Haiku

-Narrative Essay HANDBACK (2.5 TODAY weeks=world record for 540 pages with annotations) -Haiku with Master Basho -Compys for Poetry

TODAY

Narrative Essay Return Day  DON’T TELL ME, SHOW ME!  Don’t just give facts, detail them in a story!  This keeps readers engaged, and appeals to human nature. It is why we enjoy stories!  Comma Usage  Run-on sentences

Basho  Japanese poet; second

half of 1600s  Humble attitude

towards nature— selfless, respectful. Do not impose yourself onto nature.

“Drop the ‘tude” - Basho  One of Basho's fans, a poetry student,

came to him and said, "I've got a great idea for a poem! It goes: 'Pull the wings off a dragonfly, and look - you get a red pepperpod!'" Basho said, "No. That is not in the spirit of haiku. You should write: 'Add wings to a pepperpod, and look - you get a red dragonfly!'" Cruelty, violence and sensationalism have no place in haiku poetry. The natural processes of suffering and death do, but the attitude to creatures that suffer is compassionate.

Japanese Haiku Form  The newly spawned American Haiku has

no specific format for syllables in lines, but Japanese Haiku has a strict 5-7-5 format.  What are the benefits and downsides to

this?

Writing Haiku  Haiku is not for showing off your skills in

writing metaphor—it is meant for a clear conveyance of the setting—let the content, the Nature, do the impressing.  1 poem should be focused on an animal.  1 poem should be focused on setting.  1 poem is of your choice.

Haiku-xamples  SEEK ON HIGH BARE TRAILS  SKY-

REFLECTING  VIOLETS...MOUNTAIN-TOP JEWELSBasho

 NOW THAT EYES OF HAWKS  IN DUSKY

NIGHT  ARE DARKENED...CHIRPING OF THE QUAILS

 Basho

Haiku-xamples  APRIL'S AIR STIRS IN  WILLOW-LEAVES ...

  A BUTTERFLYFLOATS AND BALANCES – Basho  IN THESE DARK WATERS  DRAWN UP

FROM  MY FROZEN WELL ...GLITTERING OF SPRING - Ringai