The ancient pond
A frog leaps in
The sound of the water.
– Matsuo Basho (Translated by Donald Keene)
Have you ever heard about Haiku, which is the shortest poem in the world? It is a type of Japanese poem, originated in 17th century. Japanese people have been enjoying and loving it, for more than 400 years, to express their heart and love for nature just with three lines and 17 syllables. This ancient method of expression has recently been gaining popularity in and out of the nation. There are numerous associations across the globe holding contest after contest which applaud the creativity of the creative minds. Even the terminology has caught up to popular culture as a means to indicate a footage within 15 seconds.
In Japanese traditional rules for writing Haiku, a sense of seasons and concise expression are important. Following this pursuit of aesthetic simplicity, Haiku lovers all over the world choose words carefully to polish their poems. However, when it comes to using season words, there are various regional characteristics that make people difficult to follow the rule. Every area has its peculiar climate, so it is not easy for us to share unified concept of Japanese season words. Only if one has the changes of seasons, the idea of season words arises. Therefore, in some “Haikus” the rule of the length or the rule of seasonal words or both are altered to fit the poets needs. So the big question here is whether or not such anomalies should still be recognized as Haiku instead of a completely separate format.
Our answer is that it should not be considered a different format. Since the dawn of civilization, language has always been subject to adaptation. Take English for example. We have adapted many words from Celtic, French, Greek, Latin and a whole bunch of other languages. Even today we borrow foreign words and alter words that already exist to suit our usage. On the same note, being a product of language, Haiku could also be affected by cultural adaptation which omits the traditional regulations. If you express your heart with unforgettable scenes, impressive moment of nature and daily occurrences, it will be excellent and wonderful Haiku even though rules are somewhat different. When one unique culture meets the another one, it will undergo further development. Thus, whoever you are, wherever you live, you can enjoy Haiku. Let’s see the world through the lens of your heart and press the shutter button by words.
Additional Reading
Reginald Blyth – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Horace_Blyth