Haiku Form. Joan Giroux

       PREFACE

      The haiku form was first discovered by English-speaking visitors to Japan about a hundred years ago. In the last twenty years, however—an era which has introduced pocket-sized transistor radios, miniskirts and fast foods—it is not surprising that there has been a resurgence of interest in a brief poetic form expressing an instant of insight. Interest in Zen Buddhism and the contacts with Eastern culture made by the Occupation troops and their families after World War II have contributed to an increased knowledge of haiku. Numerous haiku contests, articles in teachers' magazines, and even several "little magazines" and volumes of poetry devoted exclusively to haiku in English give witness to its popularity as a poetry form. In spite of the enthusiasm, however, it is doubtful whether the majority of these would-be writers of haiku really understand the meaning of haiku, the cultural climate which produces it and the technical difficulties stemming from the differences between Japanese and English.

      It is the purpose of this book to examine the problems of writing haiku in English. Several excellent books and articles, it is true, have already been written about the Japanese haiku, and these studies do mention the possibilities of haiku in English. None, however, actually analyses and criticises haiku published in English. Kenneth Yasuda in The Japanese Haiku, for example, places the haiku form in the mainstream of literature; all his remarks point to the suitability of haiku as an English poetic form. But Yasuda (who has made, perhaps, the most comprehensive study of English-language haiku) does not explore the problems arising from the differences in background and language of the two cultures.

      A monumental amount of research on Japanese literature and Oriental culture has been done by R. H. Blyth. His excellent translations of many haiku and his perceptive analyses of their cultural content have made his volumes handbooks for serious students of haiku. Two paperback volumes by Harold G. Henderson, one of translations and one entitled Haiku in English, have perhaps done most to popularize haiku. Translations by Peter Beilenson and more recently by Yuasa Nobuyuki have also helped to spread the knowledge of haiku, while the value of an older translator, Miyamori Asataro, must not be underestimated.

      Of the volumes of English haiku published, several have originated in California. The Way of Haiku by James Hackett and Borrowed Water by the Los Altos Writers Roundtable are perhaps the best known. One "little magazine" in particular, Haiku West, presents a fairly high calibre of haiku in English and haiku criticism. Even more important to the student of haiku are several perceptive articles on Japanese poetry by Earl Miner, appearing in such periodicals as the Hudson Review and the Bibliography of Japan Asian Studies.

      Leaning heavily on recent haiku scholarship and on ten years of experience working with the Japanese language, the writer of the present volume presents a brief explanation of the meaning and history of the haiku; a study of its cultural background centering chiefly on the search for enlightenment fundamental to Zen Buddhism; an investigation of the meaning of the haiku moment, that flash of intuition which gives birth to haiku; and, finally, three chapters dealing with haiku under the aspects of the three-line form, the seasonal elements and the poetic techniques. In general the method throughout consists in examining the Japanese form and then investigating the English form. Where possible, comparisons have been made, contrasts indicated and suggestions given. It is hoped that this book will contribute to a better understanding of haiku.

      There were many people whose help made this publication possible. First of all, Mr. Jean S. Moreau of the University of Ottawa gave invaluable criticism. For an overview of the meaning of Japanese haiku, notes by Miyazaki Toshiko have been

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