Haiku and the Inability To Go Home

Haiku is a type of short-form poetry that originated in Japan. A traditional haiku follows a strict three-line format with a total of seventeen syllables. The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables and the third line has five syllables. Unlike many other forms of poetry, haiku poems do not necessarily need to rhyme. Haiku typically uses images of nature, wildlife, or common daily occurrences. As mentioned in “Haiku” by Jean Hyung Yul Chu, a haiku can be described as a quest for divinity in the mundane (Chu 217). The structure of Haiku requires authors to be especially precise in their syllable and word choice. It challenges authors to convey their message, image, or feelings in a few words.

One example of the strategic use of wording to convey a specific feeling can be seen in Matsuo Bashō’s haiku, “in Kyoto.”

“In Kyoto,

hearing the cuckoo,

I long for Kyoto.” (Bashō 221)

In the haiku, Bashō states that though he is in Kyoto, he still longs for Kyoto. Kyoto is a city in central Japan and though on the surface, this may seem like a confusing contradiction or perhaps an error in translation, upon further inspection this is not true. In actuality, Bashō has conveyed the complex and difficult longing for a place that no longer exists. Though Bashō has returned to Kyoto, or perhaps never left, it is not the same Kyoto from the past. There can be many different interpretations, one being that Bashō longs for the unattainable city of Kyoto he remembers from his childhood. Though he can physically return to the city, it is not the same as he remembers. Maybe the buildings have changed or the people, or Bashō himself. But what Kyoto once was in the memory he longs for, it will never be again. Now it only reminds Bashō of the intangible past and his longing. Through the structure of haiku and strategic use of wording, Bashō was able to convey the paradox of longing for something still present in just a few words.

Chu Yul Hyung, Jean. “Haiku.” An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. U of Michigan P, 2002, pp. 217–220.

Bashō, Matsuo. “In Kyoto.” An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. The U of Michigan P, 2002, p. 221.