Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Tackle It Tuesday Preview, "Aleph"


Dear Haijin,

As promised a new Tackle It Tuesday Preview to inform you all about next week's theme "Aleph". "Aleph" is the latest novel by Paulo Coelho a Brazilian author. I am a big fan of his writings. He writes with a kind of spirituality and enthusiasm. Last year, when I was on holiday in Turkey, I have read "Aleph" and a week ago I started reading it again. It's a very personal story and again full of spirituality and philosophy.


Credits: Paulo Coelho

In his most personal novel to date, internationally bestselling author Paulo Coelho returns with a remarkable journey of self-discovery. Like the main character in his much-beloved The Alchemist, Paulo is facing a grave crisis of faith. As he seeks a path of spiritual renewal and growth, his only real option is to begin again—to travel, to experiment, to reconnect with people and the landscapes around him.Setting off to Africa, and then to Europe and Asia via the Trans-Siberian railroad, he initiates a journey to revitalize his energy and passion. Even so, he never expects to meet Hilal. A gifted young violinist, she is the woman Paulo loved five hundred years before—and the woman he betrayed in an act of cowardice so far-reaching that it prevents him from finding real happiness in this life. Together they will initiate a mystical voyage through time and space, traveling a path that teaches love, forgiveness, and the courage to overcome life’s inevitable challenges. Beautiful and inspiring, Aleph invites us to consider the meaning of our own personal journeys.

Synopsis of Paulo Coelho's "Aleph":

In Aleph, Coelho writes in the first person, as a character and a man wrestling with his own spiritual stagnation. He's 59 years old, a successful but discontented writer, a man who has traveled all over the world and become widely acclaimed for his work. However, he can't shake the sense that he's lost-and deeply dissatisfied. Through the leadership of his mentor "J.," Coelho comes to the conclusion that he must "change everything and move forward," but he doesn't quite know what that means until he reads an article about Chinese bamboo.
Coelho becomes inspired by the thought of how bamboo exists only as a tiny green shoot for five years while its root system grows underground, invisible to the naked eye. Then, after five years of apparent inactivity, it shoots up and grows to a height of twenty-five meters. Taking what sounds like advice he's written in his previous books, Coelho begins to "trust and follow the signs and live [his] Personal Legend," an act that takes him from a simple book signing in London to a whirlwind tour of six countries in five weeks.
Filled with the euphoria of once again being in motion, he commits to a journey through Russia to meet with his readers and to realize his lifelong dream of traveling the entire length of the Trans-Siberian railroad. He arrives in Moscow to begin the journey and meets more than what he's expecting in a young woman and violin virtuoso named Hilal, who shows up at his hotel and announces that she's there to accompany him for the duration of the trip.
When Hilal won't take no for an answer, Coelho lets her tag along, and together the two embark on a journey of much greater significance. By sharing deeply profound moments lost in "the Aleph," Coelho begins to realize that Hilal can unlock the secrets of a parallel spiritual universe in which he had betrayed her five hundred years earlier. In the language of technical mathematics, Aleph means "the number that contains all numbers," but in this story it represents a mystical voyage wherein two people experience a spiritual unleashing that has a profound impact on their present lives.


"Aleph" reads as a movie. The reader is part of the journey and learns to look at his (or her) own journey,  called life. "Aleph" ... well I can only say: this novel is worth reading.


Credits: Cover Aleph
"Aleph" is the theme for next week's "Tackle It Tuesday". I hope that with this information given in this "Tackle It Tuesday, preview" you, my dear Haijin and visitors, can write a haiku. It can be a classical or a non-classical haiku that's all up to you. I think ... this upcoming theme isn't easy, but ... please try to write a haiku on this theme "Aleph".

This new theme for Tackle It Tuesday starts on Monday August 13th. Come and enjoy the fun. Be part of this new Tackle It Tuesday.

See you all next week

Warm Greetings,



Monday, August 6, 2012

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.