were called the New Rising group.  Tensions escalated and people were interrogated, beaten and killed over haiku.  The innovators were not completely wiped out however, and became the Gendai poets after the war.

Whenever we study haiku, I think it's a good idea to also study their social and historic context when we can.  Very often the haiku poets are giving voice to the events occurring around them that will become history.  Rebecca Drouilhet

[sandra]

Hi Rebecca, you could try this link for more information on the New Rising Group: http://www.roadrunnerjournal.com/pages72/translation72.htm

And in my article on haiku before and during World War 1, I mention a little bit about Japan, mostly a social context: http://www.poetrysociety.org.nz/monthlyarticle (the two parts of the article will be united at the end of this month and stored under Archived Articles.

All the best,
Sandra

[AlanSummers]

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Adding to Sandra's great links:



NEW RISING HAIKU
The Evolution of Modern Japanese Haiku and the Haiku Persecution Incident
by Itô Yûki, Ph.D. (cand.), Kumamoto University, Graduate School of Cultural and Social Sciences
http://www.simplyhaiku.com/SHv5n4/features/Ito.html


Forgive, But Do Not Forget
Itô Yûki talks with Udo Wenzel
http://www.simplyhaiku.com/SHv6n2/features/Forgive.html
and
http://www.haiku-heute.de/Archiv/Ito_Yuki_2007-12/Ito_Yuki_2007-12_e/ito_yuki_2007-12_e.html

The Spirit of Freedom
Aspects of Contemporary Haiku
Richard Gilbert talks with Udo Wenzel
http://www.haiku-heute.de/Archiv/Richard_Gilbert_03-2007/Richard_Gilbert_e_03-2007/richard_gilbert_e_03-2007.html


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[Anna]

Goodness, I did not look into this thread for a long time. So much of info. Thanks people.