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How to READ Haiku?

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Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

Hello,

Since the time I heard about Haiku, I've been wondering how people READ itSurprised.

I mean, is it like a poem? With spaces?

Or

All together at once?Undecided

I'm asking this because, my recent haiku rhymedSurprisedbut if it is the 2nd way of READING then the rhyming doesn't matter right?Undecided

The poem is said to Rhyme depending on how it is READSurprised.

I never meant my Haiku to Rhyme, Just went with the flowUndecided. So yeah, please let me knowSmile. Cause if it is wrong, I do need to remove it and keep that in mind next timeSmileLaughing. I don't want to ruin such a beautiful way of writingCoolEmbarassed.

Thank youKiss.

Replies 1 to 11 of 11

TF Carthick
from Bangalore |

Write what sounds good. Haiku form originally is not even something designed for English language. So the idea of wrting Haiku in English itself does not feel too good.

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

No No, But it has some rules right?Surprised

Arti
from Mumbai |

Is there a "way" to read a haiku?

Pardon my ignorance, but I am completely unaware of it? I read and enjoy it just for what is being said and not particularly how it's being said. As I said, I may be wrong, but that is how I read it. Smile

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

Neithed do ISurprisedTongue out. I agree with youLaughingI do the same tooSmile

Mohini Puranik
from Dhule |

Me too Arti, though I have studied about Haiku before presenting it, I couldn't find anything like how to read there!

S Deepak Karthik
from Thanjavur/Chennai, TN. |

**** the rules :)

write with what you feel, there are NO GREEK BLOG GODS to mark rules.

Just enjoy the writing.

S Deepak Karthik
from Thanjavur/Chennai, TN. |

YEAH :D Stick NO Rules :D

Kirti
from Kharagpur, west bengal |

i dont mean to be rude deepak, but there are some things that looks good when a particular WAY of writing is followed. Haiku MEANS 3 line poetry, less than 19 syllables, and NO rhymes. Otherwise, what would be the difference between other poetry forms and a Haiku???

fine, if you want to use rhymes, go ahead and write a free verse... or... an acrostic or ANY other thing that can be called a POEM. but Haiku is different! and you know why we all love that form? because it IS different. dont you think its one hell of a task to convery what you want to say in just THREE lines?? its a challenge! and if you dont follow the rules, WHERE is the challenge??

Leo
from Bengaluru |

17 Kirti. not 19.

Kirti
from Kharagpur, west bengal |

typo. was in heat.

S Deepak Karthik
from Thanjavur/Chennai, TN. |

@kirti:) well cool down girl :) i accept that there are some rules and exclusive properties to write and follow on.But as you know we are not professionals, mistakes and errors happens, after all we are humans :)i dint say that dont follow haiku conditions.

if you take 55-fiction, there are rules as well, 10% of people who writes 55 fictions follows it, so just because they don't follow the exact rules it will not be true that what they did is meek.Similarly HAIKU is hell of a job, i have never touched it.Plainly speaking, these rules are set by humans for humans.I cant expect you to break the rules, similarly you cant expect everyone to follow the rules, lets appreciate works on a positive note , instead of finsding errors and humiliating them in public, we can tell them in private and appreciate them in public,

I don't find your comment rude :) cheers !Wink 

Kirti
from Kharagpur, west bengal |

no one is criticizing anyone in PUBLIC Deepak. we didnt start a thread here on erroneous Haiku styles. And you know what? when I first wrote a Haiku, it wasnt even a Haiku. Leo pointed that out to me on my BLOG and since then, i try to stick to the rules. 

and you think we who pointed out this thing don't know how to APPRECIATE someone's work? that's absurd! and comments are meant to IMPROVE the writer isnt it? so we should learn to take criticism. but thats what i think.

even i once wrote a haiku in rhymes. i was corrected, i learnt, i moved on.

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

Both of you TAKE A CHILL PILLTongue out.

Kirti, I am yet to learnSmileThats why I asked right?

S Deepak Karthik
from Thanjavur/Chennai, TN. |

Honestly i am not asking anyone to embrace my views...Matter is not whether you wrote Haiku nor whether you corrected yourself, i spoke my view and i expect none to abide it.

You have taken my comment personally>It doesnt mean that WHO POINTED OUT DOESN"T KNOW HOW TO APPRECIATE, he pointed out because he wants you to write fine HAIKU.What i said is MY VIEW, what you said is your view.

Am not stuffing my view, this is forum right ? i can speak my view. it may SOUND ABSURD to someone or it may sound wise to someone else, i dont care.YOU DONT NEED TO TYPE IN HEAT.

I dint ruin HAIKU rules, what i said is my view.Write with what you have, learn from mistakes and correct it(thats what i meant and you meant as well)again am saying cool down....Its my view and I respect your view THATS IT.

Gayathri
from Chennai |

Writing has no rules.. keep writing... :)

TF Carthick
from Bangalore |

I personally like Haikus that have a season reference.

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

Plural of HAIKU is HAIKU onlyLaughing. Don't let LEO hear youTongue out.

RioZee
from Out of this yEt in this World |

With closed eyes

RioZee
from Out of this yEt in this World |

I mean you asked how to read a haiku, " a haiku should be read with closed eyes

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

HeheheLaughing. To FEEL it right?WinkTongue out

Gayathri
from Chennai |

errr... excuse me but I have a question... how can you read with your eyes closed?? Undecided 

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

Just the way You Eat With Your Mouth ClosedSurprisedTongue out

RioZee
from Out of this yEt in this World |

Inner eyes needed to read a haiku, it's a philosophical trait

Gayathri
from Chennai |

lol :P

Kirti
from Kharagpur, west bengal |

heartfelt answer Pramod Ji, Kudos :)

Leo
from Bengaluru |

I dont know much of haiku. From what I know, it is read from the mind. And in no way, be it line by line, or in flow, should it rhyme. I told you the same because of that. In the end it is up to you I suppose. 

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

HmmmUndecided. It does not rhyme reallySurprised

Kirti
from Kharagpur, west bengal |

I agree with Leo. i know even less about Haiku but whatever i know of it, i can say this- it is a form of poetry where you see BEYOND words. where you read, not with eyes but with the mind, with the heart.

since you are talking about the way YOUR haiku was read, you put a comma after pain didnt you? that means you are supposed to pause and then read the rest till you meet the full stop which was after rain. so dont you think it was kind of obvious that it rhymed? dont think i am being hard on you or something; i thought it rhymed, so i said it. in the end its upto you as Leo said. 

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

Exactly. Haiku is read with Heart. The WORDS and its MEANING matter not whether its Rhyming or not right?

I have posted before itself. I NEVER MEANT IT TO RHMYE. Just went with the flowUndecided

Mohini Puranik
from Dhule |

Rhyme happens with flow, by me too. So I was not posting Haiku. It's too difficult. I didn't know much too. Still I don't know, where to break the line I mean what is expected actually. Undecided

Mohini Puranik
from Dhule |

Poo, I found this article understandable, it added some more complexity in my brain, but it's what is expected, 

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem

Mohini Puranik
from Dhule |

Oops sorry, how it became link? I tried to post it as text. 

RioZee
from Out of this yEt in this World |

There ain't any rules as per me. Haiku was a zen saint, his way of sayings were like that with deep meanings. It came yo be known as haiku. Now, If one is at those levels of enlightenment their one word is even carrying thousands of meanings and like Buddha, sitting silent
Without speaking a word, conveyed a sermon and only one disciple could get the sermon and he started dancing. ........a haiku just emerged in my mind, ...."Silence too has words, and words too have the power"

S Deepak Karthik
from Thanjavur/Chennai, TN. |

Informative :)and that haiku "awesome".I am no legend in haiku, but i loved the essence in it.

RioZee
from Out of this yEt in this World |

Thanks Deepak, now if this haiku needs a third line, true haiku reader will close his / her eyes, to read / feel the missing line, in his mind/ heart. And I am pretty sure a beautiful line would emerge in the mind

S Deepak Karthik
from Thanjavur/Chennai, TN. |

"Silence too has words, and words too have the power" Power of hearing the silence:)Just killed HAIKU :) PL ??? cool ? 

RioZee
from Out of this yEt in this World |

Just supe , dude,.

S Deepak Karthik
from Thanjavur/Chennai, TN. |

hurray :) TNX PL :) i killed a haiku :D

"Silence too has words, and words too have the power Power of hearing the silence "

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

WowLaughingHats off to you bothCool.

True words you spoke PL JHISmile.

And awesome HAIKU you bothLaughing

RioZee
from Out of this yEt in this World |

thanks p p

Sonia
from India |

Hi Pooja.. To know how to read haiku all I can suggest you is to go through the post written by one of the fellow blogger MR.Sashi. Initially even I did not know wat Haiku was but after going through this post of his, now I understand how wonderful Haiku is:)

U can read his post about Haiku here http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.in/2011/02/reader-haiku-essence-of-poetic-moment.html

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

I Read it dearSmileVery inspiringLaughing. Haiku really is wonderfulWinkbut my question is still not answeredCry

Leo
from Bengaluru |

Pooja, like I said.. from what I know, and what I've read, a haiku usually does not rhyme. There was no usage of rhyme by the masters in Japan. I've read haiku from a lot of time, and yes, when translated the rules from Japanese tradition to English, there are places we do compromise. 

Take for e.g. the syllable count. Haiku in its originality has 5-7-5 ON. ON is Japanese syllables. In translating to English, it might be even less than 17. sometimes, it becomes 18 too, but in general, we keep it to a maximum of 17 syllables... I've written haiku which are 3-5-3, 5-6-6, and even random formats, but keeping syllables under 17.

Similarly, in keeping to what I know of, I told that rhyme is not there in a haiku. If you are wanting to put rhyme into a haiku, I wouldn't consider it as a haiku. Even at HH, multiple times, people have given in rhyming haiku, and ones which are above 17 syllables. I've told them what I know and feel to be.. some accept, some don't. I can't force a view, right?

To read a haiku.. well, a haiku is of two concepts split by a kire. so it can be read as two parts.. and when it is 3 lines, they can be taken individually too. It makes sense.. it has depth.. and one of my teachers herself told, when you are truly rhyming, that depth is not understood. That is another reason why I feel the greats like Basho etc.. their haiku had also no rhyme... 

I agree with Sonia.. Shashi sir does know a lot about haiku... and in a few of his, I've seen rhyme.. internal like what you had.  It is just what I know, the points.. the ones I keep for HH and ask my wonderful friends who share there, to keep too. 

Pooja Pradeep
from Bangalore |

@Leo

OhSmileNow I understoodLaughing. Thanks a lot VinaySmile. I'll make sure that I don't repeat the mistakeSmile