mishou
06-08-2006, 06:50 PM
I know Amy started a Haiku thread a while back and it's now bursting at the seams with poetry but I thought it was time to make things official. How 'bout creating some art to go along with those words?
For those of you who are interested, I've done a bit of research on the actual rules of Haiku. Yes, there are rules other than the 5,7,5 format. Not that we really care about rules around here LOL But I thought it was interesting so here's some recaps from a few Haiku websites:
I think these are generally considered the 3 major rules if you want to attempt to write the formal kind of Haiku. Check out the more detailed run down at the website here (http://www.toyomasu.com/haiku/)
1) The Metrical Pattern
- 3 lines with 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively
2) Cutting
- divides the Haiku in two
- physically with a colon or ellipsis at the end of the first or second line
- thematically by creating an “imaginative distance between the two sections”
3) Nature/Seasons
- usually are nature-themed and contain a ‘seasonal’ word that indicates in which season the Haiku is set
At the wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku) article about Haiku you can read the entire history of the artform but they also explain about the 'American' version which is a little less strict with rules. Here's an excerpt:
"While traditional hokku focused on nature and the place of humans in nature, modern haiku poets often consider any subject matter suitable, whether related to nature, an urban setting, or even a technological context. Traditional hokku required a long period of learning and maturing, but contemporary haiku is often regarded as an "instant" form of brief verse that can be written by anyone from schoolchildren to professionals.
Due to the various views and practices today, it is impossible to single out any current style or format or subject matter as definitive "haiku". Nonetheless, some of the more common practices in English are:
• Use of three (or fewer) lines of no more than 17 syllables in total;
• Use of metrical feet rather than syllables. A haiku then becomes three lines of 2, 3, and 2 metrical feet, with a pause after the second or fifth;
• Use of a caesura to implicitly contrast and compare two events or situations.
And finally, here's a Resource Page (http://www.ahapoetry.com/haiku.htm) you can check out. One of the more interesting articles there in my opinion is the one called "Rules of Haiku that have come and gone" There are 65 listed and you could probably have tons of fun challenging yourself to try following a different rule with each Haiku.
So there you have it. Haiku in a nutshell. Now get busy creating artquirks to go along with your poems! Don't forget to link back here so we can take a look!
For those of you who are interested, I've done a bit of research on the actual rules of Haiku. Yes, there are rules other than the 5,7,5 format. Not that we really care about rules around here LOL But I thought it was interesting so here's some recaps from a few Haiku websites:
I think these are generally considered the 3 major rules if you want to attempt to write the formal kind of Haiku. Check out the more detailed run down at the website here (http://www.toyomasu.com/haiku/)
1) The Metrical Pattern
- 3 lines with 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively
2) Cutting
- divides the Haiku in two
- physically with a colon or ellipsis at the end of the first or second line
- thematically by creating an “imaginative distance between the two sections”
3) Nature/Seasons
- usually are nature-themed and contain a ‘seasonal’ word that indicates in which season the Haiku is set
At the wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku) article about Haiku you can read the entire history of the artform but they also explain about the 'American' version which is a little less strict with rules. Here's an excerpt:
"While traditional hokku focused on nature and the place of humans in nature, modern haiku poets often consider any subject matter suitable, whether related to nature, an urban setting, or even a technological context. Traditional hokku required a long period of learning and maturing, but contemporary haiku is often regarded as an "instant" form of brief verse that can be written by anyone from schoolchildren to professionals.
Due to the various views and practices today, it is impossible to single out any current style or format or subject matter as definitive "haiku". Nonetheless, some of the more common practices in English are:
• Use of three (or fewer) lines of no more than 17 syllables in total;
• Use of metrical feet rather than syllables. A haiku then becomes three lines of 2, 3, and 2 metrical feet, with a pause after the second or fifth;
• Use of a caesura to implicitly contrast and compare two events or situations.
And finally, here's a Resource Page (http://www.ahapoetry.com/haiku.htm) you can check out. One of the more interesting articles there in my opinion is the one called "Rules of Haiku that have come and gone" There are 65 listed and you could probably have tons of fun challenging yourself to try following a different rule with each Haiku.
So there you have it. Haiku in a nutshell. Now get busy creating artquirks to go along with your poems! Don't forget to link back here so we can take a look!