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WHAT ARE HAIKU? - Brian Strand's Blog

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English experientialist in open verse&creator of the FOOTLE couplet&EMAGI ekphrasis

A regular here since 2007 ,with 1240+ contests

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WHAT ARE HAIKU?

Blog Posted:11/26/2011 1:23:00 AM

A question more often asked than answered!Two translators thereof said of them'little drops of poetic essence'(Sansom);'meditations...starting points of trains of thought'(Henderson).Taken together,these are perhaps 'the' essential guideline to this 'enigmatic'* form so clearly shown in this sad haiku by Chiyo (1703-75) the renown haiku poetess,married at 19,widowed at 26:

I sleep....I wake...

How wide

The bed with none beside

*many meanings from one thought

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Natalie
The Rogue Rhymer

Date: 11/27/2011 10:02:00 AM

Cyndi-Now you may have me rethink things when you throw in one of my favorite theme songs :)

Cyndi
MacMillan

Date: 11/27/2011 5:25:00 AM

Hey Natalie-dear, listen carefully. You hear it, right? It's getting louder...the theme song to Jaws. Da dum. Da dum. Dadumdadumdadum...here comes a 'ku for you...

Natalie
The Rogue Rhymer

Date: 11/26/2011 4:18:00 PM

Well Carrie and the rest of you that are fans of the Haiku...I'm happy for you. :) I'm w/ Tracie though...and I think they are more similar to liver and onions with no seasoning.

Carrie
Richards

Date: 11/26/2011 11:23:00 AM

How huge the essence of feeling, in so few words. I disagree, Tracie, the haiku is not a brussel sprout, it is a tender little sprout opening up to flower with beauty, in the sun. :)

Edward
Ebbs

Date: 11/26/2011 8:58:00 AM

If you ponder the season of life, there is a nativity of spring, then the energy of summer, followed by autumn before the cold and stillness of winter. One of the things that tells us that autumn approaching is cooler mornings and the leaves change color...for us maybe it's the graying strands of hair, challenges to get those joints warmed up before rising from a sleep, there is more, but now read the Haiku by Murakami, Kijo...if you look there are many more connotations. "First autumn morning:" "the mirror I stare into" "shows my father's face." Murakami, Kijo. (1865-1938) Am I a fan of Haikus, no, not really, but I have six younger sisters and am the oldest and only brother...I have a protection vein within me. Just Ed :)

Edward
Ebbs

Date: 11/26/2011 8:30:00 AM

This form of poetry forces the writer to stop and pay attention to the sounds, scents, tastes, and other sensations using a few syllables planting seeds allowing the reader's own thoughts to take what was written and allowing it to sprout into something more; only the unshackelled mind can do this...if this does not happen, then maybe the Haiku is poorly written or maybe the reader thinks in a box...just my thoughts :) ~ Peace

john
freeman

Date: 11/26/2011 7:30:00 AM

More of a general approach in writing it in expression of a thought rather than spicifics subjects required. A poem is the poet's concept, not the reader. Thanks Brian. Agape, Moses

Tracy
Edwards

Date: 11/26/2011 7:20:00 AM

WHAT ARE HAIKU?...they are the brussel sprouts of poetry...yuck!

Oleg
Borisov

Date: 11/26/2011 3:09:00 AM

the rust twined with the sword// bones sparkle// the time gone through

Oleg
Borisov

Date: 11/26/2011 2:34:00 AM

Greed head//cut off//by justice sword

Oleg
Borisov

Date: 11/26/2011 2:05:00 AM

Look at my face... ...dead... youth has gone

Cyndi
MacMillan

Date: 11/26/2011 1:48:00 AM

Thank you. That is a lovely, sharp, startling haiku.

My Past Blog Posts


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BYRON modesty & fishing for praise -a quote Date Posted: 6/30/2021 12:54:00 AM
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TEST MATCH SPECIAL an historic event Date Posted: 6/17/2021 3:55:00 AM
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My Recent Poems

Date Posted	PoemTitle	Form	Categories
10/1/2023	COLOURED CREATIVITY	Verse	imagination,inspirational
9/30/2023	INTERACTIVITY	Verse	poetry,
9/28/2023	EXPERIMENTAL	Verse	poetry,
9/28/2023	GNARLED but mature	Couplet	christian,tree,
9/28/2023	A GRACEFUL FACE	Ekphrasis	art,
9/27/2023	WINDOW SHOPPING	Ekphrasis	art,
9/27/2023	CONVERSATION in the day room	Cinquain	age,
9/27/2023	RELISH THE RICHNESS	Verse	poetry,
9/26/2023	THE LETTER of LOVE	Romanticism	love,wife,
9/25/2023	AN APPLE a day	Epigram	christian,words,
9/25/2023	MY SEARCH	Bio	christian,faith,
9/24/2023	AUTUMNAL aura	Quatrain	autumn,
9/24/2023	MISTY MORN	Imagism	autumn,morning,
9/22/2023	A Quintain CArPe DIeM	Epigram	life,
9/21/2023	ABSENCE	Verse	absence,age,loneliness,
9/21/2023	IMMINENT happening	Verse	inspiration,word play,
9/20/2023	FLOATING AWAY	Verse	poetry,
9/20/2023	FLUTTERINGS	Tristich	inspiration,
9/20/2023	AN EKPHRASIS aloud	Verse	poets,
9/20/2023	FADED	Verse	retirement,
9/19/2023	TRUE LOVE agape way	Couplet	love,
9/19/2023	SHADOW SYMBOLS	Verse	extended metaphor,
9/15/2023	MY OASIS	Bio	christian,fruit,love,wate
9/13/2023	KISMET	Bio	love,
9/12/2023	VISION - WORDS ALIVE	Sonnet	christian,word play,
9/11/2023	JUKEBOX jive	Bio	dance,music,
9/10/2023	WIND its elementary	Couplet	wind,
9/10/2023	ETHEREAL beauty	Verse	beauty,
9/9/2023	KNITTING A POETIC RIB	Verse	dream,word play,
9/9/2023	SUNSET hiku	Haiku	sunset,
9/8/2023	THOSE WERE GRAN'S DAYS	Rhyme	family,history,
9/8/2023	BUTTERFLY sonnet	Sonnet	butterfly,
9/7/2023	OPEN verse- AN EXPLANATION in verse	List	poetry,word play,
9/7/2023	CONTRASTS an open verse	Verse	poetry,
9/6/2023	WYETH Ekphrasis	Lanterne	art,
9/6/2023	VANILLA slice SO NICE	Free verse	food,
9/6/2023	PARAPHERNALIA an open form	Verse	poetry,word play,
9/5/2023	ON A DECAYING LOG	Monoku	nature,
9/5/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 20 x 20	Verse	poets,
9/4/2023	FALL SPLENDOUR	Quatrain	autumn,
9/4/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 19	Dramatic Verse	poets,
9/3/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 18	Imagism	childhood,poets,word play
9/3/2023	FLUXUS	Clerihew	music,
9/2/2023	HELPMEET	Pleiades	christian,life,
9/2/2023	TASTE a senuous art	Ekphrasis	art,food,
9/2/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 17	Verse	poets,
9/1/2023	IT HAPPENED ONE RAINY NIGHT continued	Quatrain	love,
9/1/2023	STAR CROSSED LOVERS	Quatrain	lost love,love hurts,
9/1/2023	LOVE POETS and RIME	Rhyme	love,poetry,
9/1/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 16	Couplet	poets,
8/31/2023	POET'S A TO Z aloud No 15	Ekphrasis	poets,
8/30/2023	JUST TO SAY	Rhyme	word play,
8/30/2023	62 years and counting	Romanticism	anniversary,celebration,l
8/30/2023	POET'S A-Z aloud No 14	Quatrain	poets,
8/29/2023	GERRY	Personification	animal,
8/29/2023	A PATERNAL VERBAL letter	Rhyme	baby,
8/29/2023	A VOICE in my head	Rhyme	nostalgia,
8/29/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 13	Free verse	language,poets,
8/28/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 12	Clerihew	poets,
8/27/2023	FRUITY and FUNNY -Giuseppe A	Limerick	art,
8/27/2023	COLOUR alliterate	Couplet	art,color,
8/27/2023	CHIMERA of the times	Rhyme	weather,
8/27/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 11	Quatrain	poets,
8/26/2023	A HEARTFELT PLEA	Couplet	christian,good morning,
8/26/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 10	Tristich	poets,
8/25/2023	AN august ENIGMA	Ekphrasis	art,
8/25/2023	AUGUST shape	Shape	august,
8/25/2023	BREATH of WIND a personification	Imagism	wind,
8/25/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 9	Quatrain	art,poets,
8/24/2023	POETRY in my SOUP	Rhyme	humor,
8/24/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud No 8	Ekphrasis	poets,
8/23/2023	NETTLE	Personification	garden,
8/23/2023	ARTS defined IN rime	Rhyme	art,poetry,
8/23/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud no 7	Free verse	poets,
8/22/2023	BEAUTIFUL girls	Tristich	beautiful,flower,
8/22/2023	POET'S A TO Z aloud No 6	Free verse	poets,
8/21/2023	CHAGALL - BELLA -ART-inspiration	Free verse	art,
8/21/2023	'SWEET IDLENESS' the dolce niente	Free verse	lonely,philosophy,
8/21/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud no 5	Free verse	poets,
8/20/2023	MILK container PERSONIFIED	Couplet	food,
8/20/2023	POET'S A TO Z aloud no 4	Couplet	poets,
8/19/2023	POET'S A TO Z aloud No 3	Tristich	history,
8/18/2023	ETHEREALITY	Verse	places,
8/18/2023	POET'S A to Z aloud no 2	Free verse	poets,
8/17/2023	POETS A to Z aloud-1	Tristich	poets,
8/16/2023	Z is for zen	Epigram	christian,philosophy,
8/16/2023	Y is for YESHUA	Ekphrasis	art,christian,
8/15/2023	TABLEAU vivant	Monoku	art,
8/15/2023	CREATIVE WRITING recited	Didactic	imagination,
8/15/2023	X is for X	Epigram	humor,
8/15/2023	PRB the genre	Ekphrasis	art,black african america
8/14/2023	A SOCIAL MEDIA OBSERVATION	Alliteration	addiction,analogy,
8/14/2023	CLERIHEW durer	Clerihew	art,
8/14/2023	HOLY SPIRIT dwelling place AN EMAGI	Didactic	christian,life,teacher,
8/14/2023	SCULPTURE analysed	Didactic	art,
8/13/2023	W is for WORDPLAY ie poetry	Didactic	word play,
8/13/2023	SUR REAL surveyed	Didactic	art,
8/13/2023	OUT MY WINDOW	Bio	prayer,
8/13/2023	THOUGHTS a freed verse	Free verse	poetry,
8/12/2023	STILL LIFE with a difference	Ekphrasis	art,

My Photos

Fav Poems

PoemTitle	Form	Categories
The Nose	Concrete	art,life,on writing and w
Sailing Leaf	Haiku	nature
The Rain	Haiku	nature
Reflections	Free verse	on writing and wordswords
Hippocratic Oath	Rhyme	lost love,son,sympathywor
Ever After	Cinquain	love
Mortal Season	Free verse	sea,seasonssummer,day,sum
A Whisper on the Wind	Personification	nature,
There Will Be Mountains	Couplet	faith,lifemountains,
Tender Moments	Quatrain	lovesweet,sweet,,sweet lo
Haiku/Limerick number twenty	Haiku	nature
Time Machine	Couplet	nostalgiamom,me,night,can
I AM THE ONE	Free verse	inspirationalme,
Finally	Quatrain	love,passion
The Gift	Couplet	introspection,nature
footle .. Footle !!	Light Verse	funny
Believe!	Couplet	devotion,faith,inspiratio
Lavender Soap	Narrative	family,happinesseaster,
The Love Letter	Quatrain	lovelove,passion,
cream seeps from the sun	Haiku	seasons
Yesterday's Rain~	Couplet	forgiveness,hope,inspirat
Winter Pond	Free verse	natureautumn,
Restoration	Free verse	natureme,me,
requiem to my hero	Elegy	loss
Bed of Roses	Rictameter	love
Spring Tango	Haiku	nature,seasons
Farewell, alas	Free verse	death,i love you,
An Idyll of the Past	Verse	historyme,child,me,
Unconditioonal Love - the short version	Rhyme	loveme,me,
The Old Homestead	Lyric	family,history,introspect
The Red Rabbit	I do not know?	life,
Perspective	Couplet	introspection,natureheart
God's Orchard	Senryu	imagination
Ode to a rose on a sunset	Quatrain	caregiving,dedication,dev
The Beauty of Peace	Choka	nature,seablue,
When Violins Weep	Verse	lost love,love
Where are you so soon, my love	Quatrain	love,i love you,
Basho	Senryu	dedication
Maxine	Free verse	love
Weather Observations	Free verse	nature
Lovers Utopia	Quatrain	fantasy,happiness,imagina
Melancholy Mists	Free verse	philosophy,sad
Nightfall	Free verse	imagination,naturebird,bi
Cricket	Free verse	politicalred,
The Reader	Free verse	love,on writing and words
The Conciliator's Cry	Free verse	caregiving,devotion,inspi
My heart	Quatrain	friendship,hope,loveheart
Haste!	Personification	allegory,confusion,life,l
Whispers	Free verse	introspection,life,passio
Masterpiece	Senryu	peace
The Ambiance	Free verse	education,happiness,passi
Movements of Beginnings	Free verse	history,philosophy,politi
Poetic Waters	Haiku	nature,sea
A Bit of Joy	Senryu	happiness,life,nature
Before & After the Lull	Verse	seasea,sea,
Diamond in the Bud	Lanterne	nature
NIGHT IS NOT LIKE DAY	Terza Rima	music,mystery,nature,sea,
Ghetto Summer (redo)	Fibonacci	places
Night's sentry	Free verse	caregiving,imagination,my
Rain	Free verse	introspection,peopleday,d
Dreamtime: flowers never bloom	Quintain (Sicilian)	imagination
Awaiting Dawn	Choka	naturenight,night,
Cubic Romance	Senryu	art,imagination,love
Symbiosis	Rhyme	adventure,nature,peace
Falling in Love	Haiku	love,nature
Autumn's Breeze	Couplet	nature,peace,sea,seasons,
Destination	Tetractys	life
The Power	Tail-rhyme	allegory,love
The Walk We Take	Crystalline	happiness,hope,inspiratio
Solace of Nature	Haiku	nature,peace
The Old Painter	Couplet	time,
A Change of Season - A Haiku	Haiku	nature,
Morning Baptism	Haiku	nature
Reflection	Monoku	introspection,
Evening Grace	Free verse	peaceme,
Haiku - Mirror Reflection	Haiku	nature,
Quiet Comfort Parts 1, 2 and 3	Crystalline	introspection,life
Flying My Kite of Prose	Free verse	on writing and words
Winter Footprints	Quatrain	seasons
Sienna Eyes	Narrative	animals
Eye of the storm	Free verse	faith
Uncaring Wind	Free verse	nature
Brighter	Senryu	faith,inspirational
Causalities of War	Elegy	death,war,
Snails Pace	Shape	life,nature
Sweetly Fragrant	Sonnet	devotion,faith,father,ins
It is Written in a Star	Concrete	history,love,peace,
To VC	Free verse	hope,love,mysteryheart,he
Transition	Kimo	nature
Christmas Eve of Old	Couplet	happiness,music,
Baby Girl (For Asante Indira)	Free verse	daughter,education,intros
Ode to Winter	Ode	faith,happiness,hope,natu
Wisdom (An Emily dedicated to Brian Strand)	Epigram	dedicationmay,
Buried	Rhyme	angst,death,imagination
Glare Ice	Haiku	nature
The Sun Rises--The Moon Sets	Acrostic	life,naturemoon,
She Danced	Quatrain	imagination,inspirational
Coloring Page	Sonnet	allegorylove,
Blue Tears On Parchment	Prose Poetry	devotionwords,
A Poets Lonely World Of Love	I do not know?	love,sensual,

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