Haiku #1: Matsuo Bashō who Traveled 1200 Miles by Foot, What is Haiku and My First Successful Haiku!

Long long ago, in 1689 a Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō set out on an epic 1,200-mile journey through the then narrow roads of Japan. He wrote his travel account in the form of poetry (haiku) and also prose. This poetic travel works added lustre to his reputation which continues till today. Like Shakespeare for west, Bashō is to Japan. More so as everyone in Japan can recite at least one of Bashō’s poem by heart. The part of the route he traveled is traveled by thousands of people today in memory of the great poet. People go to pilgrimage at his birth and burial sites. Bashō today is part of Japanese culture. In his masterpiece, Oku no Hosomichi, or Narrow Road to a Far Province, as first entry Bashō writes,

“Each day is a journey, and the journey itself home”

That was 300 years ago. Today, Bashō is mostly remembered world over for Haiku.

What is Haiku?

It’s a Japanese form of poetry which uses few words to capture a moment into reader’s mind. Unlike other forms of poetry, simile or metaphor are not used while writing Haiku. Instead, the aim is to catch a moment poet discovered, to convey what one felt in simple three lines. Interpretation is left quite open to its audience. 

furu ike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto

an ancient pond
a frog jumps in
the splash of water

Of the many Haiku’s Bashō composed, above one is considered the best. Notice syllables in original Japanese text. You’ll notice that Haiku is not randomly written. It has a pattern. The three lines are not random. Five syllables in the first line, seven in second and five in third again taking total to seventeen. The focus almost always on nature. Significance also is on time of the year like ‘snow’, ‘spring’, ‘rains’ etc.. Essence of the haiku is in its juxtaposition of two images or ideas. One is separated from the other with at times by a literal comma. This division in the poem first focuses on one thing and later shifts to another. Although ‘cut’ from one other, the relation between the two is striking and sudden like splash of water in the above haiku. Haiku didn’t amazed Japan alone but spread to the west as well and was heartily received. There was translation of Japanese work and also new work that followed. Like a twitter with 140 characters, this short form of poetry spread fast everywhere it could. Today, there are many institutes that teach Haiku, also the ones that teach it as Zen meditation practice.

The First Cold Shower
 Even the Monkey seems to want
 A Little Coat of Straw
  — Bashō

Writing Haiku is about brevity and experience. Like Pokemon Go which requires you to go out in open and catch Pokemon characters, haiku requires you to explore your surroundings as well. Unlike the game though, you are required to concentrate on real world not your mobile screens. It’s what you experience by means of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste that you put down on paper. You let your reader experience what you just did. It’s like a mirror reflecting.

So it is all math?

Well, that’s hard one. I had discovered Haiku back in school days and left it then and there after trying to pen one with seventeen syllable math. My rediscovery happened with Pranav Balasubramanian’s haiku. In fact, I was happy to see someone has wrote them without worrying about all math. I even asked him regarding the rule that he had not followed. He said,

Traditionally, haikus in Japanese had the 5–7–5 syllable format. However, as they’ve evolved, we’ve begun to take liberties I guess :)

Then I googled and found out, for my surprise, almost everyone who was writing haiku was doing so without worrying about math. In fact, the only rule it appeared they cared was to have three lines! Relieving. The great Bashō also at times had let it pass like here,

fu-ji no ka-ze ya (6)
 o-o-gi ni no-se-te (7)
 e-do mi-ya-ge (5)

 The wind of Mt. Fuji
 I’ve brought on my Fan!
 A Gift from Edo

Everything around us has gone under the hammer of change and only that which has gone under has survived. Change is the only constant thing in our life. There lies the success of haiku. So finally, sticking to three lines is the only rule? Let’s just say yes! There were also people who were writing Haiku to complete their #The100DayProject which was started by elle luna. Have you heard about the project? If not, just head here and find out what an amazing project about self growth it is. The only requisite though is to continue non-stop. I was too lazy to continue after three days into Challenge!

 

That was long back.

Human mind is like a monkey jumping from one tree to another — never steady at one place. I can’t vouch for yours but certainly mine isn’t. So I have thought I will consider writing haiku as it’s new turf that exploits our creative juices. Of course, along with other indulgences as and when they strike. After hours of thought and math, I was able to come up with one Haiku that adhered to 5–7–5 rule. With that also came the realization that writing Haiku is no cakewalk! Anyways, I wish to write them from now on. Sometimes without the burden of numbers like many others are doing. Here’s my first Haiku:

 

So, let’s begin this without any more boring monologue! Share your work if you had written any. If not, start — it’s always good to begin. Benefits of haiku are vast from connecting with nature to yourself to finding unique ways of looking at things. So just start. Thanks for reading so far. Do recommend, tweet and share if you liked what you just read so it reaches more people out there!