Tackle It Tuesday, back to basic

Also shared with: Poets United's Poetry Pantry

Dear Haijin,

A new week for Tackle It Tuesday. As you all could read in "Tackle It Tuesday, preview" of last Wednesday August 1th, this week we are going back to basic. Back to the classical form of haiku as initiated by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694).



For more on Basho visit Basho Revisited (one of my other blogs on Basho). Basho is a haiku master and he is my role model and I see him as my master. This week's theme of Tackle It Tuesday isn't easy to me, because I write in the Kanshicho-style (a haiku style that's more similar with the Western way of writing haiku).
As you all could read in the preview there are a few basic rules for writing haiku the classical way. I will give them here again:

• 5-7-5 syllable count
• a kigo (a so called season word)
• and a deeper meaning based on the philosophy of the haiku poet
• and of course ... haiku is a poem that's based on a short moment, short as e.g. the sound of a pebble thrown into water

The classical haiku originated from the Renga (a chain of poems) and is based on the first poem of such a chain called hokku. The name haiku was given to this hokku by Shiki (1867-1902). Shiki brought haiku into the 20th century. He also is, next to Basho, Buson and Issa, one of the four greatest haiku masters. Shiki was very strict in using the rules of the classical haiku, but Basho became the most known haiku master through his deep devotion as a Buddhist.

Let's go back to this episode of Tackle It Tuesday, back to basic. To me the classical way of writing haiku is very difficult as I mentioned earlier in this post, but ... well I have to try ...

For my inspiration I have used a picture of the rough landscape of the Island Rab in Croatia.

Of course you also may use this picture or another one for your inspiration.

the rough landscape
reaches to the deep blue sky
so impressive

Does this one follow the rules? Let's take a closer look.

The 5-7-5 syllable count? Yes
A kigo? Yes. The deep blue sky is a kigo for Summer
A deeper meaning based on my philosophy? Yes it does. I am a devotee to nature and in this haiku the deeper meaning lays in the word impressive. I am always impressed by the wonderful creation of or world. I caress  the strength of Mother Earth's nature. This haiku says: be careful with our beloved Earth it's a great wonder.

Well ... do you like this one? I surely do.

This episode of Tackle It Tuesday stays on 'till August 13th 11.59 PM. Please leave a comment after linking and if you have an idea for another theme for Tackle It Tuesday ... be so kind to share it with me.

Next weeks theme will be Aleph. Aleph is the title of a novel by Paulo Coelho, an author which I admire.
I will tell you more about Aleph in a new episode of Tackle It Tuesday Preview later on.

For this week's Tackle It Tuesday have fun ... be inspired.

Tackle It Tuesday Preview, back to basic

Dear haijin,

As promised ... a new Tackle It Tuesday Preview for next week's prompt/theme.
The upcoming week I love to go 'back to basic'. All the way back to the time of Matsuo Basho (1644-1694} in that time haiku was strict in it's rules. The first rule was the syllable count 5-7-5; second there had to be a kigo (a word that refers to the season);  third  a deeper meaning mostly based on the philosophy of the poet.
Basho was a Buddhist and therefore in his haiku we can find the deeper meaning of life as Buddhism learns.

Buddhist Jakhong Monastery in Lhasa Tibet

When we look at the following haiku by Basho we can see the mentioned rules. Let us take a closer look at this haiku:

morningglories -
in the daytime a lock
upon the gate

Morning Glory

Let us look closer to this haiku:

rule 1: 5-7-5 syllable-count yes that's OK (a "-" can be seen as a syllable)

rule 2: a kigo (or a season-word) yes that's OK (Morning Glory is a kigo for Summer)

rule 3: a deeper meaning yes that's also OK, the meaning of this haiku is that Basho took time for a retreat to think about his life. So he locked the gate of his house. 

The classical haiku has a lot of rules, but the three I mentioned are the most important ones. 

As I learned to write haiku I had always difficulties with these rules, than I discovered the Kanshicho-style, in which Basho wrote his haiku several years. It felt OK when I started to write in this Kanshicho-style and I still continue to write in the Kanshicho-style in which the rules are a bit different according to the syllable-count. The Kanshicho-style is more similar to the Western form of writing haiku in which the syllable-count isn't the most strict rule.

But back to next week's theme 'back to basic'. The classical way of writing haiku is (at least to me) not easy, but it's a challenge ... and that makes it a great way to write haiku.

The above haiku is one of Basho's which I used on my other weblog Basho Revisited. As inspired on that haiku I wrote a new haiku in the classical way.

guarding the fence

around my cottage -

the Honeysuckle

Credits: Honeysuckle

This classical haiku isn't easy to write, but ... well ... take on the challenge and be inspired.

Well ... see you all next week again when this new Tackle It Tuesday 'back to basic' is on ... have fun and maybe it's a bit easier to write a haiku with this given information.

Warm greetings,

Chèvrefeuille 

Brilliance

Again a week has flown away, surely this new year ... time flies :). This weeks prompt of the Sensational Haiku Wednesday is brilliance. I will see if I can write a haiku with this prompt.

days of brilliance
the cherry trees in full bloom
in my old backyard


my first classical
Basho's haibun Narrow Road
what a brilliance


honeysuckle -
the queen of  mansion's garden
Ah! which brilliance

Until the next week,

Sincerely,

Also published for:

SENSATIONAL HAIKU WEDNESDAY prompt "resolve"

Another Sensational haiku Wednesday. This time the prompt is "resolve". It's not an easy one, but I will give it a try. And I shall try to hold on this time to the classical syllables 5-7-5. It's not really my way of writing haiku, but I have to try that. This also is a challenge ... and maybe sensational too.

puzzle resolved
the sound of a waterfall
makes me happy

Japan: Cherry Blossom Dream Place (credits)

cherry blossoms bloom
resolving bare branches
the first day of Spring

Wow! This wasn't easy, but I succeeded. This was a challenge, and I think maybe I should write more haiku in the classical 5-7-5 form.

Sincerely,