Carpe Diem's "Only the First Line" #4

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another nice episode of this Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special "Only The First Line", in which the goal is to write a new haiku which starts with the first line I give. I have searched for a new "First Line" and came up with this one:

Ice Flowers

"blooming ice flowers"

So the goal of this episode is to write a new haiku starting with the line given "blooming Ice Flowers" not an easy task, but ... well it's a challenge and a challenge is not always easy (smiles). And to make this somewhat more like a challenge you have to write your haiku in the classical 5-7-5 syllables way.

Of course I have tried it myself. Here is my attempt to write a haiku starting with the line "blooming Ice Flowers".

blooming ice flowers
painted in this stone cold night
on bedroom window

(c) Chèvrefeuille

This episode of "Only the First Line" is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until February 22th 11.59 AM (CET).
Have fun, be inspired and share your haiku with us all here at our Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special.

Carpe Diem's "Japanese Garden"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I love to introduce an all new feature here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special and I think this new feature will give you all a joyful challenge.
This new feature, this new challenge, goes back to the roots of haiku and challenges you to go back to basic. It's very similar to our other special feature "Goes Back to Its Roots". The title of this new feature is referring to the classic rules of haiku, but in this new feature not all those classic rules have to be used, just a few of them.

Which rules you have to use here?

1. 5-7-5 syllables
2. A moment as short as the sound of a pebble thrown into water
3. A kigo
4. A deeper, spiritual meaning

5. And last, but not least, it must have a nature image

Almost the same as in our "Goes Back to Its Roots", but for all a little bit different I think. As the title already says ... it has to be something which can be seen in your garden, but in this case garden can be seen a bit broader, because you also may use an image from a park in your neighborhood or e.g. a park such as Yellowstone Park.

. 

Let me give it a try with the above photo which I took in the city-park just around the corner in my hometown. This park is ... an oasis in a busy part of my hometown. As I walk here I don't even feel that I am in the city. In spring this park is a peaceful place and in winter, as the pond is frozen, it's a joyful place to skate and meet other people from my neighborhood. In summer you can even swim here. And of course in autumn it's the place to be to search for chestnuts and colorful leaves. 

Here is my attempt to write a classical haiku inspired on the city-park just around the corner.

heart of the neighborhood
in every season of the year
the place to contemplate

A beauty I can say, how immodest, but it's what I feel as I read this haiku again and again. It's a strong one and I think it's in touch with the goal of this new feature. What do you think?

Well ... I hope you like this new feature and I hope it will become a feature that is loved by you all. It's up to you now to take up this new challenge and share your thoughts with us all here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special. Have fun, be inspired and share.

This episode of CD "Japanese Garden" will stay open until January 28th 11.59 AM (CET) and I will try to publish a new episode of "Japanese Garden" later on that same day. !! This episode is now open for your submissions !!

Carpe Diem Goes Back to Its Roots #4

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I am proud to share my first post on my new Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special weblog. Today the goal is to write a classical haiku following the classical rules of haiku. So your haiku has to follow the next rules:

1. Describe a moment as short as the sound of a pebble thrown into water; so present tense;
2. 5-7-5 syllables;
3. Use a kigo (or seasonword);
4. Use a kireji (or cuttingword);
5. Sometimes a deeper spiritual or Zen-Buddhistic meaning;
6. First and third line are interchangeable and last but not least
7. No Self, avoid personal or possessive pronouns (I, me, my); it's an experience not how the poet feels about it.

As you can read at point 4, one of the rules is to use kireji (cuttingword). Kireji (lt. "cutting word") is the expression for a special category of words used in certain types of Japanese traditional poetry as is haiku. It's regarded as a requirement in classical haiku.

In English there is no exact equivalent of kireji and therefore it's difficult to define it's function. It is said to supply structural support to the haiku. When placed at the end of a haiku, it provides a dignified ending, concluding the haiku with a heightened sense of closure. Used in the middle of the haiku, it briefly cuts the stream of thought, indicating that the haiku consists of two thoughts held independent of each other. In such a position, it indicates a pause, both rhythmically and grammatically, and may tend an emotional flavor to the phrase preceding it.

The most common Kireji used in classical haiku are:

ka : emphasis; when at end of a phrase, it indicates a question.

kana : emphasis; usually can be found at a poem's end, indicates wonder.

- keri : exclamatory verbal suffix, past perfect.

- ramu or - ran : verbal suffix indicating probability.

- shi : adjectival suffix; usually used to end a clause.

- tsu : verbal suffix; present perfect.

ya : emphasis the preceding word or words cutting a poem into two parts, it implies an equation, while inviting the reader to explore their interrelationship.

How to use Kireji?

Haiku consist of 17 Japanese syllables or onji, in three metrical phrase of 5, 7 and 5 onji respectively. A kireji is typical positioned at the end of one of these three phrases.

When it's placed at the end of the final phrase (the end of the haiku), the kireji draws the reader back to the beginning, initiating a circular pattern. A large number of haiku, including many of those by Basho (1644-1694, founder of the "modern" haiku), and with either - keri, an exclamatory auxiliary verb, ot the exclamatory particle kana , both of which initiate such a circular pattern.

Let me give you an example of the use of kireji. For these examples I have used the four volume series "Haiku" written by R.H. Blyth.

shoku no hi wo shoku ni utsusu ya hara no yu

lighting one candle
with another candle;
an evening of spring

(c) Buson (1716-1783)

Buson is one of the four greatest haiku-poets next to Basho, Issa and Shiki. In the original haiku (written in romaji) the 'ya' is a cuttingword. In this one translated by a ; . Another example this time one written by Basho (1644-1694).

aki-kaze ya yabu mo hatake mo fuwa no seki

the autumn wind:
thickets and fields also,
Fuha Barrier

(c) Basho

In this verse the cuttingword is at the end of the first line 'ya' and is translated with : 

The goal is to write a classical haiku following the rules. I am not such a haiku-poet who is writing his haiku in the classical way, but sometimes I like to go back to the roots of haiku myself. So here is my classical haiku:

praying monks

the silence deepens
monks are shuffling through the garden
saying their prayers

(c) Chèvrefeuille, your host

Well ... I hope you liked this very first post on my new weblog "Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special" and I hope that you all will find your way to this new weblog. Have fun, be inspired and share your classical haiku with us all here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Special.

You can submit your classical haiku until February 6th 11.59 AM (CET). This episode of "Back to Its Roots" is NOW OPEN for your submissions.