The tradition of haiku is historically a Japanese one, and the tradition in English is so formally different it might be best to simply use a different term. I have heard that Gary Snyder calls this form simply ‘short poems.’
It is marvelous that the spirit of haiku is not exclusively a Japanese one; it is a human one, and the practice of participating in the haiku tradition in English is richly rewarding.
One issue that often arises when pondering the differences between haiku in Japanese vs. the English short poem is just what to do with the season word. In the Japanese tradition, poets include in their haiku a word indicating one of the four seasons. But, as far as I understand, they don’t just come out and say the word for a season (spring rain, autumn leaves, etc.)–there are nuanced ways of conveying specific seasons based on what typically is present before one’s awareness during that time of the year.
The risk of doing such a thing in English (mentioning the cherry blossoms, for example) is to write a poem that is probably not as fundamentally true to one’s experience.
It is useful to remember the advice of Edith Shiffert: “Haiku poets. . . should feel free to use the haiku in whatever way seems appropriate to their creativity. There never were any rules, just fashions and preferences.”
One suggestion for thinking about the inclusion of a season word is to convey a season tonally.
Just what a season conveys depends on where you are in the world. More specifically, what it conveys depends on precisely what is happening in any given moment.
There are useful generalities, however.
Spring refers to rebirth, renewal, and growth. Many flowers begin blooming in spring.
Summer is the warmest season and has the longest days and shortest nights. In some parts of the world, there are monsoons during summer. Summer is active, and school is out.
Autumn is harvest-time. It’s associated with melancholy. Leaves change colors and fall. The weather grows cooler.
Winter is the coldest season and has the shortest days, the longest nights. Winter can be harsh. Most vegetation goes dormant, dies, or gets covered with snow.
In addition to season words, it may be useful to bring up two more words which also refer to how the environment signals the procession of time.
The tone of night might be one of introspection, going inside, of the headphones-effect of leaving the room where the band is playing, of a brisk breath of air. Stars are visible.
The tone of day might be one of extroversion and activity. Blue sky and sun are visible. Half the world is out doing its thing.
The point of breaking things down according to season is to develop another way of understanding how tone functions in a creative work. In the next article (part two), I will try to provide some useful examples from literature to clarify just what I mean by segmenting tone into seasons.
Suggestion for a writing exercise: Use the tone of several seasons within a single poem, where the change between one and the next establishes interest through a change of stakes and the periodic release of tension.
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