Lesson
4: GUIDELINES:
How to Compose Haiku
Susumu
Takiguchi, Instructor
It
was over four years ago that I wrote a list of "tips" for
haiku composition under the title of Guidelines: How to Compose
Haiku. (see below) This was later printed in my book, Kyoshi
- A Haiku Master1. It was not a set of rules
as I do not believe in rules as such, or at least I had not reached
any rules I could advocate without any shadow of doubt. Since then,
I have walked farther in my eternal journey of learning the form.
Above all, it is the kuyu (haiku friends) whom I am supposed to be
teaching, that have taught me most at WHC.
I
believe that everything man does needs to be re-examined and
reassessed every now and again to see if it still works or not.
Here, I apply the methods inspired by those of Socrates and
Descartes. They may be termed as "constructive doubt and
challenge". They could, however, be a dangerous route, for
behind everything man does, lie men and women (far more the former
than the latter) whose vested interest, narrow-mindedness, mad
conservatism, rivalry, jealousy and all manner of destructive forces
which could wreak havoc on what would otherwise be a normal
endeavour. One wants to avoid having to drink hemlock.
Thus
it is that in this Lesson 4, I wish to exercise "constructive
doubt and challenge" to the Guidelines and, by reviewing them
critically, to revise or improve on them as necessary. If it is
myself who is doing the doubting and challenging to something of my
own creation, it is unlikely that I would be stabbed in the back by
myself or be drinking hemlock. I will do so by asking you all, as
the exercise of Lesson 4, to submit at least one haiku poem (you may
submit as many as you wish) which you will write anew, strictly
according to these Guidelines (no other conditions are imposed). If
your works satisfy all 12 Guidelines, fine. If not, try to satisfy
as many of them as possible. Put those numbers of Guidelines which
you think your work has satisfied in brackets. If you cannot produce
such work anew, then search from your past poems which you think
would satisfy the Guidelines.
GUIDELINES:
How to Compose Haiku
Some
useful guidelines can be gleaned from the various teachings and
advice given by three centuries of haiku masters and practitioners,
from Basho to Kyoshi.
1)
Try to write a haiku only about what actually happens to you (i.e.
avoid fictitious, or imaginary renderings).
2)
Try to write a haiku, only when you have been deeply moved, strongly
inspired and poetically touched by the subject matter (i.e. do not
"fake" poetic feelings).
3)
Try to write a haiku immediately after the haiku feeling has hit you
and do not leave it for too long. Alterations and changes are an
essential part of haiku-writing process, but do not linger or
elaborate. If it does not write easily, leave it and do something
else.
4)
Try to reject clichés, hackneyed expressions and words, or even
deep feelings if they have been used time and time again by
countless haiku poets.
5)
Try not to use embellishment or "lay it on thick", even if
you have hit on a brilliant idea. Be honest, simple, clear,
straightforward and modest.
6)
Try not to "explain". Haiku is not science and should need
no explanation if it is good.
7)
Try not to "conceptualise", "intellectualise",
"philosophise", "moralise" or
"theorise".
8)
Try not to "report". "Express" it.
9)
Try not to be "clever", gimmicky, over-witty, artificial,
presumptuous, too precious, mysterious or esoteric. Just be
"natural".
10)
Try not to express your raw and subjective feelings, such as being
"happy", "sad", "lonely", or
"glad" in so many words. Express them by presenting some
concrete action, object etc. (e.g. "Even coughing, I do all
alone.", Ozaki Hosai) and let the concrete image speak
for itself.
11)
Try to keep some detachment, even in the most dire circumstances,
and preserve always a sense of humour. Haiku is not in the business
to be cold or unkind, but it is not about wallowing in raw
sentiments in misery either. Always remember that haiku originated
from haikai no renga (or, comic renga), and the sense of humour
remains a prerequisite of the haiku spirit.
12)
Try not to explain the minutiae, but keep to the essentials and
leave the rest to the readers' imagination. If your haiku feeling is
deep, your haiku will be deep, i.e., if you are deep, so much
more will be your haiku. Good haiku comes from your whole being like
a good singing voice from the singer's whole body, and from his
mind, and from his entire life.
1.
Kyoshi - A Haiku Master
--
Father of Modern Japanese Haiku,
Susumu Takiguchi, Ami-Net International Press, England, 1997,
pp 104-105.
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