Write a Haiku and send it to stuartv@splice.org.nz for reading at the Ellen Melville Centre. Entries close on 20 January 2021.
A haiku is traditionally a Japanese poem consisting of three short lines that do not rhyme. The origins of haiku poems can be traced back as far as the 9th century. It is a way of looking at the physical world and seeing something deeper, like the very nature of existence. It should leave the reader with a strong feeling or impression.
Some examples from a Haiku master Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)
An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
~
Autumn moonlight-
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.
~
Several core principles are woven into the tapestry of modern haiku. A haiku focuses on one brief moment in time, employs provocative, colourful imagery, and provides a sudden moment of illumination. Here are some examples of 20th-century haiku:
From across the lake,
Past the black winter trees,
Faint sounds of a flute.
- Richard Wright
Lily:
out of the water
out of itself
- Nick Virgilio
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