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Important! The 2018 Mainichi contest for haiku.
Here is the address for this years International Mainichi Haiku contest. You must be quick as it closes on the 30th of September.
It is judged each year by some wonderful Japanese haijuns.
https://www.mainichi.co.jp/event/aw/haiku/english.html
It is judged each year by some wonderful Japanese haijuns.
https://www.mainichi.co.jp/event/aw/haiku/english.html
For all things wabi-sabi
Ahavanti made a wonderful suggestion in regards to all things wabi-sabi having it's very own thread. Here we can post anything concerning wabi-sabi, including photographs that you have permission to use as we must not infringe anyone's property. Many thanks A.
Cheers...Harry
Cheers...Harry
Kireji (cutting word)
Many haiku have a pause at either the end of the first or second line. The Japanese have word sounds that achieve this; ka, kana, etc. We westen haijuns use a variety of methods to achieve this. Many use commas, some a simple dash, I personally use ellipsis (...). William J. Higginson used it often and when he translated Basho's famous haiku in The Haiku Handbook he used the ellipsis.
old pond...
a frog leaps in
water's sound
The use of the kireji is a personal choice and many modern haijuns choose to use no "cutting word" at all relying solely on the wording of the haiku or senryu to achieve the pause. Of course many haiku have no pause at all.
I know of several poets that simply miss a line to emphasize the pause between line one or two. The general rule is open to interpretation so I suggest you use what you feel comfortable with. I must admit that I am experimenting with the line space method at the moment but I'm still not sure whether I will use it in the future.
Cheers...Harry
Cheers...Harry
old pond...
a frog leaps in
water's sound
The use of the kireji is a personal choice and many modern haijuns choose to use no "cutting word" at all relying solely on the wording of the haiku or senryu to achieve the pause. Of course many haiku have no pause at all.
I know of several poets that simply miss a line to emphasize the pause between line one or two. The general rule is open to interpretation so I suggest you use what you feel comfortable with. I must admit that I am experimenting with the line space method at the moment but I'm still not sure whether I will use it in the future.
Cheers...Harry
Cheers...Harry
Introduction to Tanka Poetry
Tanka writing is another pre-haiku form of Japanese poetry that is written in a stanzaic form of, five-seven-five / seven-seven pattern. Again, we must remember that this is not our traditional syllable count but onji, word sounds, so a tanka follows the same rules as haiku and senryu writing.
Tanka were often used as love notes sent from lover to lover that expressed desire and gratitude. Initially they were used to express an appreciation of nature. These days they are written on just about every subject, from love to war, politics and religion.
So please, do not hold back...let your tanka speak honestly...let them shout or let them whisper.
Cheers...Harry
sitting silently
beneath the moon
and stars
memories of you
come and go
Tanka were often used as love notes sent from lover to lover that expressed desire and gratitude. Initially they were used to express an appreciation of nature. These days they are written on just about every subject, from love to war, politics and religion.
So please, do not hold back...let your tanka speak honestly...let them shout or let them whisper.
Cheers...Harry
sitting silently
beneath the moon
and stars
memories of you
come and go