Although the haiku form is popular, the deceptively simple Japanese poem is controlled by rigorous rules which are difficult to apply in English due to basic differences of language and poetic tradition. It is important that would-be writers of English haiku be aware of the problems. The three-line Japanese haiku grew from the first three lines of linked verse which was popular in seventeenth-century Japan. The spirit of Zen Buddhism permeates haiku and behind the respect for nature and common things found in haiku lies the long history of oriental religions. Arts related to Zen Buddhism, all stressing the moment of enlightenment, also have exercised an influence upon haiku. Yet Zen itself, and haiku as a poetry form are compatible with western religious thought and poetics. A one-stanza poem containing only three lines, at first sight, seems foreign to English prosody, but closer examination shows that it is not necessarily foreign. Although division into five, seven and five syllables seems arbitrary, and the total of seventeen syllables seems light, the reasons for the form and the methods of compensating for the brevity are solid. One of the methods of adding weight to the form is the traditional use of a word indicating one of the seasons and thus conscripting all the beauty of nature. Special haiku techniques also add consequence to the brief poetry form. Simple diction ensures a limpidity which is the special cachet of haiku. Natural imagery uses an object in nature as a sufficient symbol: assonance alliteration and onomatopoeia are used much in the same manner in both languages; special Japanese techniques are compensated for in some measure by English punctuation, "kennings", and syntactical pivoting. Verbal dexterity, found in Japanese haiku does have equivalent forms in English literature and some of these are examined, as is the use of allusion, enjambment, rhyme and rhythm. It was recommended that haiku poets should deepen their knowledge of Japanese haiku as a foundation for a truly native English haiku tradition based on the western Judao-Christian culture. With regard to the spirit of haiku, the avoidance of studied profundity and of sentimental devices such as anthropomorphism was recommended; with regard to the form, greater attention to the method of syllable counting, punctuation and tone and avoidance of slavish imitation was advised. Haiku is seen to be possible in English and highly advantageous to English letters. 1Joan Giroux, master's thesis presented to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ottawa, Ontario, July 1968, iii--143 pp.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/10565 |
| Date | January 1968 |
| Creators | Giroux, Joan. |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 145 p. |
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