Autumn Haiku

The red-golden leaves
wave at the wind and whisper
to the sky. Listen.

Haiku is a type of Japanese verse that is a different from most poetry.  It isn’t about fancy comparisons or flowery language.  It doesn’t have long stanzas or rhyming words.  Instead, a haiku tries to express the poet’s feelings about something through a few short lines.  The hope is that the reader will sense these same emotions too. 

A poet by the name of Shiki started modern haiku writing in Japan in the early 20^th century.   He felt that the haiku should be a “sketch from nature.”  Of course, this could be interpreted in a number of ways.  In fact, two of his most famous students provide us with some rather different examples.  One of them thought that haiku should mirror the poet’s feelings for nature.  His own haiku are filled with sensitive responses to natural scenes.  Nature is the important theme in all his works.

The other student concentrated on the idea that a haiku should be realistic, and he urged his students to pay attention to the details of everyday life.  Because of this belief, he also thought that anything could be the subject of haiku.  It might even be something that wasn’t especially beautiful or interesting.  The natural world is not an important part of his poetry.

In most American haiku, however, the images are usually something about nature.  The idea is to be open to the scene in the way a child might experience it.  The feeling may be simply happy or sad, or it may express a sense of wonder.  This kind of poetry is not exactly an intellectual exercise; it is more about imagination and emotion.

Most haiku written in English consists of three lines.  The first line has phrases of five syllables; the second line has seven syllables, and the third line has five syllables again.  Line one presents an image, and it usually refers to a season in nature.  The poet may not come right out and say what the season is, but some image in this line will hint at the season being suggested.   

Lines two and three combine to make another image.   In the traditional form of haiku, there is a relationship between these two image lines. The placement of the punctuation mark denotes emotion.  The comparison of the two elements makes for a feeling of energy within the verse.

Haiku is a way to capture the moment in a few simple words, and one way to get into the spirit of this kind of poetry is to find a scene that appeals to you.  Fall is an especially good time to do this, especially if you live in a temperate climate.  Then the trees are all in color, and the vistas are sure to be beautiful.  of course, if your neighborhood is more tropical, there is also a lot of beauty to be appreciated.  

Since haiku is so concise, you might even be able to write a poem on the spot.  Like an artist painting from nature, the poet might capture the vision as he or she is actually seeing it.  You can take out your notebook (instead of your easel) and seize the feeling in situ.  Or you can take a photograph and remember your experience later by writing a haiku about it. 

In any event, consider going out into the world and writing a short haiku.  It is one way of seizing a moment--not just in pictures but in words.