My heart sings when I see a notification that you've published another of these articles — you choose delightful poems that deserve a wider audience and provide thoughtful analyses.
Thanks Mark. My hope with doing these is that I learn what makes my own work better and that others benefit from a deep reading. The series was part born out of frustration with the avalanche of non-haiku labelled Haiku that exists out there. But instead of complaining and criticising I decided that showcasing talent was a better avenue.
I, too, am frustrated at people who think haiku is nothing more than a syllable-counting exercise. I get that 5-7-5 are like training wheels, but there comes a time when you not only no longer need them, but you actually begin to feel limited by this "rule" because it means the places where haiku really become interesting and meaningful are inaccessible. (I'm not sure the training wheels analogy really holds water, to mix metaphors, but it's a work in progress.)
Poetry in general is difficult, it’s almost a language within a language. Add to this we are playing with a form devised and practiced in another culture and then imported into English. That some people stop at 575 is frustrating but not unexpected considering that’s how most encounter it in grade school.
My heart sings when I see a notification that you've published another of these articles — you choose delightful poems that deserve a wider audience and provide thoughtful analyses.
Beautifully done, thank you!
Thanks Mark. My hope with doing these is that I learn what makes my own work better and that others benefit from a deep reading. The series was part born out of frustration with the avalanche of non-haiku labelled Haiku that exists out there. But instead of complaining and criticising I decided that showcasing talent was a better avenue.
I love that approach.
I, too, am frustrated at people who think haiku is nothing more than a syllable-counting exercise. I get that 5-7-5 are like training wheels, but there comes a time when you not only no longer need them, but you actually begin to feel limited by this "rule" because it means the places where haiku really become interesting and meaningful are inaccessible. (I'm not sure the training wheels analogy really holds water, to mix metaphors, but it's a work in progress.)
Poetry in general is difficult, it’s almost a language within a language. Add to this we are playing with a form devised and practiced in another culture and then imported into English. That some people stop at 575 is frustrating but not unexpected considering that’s how most encounter it in grade school.