Comments on: Why 5.7.5? A Process Review

By: Alan Summers

Alan Summers — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:58:20 +0000

575ers can be fine if natural language and line breaks are present. The difficulty can be where we think a word is one or two syllables and i’s the opposite.

Even I came unstuck as I thought my haiku, now on the August page of the Haiku Calendar, published by Snapshot Press, was a 575er because I pronounce “field” as if it’s two syllables.

In actual fact it’s a one syllable word broken up by a diaphoneme. Go figure!

Our 3rd With Words International Online Haiku Competition is now up:
http://www.withwords.org.uk/comp.html

You can also read the results of our previous competitions with judge’s commentary: http://www.withwords.org.uk/results.html

all my best,

Alan, With Words

By: Carribean Kigo Kukai and Modern Haiku

Carribean Kigo Kukai and Modern Haiku — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:01:17 +0000

[...] Where do I want to go with haiku? What new areas do I want to explore? And specifically, do I want to stay exclusive with 5 - 7 - 5? [...]

By: Alison

Alison — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:52:43 +0000

Kelly, Gisele, you are reading my mind. I’m thinking shake it up a bit for 2010….

By: Gisele

Gisele — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:59:59 +0000

Hi Kelly,

You could maybe keep it optional in your second year? Go for either form.

And, way to go on keeping it up this long!

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:45:26 +0000

Hi Gisele,

Thanks for reading along in our haiku adventures!

I think you’re right. The 5-7-5 rule makes it easy when first starting out as it gives you something very concrete to focus on, a rule to follow. However, now that I’ve been at it for 10 months, I do notice myself wanting to break away from all the counting.

But…as you read above. I can’t! I set a goal and I’m sticking to for the whole year. Maybe that will be our gig for 2010 — free form haiku.

As for kiga-kigo. You’re right. You win. It’s kigo!

By: Gisele

Gisele — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:54:33 +0000

Hi Kelly, and Allison,

I discovered your blog a little while ago and wanted to let you know I enjoy it very much. I’m a huge fan of haiku, and also write the traditional form and the modern. I think for people learning it, sticking to the formal 5-7-5 rule makes it easier, but once you are familiar with it, adopting a more flexible format is quite freeing.

Oh, in this post, you also referenced the season reference word, kiga, but I’m quite sure it’s kigo.

By: johanna

johanna — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:33:08 +0000

i.e.: - fusion - ( thanks to dr. davison )

sometimes, the count just won’t work
where an unbroken line will do just fine….

By: johanna

johanna — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:18:00 +0000

years ago, i took a poetry class with a professor who was a
big fan of breaking the traditional 5-7-5 form. as you both said,
the classic form follows the japanese language, and often
exact syllable count is lost in translation.
he encouraged us to try for an concise expression
confined to just 17 syllables.
he called it “fusion” haiku ( east/west?)

i have enjoyed the freedom of “fusion” alot over the years
but i write in both modes….sometimes the count just
wont work, where an unbroken line will.

my 2 cents.