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I have most recently developed an interest in Japanese poetry, and am currently investigating the Haiku. I would encourage you to review the many interesting links I have provided to acquaint you with this beautiful art form.
The originator of the Haiku, is generally credited to be a poet-monk known as Basho(1643-1694), who lived during the Edo (Tokagawa) Period of Japanese history. This was a period of intense economic and cultural development spurred on by the social isolation of Japan from all other nations.
The Haiku is an experience remote to the non-Japanese reader. It may appear confusing and incomplete; no more than beginnings or titles for poems. To add to the confusion, the Haikus' translation is typically impossible to convey the effect of its original sound and rhythm. It attempts to create the expression of a live moment from the reality of life's incessant stream of sensory impressions.
Even in the history of Haiku, many have attempted to convey these impressions but few are successful. Its simplicity hides the master poet's skill.
To the non-Japanese listener, one must remember that a good Haiku is like a pebble thrown into the pool of the listener's mind, creating mental relationships out of the depths of the reader's memory.
Written by Paul Morgan Bradley, PaulMBradley@hotmail.com
This page was last updated on 12/26/02.
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