Haiku, Kigo and the English Language

[rayheinrich]

Thanks for all the interesting responses. I've been thinking of the why of kigo
and I've come to its ability to bring the reader to a specific time/place, to
invoke a memory that sits in the reader that will bring him halfway to where
the poet is. The lists seem pretty meaningless to me, including everything or
using 2 English words to define one Japanese word.

So I think I'll chuck the list and make sure there's a least one word that
performs the trick.

From what I understand a haiku ideally pivots on the second line, tanka again
on the third. Do you think the dash after the second line is needed, or nice?
Should the reader automatically see the turn without it?

The season word lists can get pretty ridiculous. Personally, I like to use
them (though I don't feel bound follow them). Here's a favorite of mine.
It doesn't go all crazy listing a zillion and it's all on one page so you can
use your browser's 'find' to search:

Yuki Teikei Haiku Society Kigo List

Haiku can pivot at the end of the first line or the second line, or BOTH
(my absolute favorites). When both there's no dash. The dash, btw, is always
optional. A well-composed haiku doesn't usually need one.

*BOTH usually involves using the whole second line as a pivot, i.e. the haiku
makes sense with the second line in the first part or the second part.
(The second line can be a single word as well.) The effect is a little like
enjambment; in that you think it means one thing, then you find out it means
another or both.

Example of a haiku with a pivot line:

white crane flying
through the mist
an autumn moon


white crane flying through the mist
an autumn moon

white crane flying
through the mist an autumn moon

It also equates the white crane with the autumn moon as they are both white and
both seen through the mist. This is not necessary when using a pivot line.
The ancient Japanese term fot this is 'double whammy'.

This is also an example of an improper haiku in that haiku should never use more
than one kigo. Which is pretty STUPID as this would rule out a haiku having
both a frog (spring) and a lily (summer). Yes, stupid, not in the spirit of haiku imho.