haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering! 3rd august

haikaiTALKS: haiku aesthetics | a saturday gathering_under the banyan tree

host: Lev Hart

3rd August 2024

haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering_under the banyan tree

HAIKU AESTHETICS: Sabi continued.

AESTHETICS: Sabi 2

My first impression of Linda’s haiku was that it was about the poet, waiting to cross the road. This misimpression survived several readings, until I realized that the poet was not even there:

       a crosswalk signal

       ticks down the seconds—

       winter twilight

       (Linda Papanicolaou, HAIKUsutradhar, March 7, 2024)

Linda’s verse does not include the word, "I," "me," or "my." The ku does not include a personal reflection, or a personal message to the reader. The images are objective, without distortion by strong personal feelings, or flights of fancy. There is no personal idiosyncrasy in the way that the images are combined, nor in the choice of words. Finally, the poet avoids any literary device that might betray her presence, like euphony, or personification. In short, Linda’s haiku has sabi, as described by Makoto Ueda. He refers to sabi as:

       . . . the concept that one attains perfect spiritual serenity by immersing

       oneself in the egoless, impersonal life of nature. The complete absorption of

       one’s petty ego into the vast, powerful magnificent universe --- that was the

       underlying theme of Basho. (“The Master Haiku Poet Matsuo Basho,” pp. 30-31).

The nature image in which the poet immerses herself so completely that she disappears is the kigo, “winter twilight.” Its juxtaposition with the phrase suggests that the crosswalk signal is not merely ticking down to the moment when someone can cross the road. The signal is also ticking down the final seconds of winter twilight.

Everything I’ve said about Linda’s haiku is true of Marilyn Ashbaugh’s, which we read last week. If you review Marilyn’s ku, you will find no mention of I, me, or my, no personal reflection, or message to the reader, no distortion of the imagery from strong feelings, or flights of fancy, no idiosyncratic juxtaposition, or diction, and no conspicuous literary devices. The verses are similar because they both have sabi. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to write two haiku in which the poet becomes invisible. Remember to include a kigo, a juxtaposition, and everything you learned about sabi last week.

Your host for haikaiTALKS Lev Hart

<> <> <>

Thank you for doing this for us, Lev.

Members,

Please give your feedback on others' commentary and poems too. _()_

This is an exciting phase for haikaiTALKS! Have fun! Keep writing and commenting! _kala