Having to wear a neck collar is much similar to donning on a thinking cap; it hacks my productivity but takes my mind to weird places. One such place I’ve never had the courage to touch was the Haikus since I didn’t understand the underlying structure of forming one at all. But being physically restricted to do anything fruitful, I finally searched and learned the basics of forming a traditional Haiku poem.
Three Requirements of Traditional Haiku
There are three things to consider if you wish to write something somewhat similar to a traditional Haiku
The 5-7-5 form
The most commonly known aspect of a haiku:
17 syllables divided into three lines of five, seven and five syllables. Modern haikus usually disregard the next two traditional elements of haiku poetry and only stick to this basic rule.
Cutting
Cutting (kiru) captures the essence of the Haiku. This word is used to describe the way two different images meet in the poem. The two colliding worlds are divided by a kireji, a ‘cutting word’ that serves as the separation between the ideas.
The seasonal reference
The seasonal reference (kigo) can be anything that ties the poem to a certain time of the year: falling leaves, frosty windows, flowers starting to bloom.
Now, there’s Senryu, which are superficially similar to haiku, but do not employ season words or aim at a seasonal feeling. They don’t make use of kiru in the way haiku do. The tendency is towards a single observation rather than a juxtaposition, thus avoiding ambiguity. The use of first-person is also far less common in Senryu, therefore more detached than haiku. To be honest, Haiku should be replaced by Senryu in the title.
Here are some Senryu capturing the recent happenings:
What is wrong with us
Storming area fifty one
Don’t care, count me in
What the author wants to convey: The internet is ridiculously out of control creating an endless pool of memes. Although absurd in nature, can’t help but participate in it.
England lift the cup
For the first time in forever
Royalty chose Wimbledon
What the author wants to convey: The English will clearly remember 14th of July more than the rest of the world. Sporting events all across the country at the same time made it tough for spectators to make a choice (although passing up on Silverstone Paddock access is a no-brainer right?)
Screen Uri for free
Call myself a patriot
Tokenistic it be
What the author wants to convey: Major conflicts and operations are interchangeable as long as one remembers to hate something.
Report arose doubts
Testimony made it clear
Time for impeachment?
What the author wants to convey: The 448 page long Mueller Report filled with redacted paragraphs made the issue more controversial rather than clearing any doubts. But Robert Mueller’s recent testimony made it clear that the special counsel’s investigation uncovered Russia’s “sweeping and systematic” interference in the 2016 election, the Trump campaign’s embrace of this help and the president’s obstruction of justice during the investigation of it.
The big tech leading
Deterring innovation?
Under fire in Capitol Hill
What the author wants to convey: The Big Tech i.e Facebook, Amazon, Google have hearings lined up as the US Department of Justice’s antitrust division announced it will investigate whether these companies are using their power to thwart competition.
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