You are currently browsing the daily archive for March 18th, 2008.
Not knowing
it is a famous place,
a man hoeing the field.
“Three lines are enough” -Rabindranath Tagore
How to Read Haiku
- Read it once. Follow the images. Construct the scene. Read it again.
- Question each word. Why this word and not another?
- Do not count syllables. The 5-7-5 form is nonexistent in English.
- Read it a third time.
Some things to look for:
- Delight in small things, in details.
- Supernatural or emotional element among the image.
- Typically haiku are seasonally specific.
