Haiku
In the book, “An Exaltation of Forms” by Annie Finch and Katherine Varnes the chapter “Haiku” goes into depth about the history and formation of these poems while providing useful examples. “Haiku, like all good verse, is a way of seeing, a sort of frame or threshold” (Chu 217). The founder of the form was Matsuo Bashō who infused the spareness from his itinerant lifestyle and haiku form while traveling through Japan during the last decade of his life in the late 1600s. The Haiku is used to romanticize everyday life and make normal processes seem unique and special. According to Richard Wright’s daughter, who was another poet, the shortness of his syllables mirrored his shortness of breath as he was fighting for his life, a very powerful commentary. Essential to any haiku is the reference of seasons, as it grounds the writing to a specific setting.
The haiku began as a “call and response” collaborative game called renga (Chu 217). Originally called the “Hokku,” translating to ‘starting verse,’ the haiku acted as a shorthand that signified the place and time of the renga’s composition — typically mentioning fall or spring, which allowed the poet to appear in harmony with nature. However, something to make note of is the difference between Buddhist and Christian conceptions of nature, which as noted prior, is a major focus of the haiku form. For Buddhists, “nature has not fallen” (Chu 217) and there is no God-like being; Christian writings symbolized the opposite. Lastly, the Haiku had rules it must obey to be categorized as such. The main rule being the five-seven-five syllabic count method: the first line must have five syllabi, the second must have seven, and the third must have five syllabi again.
The poem I would like to analyze is “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost. This poem is being grounded by the spring season, as an excellent example of one of the essential functions of haiku. “Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold” (Chu 218). “Gold” is representing the blooming of spring leaves, which the author seems fond of; however, it is the hardest hue to hold because of how fast winter comes and takes the flowers and leaves with it. This same ideology is described in the next line: “Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour” (Chu 218). Once again, demonstrating how quickly the seasons change. The next two verses: “Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief”(Chu 218). I interpreted this as the sadness and depression that comes along with winter. From my experience, the weather reflects our moods, when it’s sunny and beautiful out people feel more excited and happy, opposed to the dark gloomy weather of winter that often makes people depressed. Lastly, “So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay” (Chu 218). On the surface, Frost is referring to the end of spring/summer, however, I think the last line is much deeper than that. This poem in a sense is explaining the importance of enjoying something good while it lasts because it’s not going to last forever and is using seasons as a metaphor to demonstrate that. I also think something worth noting is the AABB rhyme scheme throughout the poem which, I believe, helps the poem sound more connected and flow better. This underscores the haiku’s “discrete, compact form” (Chu 219).
To conclude, not all haiku follow the same rhythmic scheme. For instance, R.H. Blyth followed a two-three-two scheme in lines one, two, and three accordingly. “Many English-speaking translators and writers, however, have adapted the original form to address the twin needs of remaining faithful to their idea of haiku and the demands of English poetic language” (Chu 218). Overall, the haiku is a very fascinating form of poetry, one that is changing to meet modern demands.
Chu, Jean Hyung Yul. “Haiku.” An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. Eds. Anne Finch and Kathrine Varnes. Ann Arbor: U. of Michigan Press, 2002. 217–222.
