HAIKU WITH MICHAEL DYLAN WELCH (pt1)



What a fabulous 2 hour session on the subject of haiku we had with Michael on a zoom call organised by Japan Fair.  Participants from many countries including Wales, Canada, India, many states across the US, Australia and Tasmania and beyond.


I have been writing haiku for 25 years and still come across something 'else' to consider within this short form, as well as solidifying targets in my own writing. 


'Targets' as Michael put it.  not rules which are obligations, but 'targets' which are opportunities.  Choose to make a poem better.  


KEY TARGETS NOT RULES



As Mary Oliver says :


Pay attention 

be astonished

and tell about it



SHARE HAIKU
Haiku is to be shared - it is the core purpose of the art form 


Sharing haiku is sharing what it is to be human



WHAT IS NOT A HAIKU 

- This is not an haiku.   >>>>>>

- this is an instruction. >>>>>>

  • you cant take a photo of the phrase
  • it is non-sensory 

clever though - it has the juxtaposition and 

the fragment doesnt make sense (the point of the phrase).


as for the fragment - you can photograph a refrigerator - it creates an image in your mind







WHAT I GOT OUT OF THE SESSION :

  • the goal of an haiku is not to have 'nature' in it but the goal is to have a seasonal reference (which might be nature).  ie 'autumn breeze' (nature).  or  'christmas morning' (seasonal).
  • utilise one or more of the 5 senses - apply sensory feelings
  • use a cutting word (1)
  • make the poem HERE and NOW - a snapshot in time
  • be objective (not subjective)
  • leave a space in haiku (for the reader to fill in)
  • no caps to begin the haiku denotes open end-ness - as does no full stop (period) at the end.
  • don't write about your feelings, write about what caused your feelings - imply an emotion - intuitive

the points above, solidified my current way/knowledge of writing haiku;



the points below brought in another layer, for me, to aim for and uplift my writing.

  • summon a feeling, do not impose it
  • a haiku about a thing is valued because it is to honour the spirit of things
  • the 'turn' as i usually call it is emphasised by a grammatical shift. (2) 
  • denotation before connotation (3)
  • try to imply something outside the poem (4)
  • Senryu does not have to have a 2 part structure and can be more intellectual (haiku is objective) and the tone of senryu is lighter
  • syllable count is not part of a target it is more organic and much less syllables or 18 or 19 are fine if you are hitting those other targets. (5)
  • understand the difference between subjective and objective - be objective


(1) the cut in haiku -

In haiku poetry, a "cutting word" is a term called kireji. It's a word or phrase, typically at the end of a line or between lines, that creates a pause, emphasizes a contrast, or signals a shift in meaning or mood. In English, while there's no direct equivalent to a kireji, punctuation like a dash, ellipsis, or even a short pause can achieve a similar



(2) the grammatical shift - example


the telephone

rings only once

autumn rain

(Nick Avis)


(3) denotation before connotation -

In the context of haiku, denotation refers to the literal, dictionary meaning of words, as opposed to their figurative or connotative meanings. Haiku, with their emphasis on direct, evocative imagery, often rely on denotative language to create a clear and concise picture of a moment or scene. 



(4) to imply something outside the poem - an example 


an old woollen sweater 

            taken yarn by yarn 

                    from the snowbank 

(Michael Dylan Welch)



have a look here  where Michael speaks to this poem - he explains this poem is a one-part haiku, has no juxtaposition, has no cut in it and he talks about how the 'aha' moment comes across, slowly and not always surely. 


this poem is an example of implying something outside the poem - and was included in  Bill Higginson 's Haiku World season-word almanac under the heading of “bird’s nest”—even though it doesn’t even mention a nest at all.


once we know its about a bird's nest, the aha moment sinks in. 



(5) IN THE WRAP UP - to reiterate


Haiku is to be shared - it is the core purpose of the art form 


Sharing haiku is sharing what it is to be human

visit the Haiku Foundation website for more information and poetry


I have added this article to my LEARN WITH ME series (new and continuing to update) check it out here

Comments

Post a Comment