Poetry of Motion...was Re: [at-l] [cubicle horror] REENTRY JOURNAL

[artduck@yahoo.com (Carol Benel)]

I am only an arts council executive that has run
countless poetry contests sponsored by various
Japanese societies, what do I know?  

Japanese haiku (a form of poetry) may look simple, but
it is actually very structured, with rules for
choosing a subject and the way you write about it. 
The classical form, which goes back to the 15th
century, consists of as many as 100 verses in one
poem, with each verse having a set number of
syllables.   Often these poems were written by more
than one poet working together. 

 Modern haiku (since the 1890s), is a short verse
complete in itself, using 17 characters.  In the
Japanese Haiku form, there must be a seasonal word, or
kigo, to make it true Haiku.  This word is supposed to
remind readers of one of the four seasons, without
being too obvious  (like using the word crisp instead
of fall, to suggest cold autumn nights). 

In English, Haiku consists of 17 syllables, which are
arranged in three lines: 

 
Spring goes, summer comes
  with the warm heat from the sun
  swimming, picnics fun!
  —A Haiku by Megan, age 12

  
 line 1: 5 syllables
line 2: 7 syllables
line 3: 5 syllables
 

(We hear that this is actually a bit harder than
writing in Japanese characters.)  

 A good Haiku selects a subject that is something
simple (like a coin in your pocket, a sunset you see
out your window, or a daily event) and makes you think
about it in a different way. 

Here's your chance to try your hand at writing Haiku. 
If you want some inspiration, visit the one of the
many Haiku pages online.  


 Submit Your Own Haiku 
 
Please include your first name, age and where you are
from with your contribution.  Only this information
will be posted with your poem.  Please read our
privacy statement.

 Your first name  Age


 Where from
(City, State or Country)

  

Please note: We can no longer post haiku submissions
that do not try to follow the form presented. We
screen content and will not post submissions that are
inappropriate or waste other readers' time. When large
groups are sent in, we try to post them together so
writers can find them easier. We regret not being able
to post every submission.



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