Haiku very much

Haiku's great. It's a really simple form of japanese poetry, traditionally about the seasons and nature, that can use its 5:7:5 syllable formation to draw together two elements to create a strong, unified image (that's what the dictionary says anyway!)

The old pond:
a frog jumps in, -
the sound of water.

Basho (1644-1694)

This doesn't correspond to 5:7:5 as we understand it, as it was not written in English. Besides it is acceptable to create a haiku that has no more than 17 syllables in any formation! Mad I know!

I'm planning on joining an online creative writing course next month, and its made me think about the kind of writing I enjoy. I also bought the portable MFA from work which is a writing guide from those 'in the know' and is proving very interesting.

I never thought I'd be interested in magazine journalism, as I have no desire to be a hack, but the way the book describes the process of article writing, from query letter to research/interview through to publication it sounds attractive. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed writing my feature article at Goldsmiths (on Annie Sprinkle, sex guru & performance artist), and also made me realise how amateurish it probably was and how much there is to learn, but that's life eh? It's a shame I'm such a half-a-job: I would probably have editors after my blood!

Anyway, the haiku was another part of the GS's creative writing course I was very enthusastic about; there is something deeply calming and satisfying about composing one. Anyone can write a haiku too, and it can be about anything. I'll have to dig some of mine out and see if they were any good!


- H