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Haiku Or Not Haiku

Haiku or Not Haiku haiku or not haiku is the choice left up to you perhaps senryu is more in tune with your poetic desire haiku set afire lonely words seeking ancient gratification with no one peeking two dogs - one pork chop survivals cold conundrum eat here or to go haiku – god bless you the symptoms of fevered zen chasing nirvana I am in distress this confusion has left me posing in this dress darkened horizon silent audience awaits auroral light show Gues Hu 8/11/2014

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Andrea Dietrich

Date: 8/12/2014 3:33:00 PM

If you soupmail me, I can answer your questions you might have. Like I said,I am not an expert, but I have read enough good magazines to know when they are or are not really haiku!! and 7/5/7 CAN be haiku if it is written correctly.

John Lawless
Date: 8/12/2014 6:01:00 PM

I feel it is the dilemma of language and culture. As explained in the Haiku form on poetry soup the cadence of the language i very different and the culture more conducive to the zen of the haiku. Thanks for all the information and for commenting. I had fun writing these pseudo haiku as I had the out of blaming them on Gues Hu.

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 8/12/2014 3:30:00 PM

Also, don't feel too bad. Nearly 90% or more of what is posted of Haiku here is not really haiku and the judges who do haiku contests are sometimes totally getting it wrong. I do not claim to be an expert and I do not always write "real" ones either, but I know when I am not doing it. If the judge seems to like the old fashioned kind, I just do that old fashioned way. If you do a contest for me or Debs, for example, you will need to use juxtaposition and other things needed for a real haiku!

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 8/12/2014 3:28:00 PM

gues hu. how funny at the bottom. Well, I must sadly tell thee: they are not haiku or senryu, at least not by the definition I have studied for them, my friend. However, they are really nice little poems. And the last one comes close to being haiku. The one I liked best was very clever: chasing nirvana. syllable count means nothing. All the modern magazines prefer shorter than 7/5/7 and in fact, they won't publish you if you are using 5/7/5. Just google Haiku Society. See their examples!

Tim Smith

Date: 8/11/2014 8:53:00 PM

Haha great John.....cheers

John Lawless
Date: 8/11/2014 9:04:00 PM

thanks Tim, I figure I you can't write one, poke fun at it.

Carolyn Devonshire

Date: 8/11/2014 7:49:00 PM

:D Now whenever I see your name I'll be picturing "Gues Hu" in a dress. I didn't know the difference between a haiku and a senryu when I joined this site. But now I know I can't write either form. LOL Love your witty poem!

John Lawless
Date: 8/11/2014 9:03:00 PM

Carolyn, the definition in the soup forms list says that the author of the haiku often uses a "pen name" thus the "nom de plume" of Gues Hu. thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Casarah Nance

Date: 8/11/2014 5:59:00 PM

witty and fun, good one :)

John Lawless
Date: 8/11/2014 9:00:00 PM

Casarah, this is probably the most fun I've ever had with the Haiku,or the Senryu or whatever....

Jan Allison

Date: 8/11/2014 4:38:00 PM

I'm notsure - i just make sure the syllable count is accurate and hope for the best LOL Great write. I recently wrote what i thought was a haiku and someone said it was a senryu so i bowed to their knowledge and changed it - still non the wiser :-( Hugs Jan xxxx

Jan Allison
Date: 8/12/2014 4:37:00 AM

I adore Nette's contests always VERY clear what she wants - I am learning new forms every day and growing in confidence but I agree Haikus are alien to and different web pages give differing advice - maybe the judge could direct us to a specific page then we would be sure LOL. Good luck anyway just join the contests to expand you knowledge I do:-) Hugs jan xxx

John Lawless
Date: 8/11/2014 8:59:00 PM

Jan, I am still at odds with the contests and the Haiku. It is for me a difficult form, at times made more complex by added restrictions or expansions of the definition on the poetry soup forms list. thanks for reading and checking in.