Jack Kerouac
Haiku – an Intimate, Unmolested Portrait of Reality
People are different, and they perceive things in different ways. In the age of spin, where so much information we get seems to have an agenda, these short vignettes are like refreshing breaths of fresh air. A good haiku does not lecture the reader. It merely opens a window into which one can see a glimpse of reality–in one’s own way.
Great haikus have much in common. They capture an impermanent experience with a confident honesty. Let’s take a look at a few timeless haikus by Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) who is is regarded as one of the four Japanese great masters, the other three being Matsuo Basho (1644-1694,) Yosa Buson (1716-1783,) and Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828.)
Lying sick in bed
I thought I felt
dew drops falling
In Japanese: byosho no, ware ni tsuyu chiru, omoi ari
Here are a couple of more haikus by Shiki
Night, and once again
as I wait for you
cold wind turns into rain
———————————
I want to sleep
swat the flies
softly, please!
Shiki is credited with modernizing Japan’s traditional verse forms and for bringing realism into haiku. He believed in concise representation of reality without personal interpretations and bias.
Shiki was an advocate of a technique called “sha-sei” which loosely translates to “living sketches” and his poems are timeless vignettes of real experiences in vivid expressions.
A few Winter Haikus
I live close to the ocean in Miyazaki. It hardly ever snows here, but this season was an exception. We got snow! The weather had been chilly, and one morning out of my window I could see tiny fluffy white flakes blowing in the cold wind. Here is a Japanese haiku by Seishi Yamaguchi (1901-1994) which suited the moment:
out to the ocean
the cold winter wind
has no place to return
In Japanese: Umi ni dete, Kogarashi Kaeru, Tokoro nashi
Here is another great haiku written by Jack Kerouac, the famous the Canadian poet (1922-1969)
In my medicine cabinet
the winter fly
has died of old age
The Essence
Haiku poems tend to be intimate, short and unpretentious. At the first glance they look almost unfinished, but this is precisely their point.
Much like an impressionist painting, a haiku is not a detailed picture. Rather, it is a personal snapshot of reality, devoid of interpretations, expressed in broad outlines. What it all means is simply left to the reader–to take in the thought, and interpret it according to his or her own personal experiences.
—- ◊ ◊ ◊ —-
References
1- The Essence of Modern Haiku: 300 Poems by Seishi Yamaguchi – by Alfred H. Marks. Paperback. Weatherhill (March 01, 1993) ISBN 9780963433534
2 – Book of Haikus – by Jack Kerouac, Regina Weinreich. Paperback, 240. Published April 1st 2003 by Penguin. ISBN 014200264X
3 – Masaoka Shiki: His Life and Works – by Janine Beichman. Paperback, 174. Published May 1st 2002 by Cheng & Tsui. ISBN 0887273645
About the Author
Armand Melikian is a Japan based staff writer for wawaza.com website and Miyazaki Whispers blog.
Jack Kerouac on The Steve Allen Show
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