What is a haiku and how to compose it. Haiku (Haiku) Poems

Haiku - 17 syllables. In Japan, haiku is written in one line, but we traditionally have a three-line recording. The first line is 5 syllables, the second is 7, the third is 5 again. And in these 17 syllables you need to fit a complete thought.
True, differences in the phonetics and rhythms of languages ​​make it somewhat difficult to fulfill this condition, and sometimes they deviate a little from this rule, adding or removing one or two syllables. In this case, the main thing is to ensure that the last line is shorter than the others or the same length as the first.

The second feature of haiku is the theme. There are also nuances here. Classic haiku always tells about the cycle of seasons, and also always contains direct or indirect reference to a specific season. In Japan it is a "seasonal word". In Russia, they take this moment more lightly, allowing themselves to deviate from the strict rules. However, the presence of a nature theme is desirable.

A few more words about the topic. In real haiku there are always two plans: general and specific. The general plan is expressed precisely by the “seasonal” and its surroundings, symbolizing the connection with nature, unity. And the specific one - in a way of description: not just falling leaves, indicating the onset of late autumn (all 4 seasons are divided into two more, which indicates, in their opinion, that they more subtly sense the transition from one to another), but this specific leaf.

It’s also worth saying a few words about the composition of haiku. The first line sets the topic, the second reveals it, and the third gives a conclusion. Best of all - bright. Like any, the third line should create a feeling of completeness.

Please note

One of the most common mistakes of those who sit down to write haiku is self-obsession. Haiku shows the author through the world around him, rather than the world around him through the author.

Sources:

• Encyclopedia of Cultures

The traditional Japanese poetic form has found quite a few adherents in Europe and America. Perhaps there are now even more authors working in this genre outside of Japan than in the Land of the Rising Sun itself. The popularity of haiku among representatives of other cultures has very good reasons.

What is haiku?

Matsuo Basho, who wrote mainly landscape lyrics, made haiku a serious genre. In subsequent eras, Japanese poets wrote haiku of a wide variety of content. They made extensive use of folk poetry, historical and literary sources. Modern European haiku are also extremely diverse both in plot and artistic techniques, but the most interesting authors strive to preserve the features inherent in traditional Japanese poetry.

Conciseness

Accuracy

Expressiveness

Japanese culture is quite often classified as a “closed” culture. Not immediately, not from the first acquaintance, the uniqueness of Japanese aesthetics, the unusual charm of Japanese customs and the beauty of monuments of Japanese art are revealed to a European. Haiku, or haiku, as you like, is the national Japanese form of poetry, a genre of poetic miniatures, which simply, concisely, succinctly and authentically depicts nature and man in their indissoluble unity. Once you open a collection of haiku, you will forever remain captive of Japanese poetry.

I've barely gotten around to it

Exhausted, until the night...

And suddenly - wisteria flowers!

Basho

Just three lines. A few words. And the reader’s imagination has already painted a picture: a tired traveler who has been on the road for many days. He is hungry, exhausted, and finally, he has a place to sleep for the night! But our hero is in no hurry to enter, because suddenly, in an instant, he forgot about all the hardships in the world: he is admiring the wisteria flowers.

From the heart of a peony

A bee slowly crawls out...

Oh, with what reluctance!

Basho

This is how the Japanese treat nature sensitively, reverently enjoy its beauty, and absorb it.

Perhaps the reason for this attitude should be sought in the ancient religion of the Japanese people - Shintoism? Shinto preaches: be grateful to nature. She can be ruthless and harsh, but more often she is generous and affectionate. It was the Shinto faith that instilled in the Japanese a sensitivity to nature and the ability to enjoy its endless changeability. Shinto was replaced by Buddhism, just as in Rus' Christianity replaced paganism. Shinto and Buddhism are a stark contrast. On the one hand, there is a sacred attitude towards nature, the veneration of ancestors, and on the other, complex Eastern philosophy. Paradoxically, these two religions coexist peacefully in the Land of the Rising Sun. A modern Japanese will admire blooming sakura, cherries, and autumn maples blazing with fire.

Shudderingly in the evening

Cherry beauties.

Issa

Japan loves flowers very much, and they prefer simple, wild flowers with their timid and discreet beauty. A tiny vegetable garden or flower bed is often planted near Japanese houses. An expert on this country, V. Ovchinnikov, writes that you need to see the Japanese islands to understand why their inhabitants consider nature to be a measure of beauty.

Japan is a country of green mountains and sea bays, mosaic rice fields, gloomy volcanic lakes, picturesque pine trees on the rocks. Here you can see something unusual: bamboo bent under the weight of snow - this is a symbol of the fact that in Japan north and south are adjacent.

The Japanese subordinate the rhythm of their lives to events in nature. Family celebrations are timed to coincide with the cherry blossoms and the autumn full moon. Spring on the islands is not quite similar to ours in Europe, with melting snow, ice drifts, and floods. It begins with a violent outbreak of flowering. Pink sakura inflorescences delight the Japanese not only with their abundance, but also with their fragility. The petals are held so loosely in the inflorescences that at the slightest breath of wind a pink waterfall flows onto the ground. On days like these, everyone rushes out of town to the parks. Listen to how the lyrical hero punishes himself for breaking the branch of a flowering tree:

Throw a stone at me.

Plum blossom branch

I'm broke now.

Kikaku

The first snow is also a holiday.

It does not appear often in Japan. But when he walks, the houses become very cold, since the Japanese houses are light gazebos. And yet the first snow is a holiday. The windows open and, sitting by the small braziers, the Japanese drink sake and admire the snow flakes that fall on the paws of the pine trees and on the bushes in the garden.

First snow.

I'd put it on a tray

I would just keep looking and looking.

Kikaku

The maples are blazing with autumn leaves - in Japan it is a holiday to admire the crimson foliage of maples.

Oh, maple leaves.

You burn your wings

Flying birds.

Siko

All haiku is appeal. To whom?

To the leaves. Why does the poet turn to maple leaves? He loves their bright colors: yellow, red - even the wings of birds burn. Let us imagine for a moment that the poetic appeal was addressed to the leaves of an oak tree. Then a completely different image would be born - an image of perseverance, endurance, because the leaves of oak trees remain firmly on the branches until winter frosts.

The classic tercet should reflect some time of year. Here is Issa talking about autumn:

Peasant in the field.

And showed me the way

Picked radish.

Issa will say about the transience of a sad winter day:

Opening his beak,

The wren did not have time to sing.

The day is over.

And here you will, without a doubt, remember the sultry summer:

Flocked together

Mosquitoes to the sleeping person.

Lunch time.

Issa

Think about who is waiting for lunch. Of course, mosquitoes. How ironic.

The traditional Japanese haiku is a 17-syllable poem written in one hieroglyphic column (row) and consisting of three rhythmic parts of 5-7-5 syllables, the first of which is the thesis, the second is the antithesis, and the third is catharsis, or insight. Translations of haiku written in other languages ​​are usually written in three lines. However, not all tercets, in translation, have such a clear structure (5+7+5). Why? The translator must convey the author's idea and at the same time maintain a strict form. This is not always possible, and in this case he sacrifices form.

Sazaregani Ashi Hainoboru Shimizu Kanna

Little crab

Ran up my leg.

Clean water.

Basho

This genre chooses means of artistic expression extremely sparingly: few epithets and metaphors. There is no rhyme, no strict rhythm is observed. How does the author manage to create an image in a few words, with meager means? It turns out that the poet works a miracle: he awakens the imagination of the reader himself. The art of haiku is the ability to say a lot in a few lines. After reading a poem, you imagine a picture, an image, experience it, rethink it, think it through, create it.

Willow is bent over and sleeping.

And it seems to me that there is a nightingale on a branch -

This is her soul.

Basho

Japanese art speaks eloquently in the language of omissions. Important principles of haiku poetry are understatement, or "yugen", ambiguity and after-feeling. Beauty is in the depths of things. To be able to notice it you need a subtle taste.

The author of a haiku does not name the feeling, but evokes it, pushing the reader to develop his chain of associations. In this case, the created image itself must resonate with the consciousness (or subconscious) of the reader, without explanation or chewing. The effect caused by haiku is comparable (according to Alexey Andreev) to the effect of an unfinished bridge: you can cross it to the “opposite bank” only by completing it in your imagination.

The Japanese don't like symmetry. If the vase is in the middle on the table, it will automatically be moved to the edge of the table. Why? Symmetry as completeness, as completeness, as repetition is uninteresting. So, for example, the dishes on a Japanese table (service) will necessarily have different patterns and different colors.

An ellipsis often appears at the end of haiku. This is not an accident, but a tradition, a principle of Japanese art. For a resident of the Land of the Rising Sun, the thought is important and close: the world is always changing, therefore in art there cannot be completeness, there cannot be a peak - a point of balance and peace. The Japanese even have a catchphrase: “The empty spaces on a scroll are filled with more meaning than what the brush has written on it.”

The highest manifestation of the concept of “yugen” is the philosophical garden. This is a poem made of stone and sand. American tourists see it as a “tennis court” - a rectangle covered with white gravel, where stones are scattered in disarray. What does a Japanese think about while peering at these stones? V. Ovchinnikov writes that words cannot convey the philosophical meaning of a rock garden; for the Japanese it is an expression of the world in its endless variability.

But let's return to literature. The great Japanese poet Matsuo Basho raised the genre to unsurpassed heights. Every Japanese knows his poems by heart.

Basho was born into a poor samurai family in the province of Iga, which is called the cradle of old Japanese culture. These are incredibly beautiful places. The poet's relatives were educated people, and Basho himself began writing poetry as a child. His life path is unusual. He took monastic vows, but did not become a real monk. Basho settled in a small house near the city of Edo. This hut is sung in his poems.

IN A REED COVERED HUT

How a banana moans in the wind,

How the drops fall into the tub,

I hear it all night long.

In 1682, a misfortune happened - Basho's hut burned down. And he began a many-year wandering around Japan. His fame grew, and many students appeared throughout Japan. Basho was a wise teacher; he not only passed on the secrets of his skill, he encouraged those who were looking for their own path. The true style of haiku was born in controversy. These were disputes between people truly dedicated to their cause. Bonte, Kerai, Ransetsu, Shiko are students of the famous master. Each of them had his own handwriting, sometimes very different from the handwriting of the teacher.

One of the poet’s greatest poems is “The Old Pond.” This is a milestone in the history of Japanese poetry.

furuike i

kawazu tobikomu

mizu no oto

* * *

Old pond!

The frog jumped.

Splash of water.

(Translation by T. P. Grigorieva)

Not only the complete impeccability of this poem from the point of view of the numerous prescriptions of this shortest and ultra-laconic form of poetry (although Basho was never afraid to violate them), but also the deep meaning, the quintessence of the beauty of Nature, the peace and harmony of the soul of the poet and the surrounding world , make us consider this haiku a great work of art. This is not the place to talk about the play on words traditional for Japanese poetry, which allows you to create two, three, or even four layers of meaning in 17 or 31 syllables, decipherable only by experts, or even only by the author himself. Moreover, Basho did not really like this traditional technique - marukekatombo. The poem is beautiful without it. Numerous commentaries on “The Old Pond” occupy more than one volume. But the great poet expressed the essence of avare - “sad charm and unity with Nature” in exactly this way.

Wanderer! - This is the word

Will become my name.

Long autumn rain...

Basho walked the roads of Japan, bringing poetry to people. His poems include peasants, fishermen, tea pickers, the entire life of Japan with its bazaars, taverns on the roads...

Left for a moment

Farmer threshing rice

Looks at the moon.

“Every poem I have ever written in my life is my last poem.” Matsuo Basho

During one of his travels, Basho died. Before his death, he created the “Death Song”:

I got sick on the way,

And everything runs, my dream circles

Through scorched meadows.

And haiku lines are always the path to the reader’s own creativity, that is, to your personal inner solution to the topic proposed to you. The poem ends, and here the poetic comprehension of the topic begins...

Poetry is beautiful
I take a shovel and plant cacti
The aroma of flowers lifts the soul to heaven

And the first class will be “taught” by James W. Hackett (b. 1929; student and friend of Blyth, the most influential Western haijin, championing “Zen haiku” and “haiku of the present moment.” According to Hackett, haiku is the intuitive feeling of “things as they are,” and this, in turn, corresponds to the manner of Basho, who introduced the importance of the immediacy of the present moment into haiku. For Hackett, haiku is what he called “the path of living awareness” and “the value of every moment of life”). .

Hackett's twenty (now famous) suggestions for writing haiku
(translation from English by Olga Hooper):

1. The source of haiku is life.

2. Ordinary, daily events.

3. Contemplate nature in close proximity.

Of course, not only nature. But haiku is first of all about nature, the natural world around us, and only then about us in this world. That’s why it’s said, “nature.” And human feelings will be visible and tangible precisely through showing the life of the natural world.

4. Identify yourself with what you are writing about.

5. Think alone.

6. Depict nature as it is.

7. Don’t always try to write in 5-7-5.

Even Basho broke the 17 syllable rule. Secondly, the Japanese syllable and the Russian syllable are completely different in content and duration. Therefore, when writing (not in Japanese) or translating haiku, the 5-7-5 formula may be violated. The number of lines is also optional - 3. It can be 2 or 1. The main thing is not the number of syllables or stanzas, but the SPIRIT OF HAIKU - which is achieved by the correct construction of images.

8. Write in three lines.

9. Use ordinary language.

10. Assume.

To assume means not to express it completely and completely, but to leave something for further construction (by the reader). Since haiku are so short, it is impossible to paint a picture in all the details, but rather the main details can be given, and the reader can guess the rest based on what is given. We can say that in haiku only the external features of objects are drawn, only the most important (at that moment) characteristics of the thing/phenomenon are indicated - and the rest is completed by readers in their imagination... Therefore, by the way, haiku needs a trained reader

11. Mention the time of year.

12. Haiku are intuitive.

13. Don't miss the humor.

14. Rhyme is distracting.

15. Life to the fullest.

16. Clarity.

17. Read your haiku out loud.

18. Simplify!

19. Let the haiku rest.

20. Remember Blyce’s admonition that “haiku is a finger pointing to the moon.”

According to the recollections of Basho's students, he once made the following comparison: haiku is a finger pointing to the moon. If a bunch of jewelry glitters on your finger, then the viewer's attention will be distracted by these jewelry. For the finger to show the Moon itself, it does not need any decorations, because without them, the audience's attention will be directed exactly to the point at which the finger points.
This is what Hackett reminds us of: haiku does not need any decorations in the form of rhyme, metaphors, animation of natural things and phenomena, comparisons of them with something in human relations, comments or assessments of the author, and so on. to the moon." The finger must be “clean”, so to speak. Haiku is pure poetry.

Write haiku! And your life will become brighter!

There are no greater monsters than Heroes...

for everyone who thinks that "he wrote haiku"..

Apart from the notorious 5-7-5, haiku is, first of all, a moment of life. it's "here and now." And this “here and now” is much more important than 5-7-5.
The origin of the genre in a world where the comprehension of selfhood is achieved by renouncing it, the acquisition of individuality through familiarization with homogeneous external attributes, and the acquisition of freedom through asceticism and self-restraint, has led to the fact that through the parsimony of words the author communicates only what really exists, removing unnecessary words and leaving only what is necessary. In haiku, the “I” is excluded, the perception of reality through haiku is reduced to the perception of the moment and action occurring directly in front of us, and the reader fills the frame of time, action and surrounding reality with his own point of view and fantasy. Thus, the reader becomes a co-creator of the author. And the author is a co-creator of the one who created the universe, observing the moment of its manifestation. “I” in haiku is present only as another piece of the universe, like a bird or the wind, the light of the sun or the splash of a wave. As a phenomenon, and not as a narcissistic egocentric transforming reality through the prism of his perception. Reading haiku, we see what is, what the author witnessed, and not what he wanted to say about this, not how he understood or felt it. We ourselves feel and see what he saw. And our feelings do not have to be the same as the author’s at that moment. Because he does not impose his perception on us, but invites us to perceive it ourselves, to share this moment with him.

Haiku is one of the best known and most widespread genres of Japanese poetry. True, not everyone can comprehend the meaning of short three-line poems, since they contain a deep connection between nature and man. Only very sensual and sophisticated natures, who, moreover, are characterized by observation, can appreciate how beautiful and sublime these poems are. After all, haiku is just one moment of life, captured in words. And if a person has never paid attention to the sunrise, the sound of the surf or the night song of a cricket, then it will be very difficult for him to be imbued with the beauty and brevity of haiku.

There are no analogues to haiku poems in any poetry in the world. This is explained by the fact that the Japanese have a special worldview, a very authentic and original culture, and different principles of education. By nature, representatives of this nation are philosophers and contemplators. At the moments of their highest elation, such people produce poems known throughout the world as haiku.

The principle of their creation is quite simple and, at the same time, complex. The poem consists of three short lines, the first of which contains background information about the place, time and essence of the event. In turn, the second line reveals the meaning of the first, filling the moment with special charm. The third line represents conclusions that very often reflect the author’s attitude to what is happening, and therefore can be very unexpected and original. Thus, the first two lines of the poem are descriptive, and the last one conveys the feelings that what he saw inspired the person.

In Japanese poetry, there are quite strict rules for writing haiku, which are based on principles such as rhythm, breathing technique and language features. Thus, authentic Japanese haiku are created according to the 5-7-5 principle. This means that the first and last lines must have exactly five syllables each, and the second line must have seven. In addition, the entire poem must consist of 17 words. Naturally, these rules can only be observed by people who not only have a rich imagination and an inner world devoid of conventions, but also an excellent literary style, as well as the ability to express their thoughts succinctly and colorfully.

It is worth noting that the 5-7-5 rule does not apply to haiku poems if they are created in other languages. This is due, first of all, to the linguistic features of Japanese speech, its rhythm and melodiousness. Therefore, haiku written in Russian can contain an arbitrary number of syllables in each line. The same goes for word count. Only the three-line form of the poem remains unchanged, in which there is no rhyme, but at the same time the phrases are constructed in such a way that they create a special rhythm, conveying to the listener a certain impulse that forces a person to mentally draw a picture of what he heard.

There is one more haiku rule, which, however, the authors adhere to at their own discretion. It lies in the contrast of phrases, when the living is adjacent to the dead, and the power of nature opposes the skill of man. However, it is worth noting that contrasting haiku have much more imagery and attractiveness, creating fanciful pictures of the universe in the imagination of the reader or listener.

Writing haiku does not require focused effort or concentration. The process of writing such poems does not occur at the will of consciousness, but is dictated by our subconscious. Only fleeting phrases inspired by what they saw can fully correspond to the concept of haiku and claim the title of literary masterpieces.
pishi-stihi.ru/pravila-napisaniya-hokku.html

One of the most famous genres of Japanese poetry is Haiku; not everyone is able to comprehend their secret meaning of writing. We will try to explain the basic principles of writing haiku, they usually consist of a three-line saying. In Japanese history, Hokku personifies the eternal, inextricable connection between man and nature. There are rules for writing haiku that cannot be broken. The first line should consist of five syllables, the second of seven, the third, like the first, of five. In total, haiku should consist of 17 syllables.

However, in Russian, the stylistics of the text are rarely observed. Compliance with this rule is not important, remember that the Russian and Japanese languages ​​are different, Japanese and Russian have different pronunciation, rhythmic pattern of words, timbre, rhyme and rhythm, and therefore writing haiku in Russian will be very different from their writing in Japanese .

Haiku is the most unique genre in the poetry of all nations; it carries within itself only one moment. The first line provides initial information, allows you to imagine what will be discussed next, the second reveals the meaning of the first, but the third gives the poem a special flavor, while the third line is an unexpected conclusion of the entire work.

Cemetery fence
Can't hold back anymore
The pressure of tulips!

There is a contrast between the dead and the living here. The most interesting thing is that the idea of ​​the poem is not expressed directly, but chooses winding roads. This is what gives hockey the feeling of a picture that we see before our eyes. There are several problems that can be encountered when writing haiku. The first is a lack of contrast, the second is a huge saturation with words, frequent repetition of similar patterns and questions, and the most common is concentration on oneself.

The wind blew my hat away -
I rushed after
Down the street.

This can be easily fixed by replacing some words and pronouns:

March wind-
Rolling down the street
My hat.

Everyone may wonder: what is haiku for? Hokku develop extraordinary thinking and help you understand the basics of poetry. Moreover, haiku is used in psychotherapy. For a long time, psychotherapists have been learning about what is going on in a person’s soul. With the help of these intricate poems, you can tell a lot about both the subconscious and a person’s problems, you can find out how a person perceives the world around him. By writing haiku you can go beyond reality, relax and have a mental break. The most important thing is that to write a haiku poem you don’t need to think long, poems flow from your subconscious, they appear fleetingly. Sometimes they happen so quickly that every line you write is practically a masterpiece of art. The main thing is to open your soul and release gusts of inspiration into it...

Japanese poetry has always gravitated towards brevity.

To understand haiku, it is important to get acquainted with the peculiarities of the Japanese way of life and their philosophical perception of the world.

The time of the birth of haiku in Japan coincided with the extraordinary flowering of Zen Buddhism (17th century), which a century earlier received the status of a state religion. And this coincidence is not accidental: Zen and haiku are inextricably linked.

The goal of Zen practice is SATORI - insight, enlightenment, achievement - this meant that the truth is available to a person here and now, you just need to be able to see it.

But every insight was preceded by years of disobedience. Poetry, created by the spirit of Zen, is only part of daily practice, the result of which is complete harmony with the surrounding world.

At the end of the first millennium, TANKKA, which means “short song,” became the leading genre in Japanese poetry. In the tank, all noteworthy events were sung - cherry blossoms, a date with a loved one, parting with her, and even an appointment to a position. The last two lines of the tanki - AGAKU - were separated by a pause from the first three - haiku, which means “initial verse”.

Haiku was also written as a separate genre. Subsequently, another name was assigned to haiku - “haiku”, which means “comic verses” (initially the tercets were of a comic nature).

Later, haiku became predominantly lyrical poems about nature.

There are rules for writing haiku:

1. Each haiku has three lines.

2. The first and third lines have 5 syllables each, the middle line has 7 syllables.

3. Haiku is built around KITO - words indicating the season.

4. Parts of the composition are connected by a fleeting experience.

Haiku has become an opportunity to express one’s state of mind or impression. The theme of SABI came to the forefront - enlightened loneliness, peace, detachment from the world of vain existence, reflections on the frailty of the world, the vicissitudes of fate, as well as landscape lyrics.

Poetry, the tea ceremony and martial art - all grew from one core - equanimity of spirit, Zen detachment, the flip side of which was close attention to the world, the ability to see “eternity in the cup of a flower.” The ability to admire the beauty of the mortal world ennobled every moment of existence, right up to the last moment. No wonder the samurai had a common custom of composing a farewell poem before death.

Kataoka Takafusa composed the following lines as he departed to his death:

Lighter than goose down

Life flies away...

Snowy morning.

A recognized classic of Japanese poetry of the 17th century is Matsue Basho.

How is this, friends?

A man looks at the cherry blossoms

And on his belt is a long sword!

How the river overflowed!

The heron wanders on short legs -

Knee-deep in water...

They rise from the ground again,

Dim in the darkness, chrysanthemums,

Battered by strong winds.

Oh, how many of them there are in the fields!

But everyone blooms in their own way, -

This is the highest feat of a flower!

Why am I so strong

Did you sense old age this fall?

Clouds and birds.

Where, on what tree are they,

These flowers - I don’t know

But the aroma wafted.

Zen Buddhist philosophy believed that a person is born pure, free from conventions, and only becomes clouded by these conventions during his life. Communication with beauty cleanses - the Japanese believed in ancient times. And beauty can be found in everything that surrounds us - it is individual for everyone.

Beauty promotes feeling.

Haiku is a way of self-discovery and self-expression. This is a creative state - BEING.

Japan is a country with a very unique culture. Its formation was greatly facilitated by the peculiarities of the geographical location and geological factors. The Japanese were able to settle in the valleys and coasts, but they constantly suffer from typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Therefore, it is not surprising that their national consciousness deifies natural forces, and poetic thought strives to penetrate into the very essence of things. This desire is embodied in laconic forms of art.

Features of Japanese poetry

Before considering examples of haiku, it is necessary to pay attention to the features of the art of the Land of the Rising Sun. This brevity is expressed in different ways. It is also characteristic of the Japanese garden with its empty space, and origami, and works of painting and poetry. The main principles in the art of the Land of the Rising Sun are naturalness, understatement, and minimalism.

In Japanese, words don't rhyme. Therefore, the poetry familiar to the average person in our country could not emerge in this language. However, the Land of the Rising Sun gave the world no less beautiful works called haiku. They contain the wisdom of the eastern people, their unsurpassed ability to understand through natural phenomena the meaning of existence and the essence of man himself.

Haiku - the poetic art of the Land of the Rising Sun

The careful attitude of the Japanese towards their past, towards the heritage of antiquity, as well as strict adherence to the rules and norms of versification, turned haiku into a genuine art form. In Japan, haiku is a separate type of skill - for example, like the art of calligraphy. It acquired its true capacity at the end of the 17th century. The famous Japanese poet Matsuo Basho managed to raise it to an unsurpassed height.

The person depicted in the poem is always against the backdrop of nature. Haiku is intended to convey and show phenomena, but not to name them directly. These short poems are sometimes called "pictures of nature" in the art of poetry. It is no coincidence that artistic canvases were also created for haiku.

Size

Many readers wonder how to write haiku. Examples of these poems show: haiku is a short work that consists of only three lines. In this case, the first line should contain five syllables, the second - seven, the third - also five. For centuries, haiku has been the primary poetic form. Brevity, semantic capacity and mandatory appeal to nature are the main characteristics of this genre. In reality, there are many more rules for adding haiku. It’s hard to believe, but in Japan the art of composing such miniatures has been taught for decades. And painting lessons were also added to these classes.

The Japanese also understand haiku as a work consisting of three phrases of 5, 7, 5 syllables. The difference in the perception of these poems by different peoples is that in other languages ​​they are usually written in three lines. In Japanese they are written on one line. And before they could be seen written from top to bottom.

Haiku poems: examples for children

Often schoolchildren receive homework assignments to learn or compose haiku. These short poems are easy to read and quick to remember. This is demonstrated by the following example of haiku (2nd grade is too early to take Japanese poetry, but students can refer to this tercet if necessary):

The sun is setting
And cobwebs too
Melting in the darkness...

The author of this laconic poem is Basho. Despite the capacity of the tercet, the reader must use his imagination and partially participate in the creative work of the Japanese poet. The following haiku is also written by Basho. In it, the poet depicts the carefree life of a little bird:

In free meadows
The lark bursts into song
Without work and worries...

Kigo

Many readers are wondering how to write haiku in Russian. Examples of these tercets show that one of the main features of this genre of poetry is the correlation of a person’s internal state with the time of year. This rule can also be used when composing your own haiku. The rules of classical versification required the use of a special “seasonal” word - kigo. It is a word or phrase that indicates the season described in the poem.

For example, the word "snow" would indicate winter. The phrase “Hazy moon” may indicate the onset of spring. Mention of sakura (Japanese cherry tree) will also indicate spring. The word kinge - “goldfish” - will indicate that the poet depicts summer in his poem. This custom of using kigo came into the haiku genre from other forms. However, these words also help the poet choose laconic words and give the meaning of the work even greater depth.

The following haiku example will tell about summer:

The sun is shining.
The birds became quiet at noon.
Summer has come.

And after reading the following Japanese tercet, you can understand that the season being described is spring:

Cherry blossoms.
Dali was shrouded in fog.
Dawn has arrived.

Two parts in a tercet

Another characteristic feature of haiku is the use of the “cutting word,” or kireji. To do this, Japanese poets used various words - for example, ya, kana, keri. However, they are not translated into Russian because they have a very vague meaning. In essence, they represent a kind of semantic mark that divides the tercet into two parts. When translating into other languages, a dash or an exclamation point is usually placed instead of the kireji.

Deviation from the generally accepted norm

There are always artists or poets who strive to break generally accepted, classical rules. The same goes for writing haiku. If the standard for writing these tercets presupposes a 5-7-5 structure, the use of “cutting” and “seasonal” words, then at all times there have been innovators who in their creativity sought to ignore these instructions. There is an opinion that haiku, which do not have a seasonal word, should be classified as senryu - humorous tercets. However, such a categorization does not take into account the existence of flour - haiku, in which there is no indication of the season, and which simply does not need it to reveal its meaning.

Haiku without a seasonal word

Let's look at an example of haiku that can be classified in this group:

The cat is walking
Along the city street
The windows are open.

Here, the indication of what time of year the animal left home is not important - the reader can observe the picture of the cat leaving home, completing the complete picture in his imagination. Perhaps something happened at home that the owners did not pay attention to the open window, and the cat slipped through it and went for a long walk. Maybe the owner of the house is anxiously waiting for her four-legged pet to return. In this haiku example, it is not necessary to indicate the season to describe feelings.

Is there always a hidden meaning in Japanese tercets?

Looking at various examples of haiku, one can see the simplicity of these tercets. Many of them lack hidden meaning. They describe ordinary natural phenomena perceived by the poet. The following example of haiku in Russian, authored by the famous Japanese poet Matsuo Basho, describes a picture of nature:

On a dead branch
The raven turns black.
Autumn evening.

This is how haiku differs from the Western poetic tradition. Many of them have no hidden meaning, but reflect the true principles of Zen Buddhism. In the West, it is customary to fill every thing with hidden symbolism. This meaning is not found in the following example of nature haiku, also written by Basho:

I'm walking along the path up the mountain.
ABOUT! How wonderful!
Violet!

General and specific in haiku

It is known that the Japanese people have a cult of nature. In the Land of the Rising Sun, the surrounding world is treated in a completely special way - for its inhabitants, nature is a separate spiritual world. In haiku, the motive of the universal connection of things is manifested. Specific things that are described in tercets are always connected with the general cycle; they become part of a series of endless changes. Even the four seasons of the year are divided by Japanese poets into shorter subseasons.

First drop
It fell from the sky onto my hand.
Autumn is approaching.

James Hackett, who was one of the most influential Western writers of haiku, believed that these tercets convey sensations “as they are.” And this is precisely what is characteristic of Basho’s poetry, which shows the immediacy of the current moment. Hackett gives the following tips to help you write your own haiku:

• The source of the poem must be life itself. They can and should describe daily events that at first glance seem ordinary.
• When composing haiku, one should contemplate nature in the immediate vicinity.
• It is necessary to identify yourself with what is described in the tercet.
• It is always better to think alone.
• It's better to use simple language.
• It is advisable to mention the time of year.
• Haiku should be simple and clear.

Hackett also said that anyone who wants to create beautiful haiku should remember the words of Basho: “Haiku is a finger that points to the moon.” If this finger is decorated with rings, then the attention of the audience will be focused on these jewelry, and not on the heavenly body. The finger does not need any decoration. In other words, various rhymes, metaphors, similes and other literary devices are unnecessary in haiku.