Ulog #2: Which is which... Haiku or Senryu?

in #ulog6 years ago (edited)

Challenge accepted!


"A photo and a haiku - Describe your photo thru a haiku challenge!"

Hee-yah Uloggers! I've got a stink talent in poetry but definitely challenged about "Haiku" ( for real). As I am a fan of math, I don't usually turn a hair in poems... mine is not effective, hu! But this haiku thing is different. I made one but this time I am incredibly disparate of creating some...lol!

Uncertain on how to construct Haiku and what does it focus.

So I did some research because not only that am not familiar with Haiku, but also confused about its focus. Just when I came across with these two terms, Haiku and Senryu. These two caught my attention. I just chose wiki as my reference - a lot of it can be found though.

According to Wikipedia, haiku is typically characterized by three qualities - yet I'll just focus only on the traditional haiku. The traditional haiku is consist of 17 "syllables", in three phrases of 5, 7, and 5 respectively. But there is also an alternative form of haiku consists of 11 on in three phrases of 3, 5, and 3 respectively. To make it clearer I included an example on 17 "syllables", in three phrases of 5-7-5 construction

(5) The sky is so blue.
(7) The sun is so warm up high.
(5) I love the summer

(Sample haiku not mine. Credit to Young Writers' free Poetry Glossary)

While Senryū-literally 'river willow', is a Japanese form of short poetry similar to haiku in construction, three lines with 17 syllables. Their distinctions are: First, Senryū tends to be about human foibles while haiku tends to be about nature. Second, senryū is often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku is more serious. Lastly, unlike haiku, senryū does not include a cutting word and does not generally include a season word.

Almost there, but still confused!


So then I almost believed that my first entry in photohaiku is not actually a "Haiku but Senryū"... tsk!... tsk!
(5) Fabio on a trip
(7) Asks for peanut kisses
(5) But mama says no

(my entry in photohaiku #1: Sad baby fabio)

But as I went on further readings, got stumbled on this. According to graceguts "the belief of some people of haiku as focusing on nature, with senryu focusing on people, is misleading. The fact is that many haiku by the Japanese masters also focus on people, so having human content is not a distinguishing factor. Furthermore, haiku is actually a seasonal poem, not strictly a nature poem (many of the kigo that haiku aim at are in fact not nature-related), although nature often comes along for the ride." Whaaa! meaning my first entry is actually haiku?

Clear throat at last!

Hmmp...not satisfied yet with "graceguts", and it made me more confused about how to know whether a poem is a haiku or senryu. So I went on searching,... hooray! Somebody seconded "graceguts", special thanks to this author "Elizabeth St Jacques". She cleared this out that in the past, humor and most particularly, human nature, were excluded from haiku, reserved specifically for senryu. Now, however, both regularly appear in haiku. She further cited another author that freed me from this confusion of mine - because I chose to believe them... there!

Francine Porad of Seattle, Washington and past President of the Haiku Society of America, disagreed to some people's belief that any reference to human beings in a haiku turns the poem into a senryu. In his opinion, there should be no separation, is no separation between human nature and the world of nature." He further added that "sometimes a poem fits both (haiku and senryu) categories." Aja...! Problem solved!

Which is which, now my turn!


32222406_1816913168360558_4394912421928501248_n.jpg

Drop-dead wide blue sea

Bathing like no other day

Sunburn all the way

(this poem is now my creation....yahooooo!)

Till next, see you on my next haiku :D...special thanks to @surpassinggoogle for this Ulog idea. It made my day alive!


Sources:
1.wiki on haiku
2.youngwriters poem
3.wiki on senryu
4.graceguts on haiku vs senryu
5.Elizabeth St Jacques

The image is mine, Oppo captured.


"We live and learn, at any rate, we live."


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