A Blog About Haiku
A short read to help you learn a bit more about this wonderful form of poetry
Introduction
Creating CTRL+ALT+DELETE has been a rewarding experience. I am regularly sent haikus from people who read the blog. My children have written them into my birthday cards, my work colleagues have included them in emails - and I get asked questions about the form often enough that I thought I would write a bonus blog post about haiku.
There are six new haikus I’ve written included in this blog!
If you want to learn more about haiku, keep reading, and if you want to learn from an expert, I’ve included some links to books at the bottom of this blog.
What is a haiku?
A haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that is usually defined by more than just the number of syllables.
Key characteristics of a haiku
Structure: traditionally, a haiku consists of three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. However, in modern haiku, especially in English, some poets are more flexible with the syllable count for impact or effect.
ImpactAll my haiku poems,have one too many syllables,In every line I do.
Seasonal Reference (Kigo): a traditional haiku would often include a word or phrase that indicates the season (kigo). This anchors the poem in a specific time of year and can evoke associated emotions and imagery. I don’t typically write traditional haiku, in fact the whole point of CTRL+ALT+DELETE was to adopt a more modern approach to the form. The title of the blog is how I first learned to reset a computer when it wasn’t working. My creative outlets had stalled, so I decided to write 500 haiku poems on a Substack blog as a way to reset and stop getting in my own way.
If I worried too much about the traditional form, or if I was too worried about them being what I thought was “good enough” to publish, it wasn’t the point of the exercise for me. I had defined myself as many things and felt that I had lost contact with my authentic self. When asked: “What do you do?” at a social event or a function, I hated all of the things that we traditionally discuss: “I work at…”, “My job is…”, “I am a jack of all trades, master of none…” etc. I decided the best answer would be “I write haiku poems…” and I was write, the conversations that this generates with people are much more interesting for me and for them.
Seasonal ReferenceWhen spring flowers bloom,I remember you smiling,and that you are gone.
Cutting Word (Kireji): in Japanese haiku, there is the concept of a cutting word or phrase (kireji), this is used to create a pause or break, which adds an element of juxtaposition or contrast. This technique can be mimicked in English haiku by using punctuation or a shift in imagery.
JuxtapositionCan you hold my handand say it like you mean it -once before you go?
I’ve tried to show this a few ways in the above haiku both with the dash, and with the introduction of the concept in the last line that the person is leaving, maybe even dying. I hope that it would also be there through the idea of saying what needs to be said here like “you mean it”, and in the last lines use of the word: “Once”.
Nature and Simplicity: haikus traditionally would also focus on nature, moments of beauty, or simple, everyday experiences. The language used is often straightforward and unadorned, capturing a moment in time with clarity and precision.
MorningSunlight tells the frost“it is time to change your ways -time for you to leave.”
Objective Tone: haikus tend to describe scenes and moments objectively, without overt personal commentary or emotional expression. The poem aims to evoke feelings and thoughts in the reader through the imagery and moment described. This is definitely another one of those things I don’t tend to do with my own haikus as I am often intentionally aiming to be evocative. I don’t often want to be completely overt, but provoke some emotional response or questions for the reader as to what commentary I might be suggesting - even if what the reader gets out of it is not my intent, I like the ideas and discussion generated.
ColdSnowflakes gentle drift,white blankets form on the earth -quiet winter’s day.
Present Moment: haikus often capture a single moment or snapshot in time, emphasizing the present and the immediate experience. I do try and do this in my own haiku writing. To capture a single idea, moment, feeling or experience:
StartHe clicked his fingers,to get the room’s attention -not knowing what’s next.
List of books to read to learn more about traditional haiku:
I would recommend trying your local bookshop or library as a starting point, but have included links to online stores if that is easier for you, or you just want to see what they look like first.
Addiss, S., Yamamoto, F., & Yamamoto, A. (2009). Haiku: An anthology of Japanese poems. Shambhala Publications.
Abe Books: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781590307304/Haiku-Anthology-Japanese-Poems-Shambhala-1590307305/plp
Barnhill, D. L. (2004). Basho's haiku: Selected poems of Matsuo Basho. State University of New York Press.
Abe Books:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780791461662/Bashos-Haiku-Selected-Poems-Matsuo-0791461661/plp
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bashos-Haiku-Selected-Poems-Matsuo/dp/0791461661
Hass, R. (Ed.). (1994). The essential haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa. The Ecco Press.
Abe Books:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780880013727/Essential-Haiku-Versions-Basho-Buson-0880013729/plp
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Poets-Versions-Basho-Buson/dp/0880013729
Higginson, W. J., & Harter, P. (1985). The haiku handbook: How to write, share, and teach haiku. Kodansha International.
Abe Books:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780070287860/haiku-handbook-write-share-teach-0070287864/plp
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haiku-Handbook-Write-Share-Teach/dp/0070287864
Kacian, J., Rowland, P., & Burns, A. (Eds.). (2013). Haiku in English: The first hundred years. W. W. Norton & Company.
Abe Books:
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780393239478/Haiku-English-First-Hundred-Years-0393239470/plp
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haiku-English-First-Hundred-Years/dp/0393239470