What is poetry? What is a haiku?

The most brilliant description that I know that exists of poetry is by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. I read part of Ferlinghetti's non-lecture "What is Poetry?" when he accepted the Frost Medal to you in class but here is his whole piece if you were intrigued and wanted to read it all...go ahead click, I dare you.

To save me giving you the entire history of the haiku, luckily there are brilliant websites that explain the history of the haiku. This one is my favourite because it also discusses the links with the Modernist and Imagist poets (like Pound) as well as with the Beat poets (like Kerouac).

I also quoted some poems from African-American poet Richard Wright in class. Some of you (Schielan ;-) ) were very taken with:

An old winter oak:
Once upon a time there was
a big black ogre . . .

Creamy plum blossoms:
Once upon a time there was
a pretty princess . . .

Another great one by him:

I am nobody
A red sinking autumn sun
Took my name away
An example of urban haiku from Wright:

From this skyscraper,
all the bustling streets converge
towards the spring sea

However, traditionally haiku should include:

• 5-7-5 syllables
• 3 lines
• a tension between immediacy/nostalgia
• slice of life
• an observation of nature
• an observation of your own emotions
• possibly seasonal
• location, local
• in touch with your senses and your own response to them
• share your emotions/experiences of what it is to be in your skin
• sense of loss/what is missing

Here is a link to the lovely long poem, in haiku stanzas that I read to you by Geraldine C. Little called "Celebrations and Elegies for a Friend Dead of Aids."

Here is a great link on the connection between really feeling the moment, haiku as meditation and contemplation. Sooooo, if you felt stupid sitting under the cherry tree or didn't know exactly what you were supposed to be doing. Read this.