English 2

1. Do You Haiku? poetry. haiku. imagery. syllabication. kireji. nature. kigo. winter.spring. summer. fall. basho. issa. buson. sea shell game. discovery.expression. writing. game. quiz. reflection. uniqueness. japan. poet. English 2

2. Making Poetry Easy! You have a friend who really loves to write. He wants to show you a new poem he has written, and he is encouraging you to try writing one. He introduced you to this poem called Haiku written by his favorite poet. Dewdrops, let me cleanse In your sweet fleeting waters… These dark hands of life. What could be your initial reaction about Haiku, and what will people say when confronted with poetry?

3. What do people say about writing a haiku? Choose one of the answers that is true to your belief on writing a poem. Poems are meant to express our inner thoughts. It will allow me to express myself in a creative way. I don’t care about poems. I hate poetry. Haiku and I Writing a haiku is only for poets, I am not even one. Composing poems sharpens my mind. Writing a Haiku Haiku writing for me is new and a challenging activity. Poems are so hard to understand! Writing one is punishing myself. Is haiku a poem? It is too short! It cannot capture my ideas.

4. Worksheet 1: My Impression on Poetry and Haiku People have different views regarding poetry. Tell something about your experience with poetry by answering the questions below. Choose a partner and share your ideas with him/her. 4. From the haiku you have read, what do you think are the elements of haiku? How is it used to express human emotions? __________________________________ • What is your first impression about writing a poem? Why? _______________________________ 5. Why is there a need to study haiku? How important is haiku in our everyday existence? __________________________________ 2. What are the common subjects in poetry? Do you have a favorite poet? Tell something about him/her. __________________________________ 6. Do you agree that writing haiku is a discovery not only about your environment but also about yourself? Why or why not? ______________________________ 3. Why is a haiku considered the shortest poem? Is it easy to write a haiku? Why or why not? ______________________________

5. A Brief History of Japanese Poetry Hokku Renga Haikai The first verse of renga and haikai. Haikai poets sometimes presented their hokkus as independent poems. These were the origin of haiku. In the 16th century, instead of renga, it was haikai - humorous poem - that became popular. Take a look! This lesson is important! Click the teacher for more! It is also called linked verse. It blossomed in the 15th century. It is a poem several poets create cooperatively. Members alternately add verses of 17 syllables (5, 7, and 5 syllables) and those of 14 syllables (7 and 7 syllables), until they complete a poem generally composed of 100 verses. It was traditionally demanded to adopt a kigo (season word: word referring to a season) in the first verse of renga and haikai. They demand to introduce a kigo in a hokku (and in a haiku). It (haikai-renga) is a poem made of verses of 17 and 14 syllables like renga, but it parodies renga introducing modern vulgar laughter. It was a dignified academic poem. Members were traditionally demanded to present their verses following the medieval aesthetics and quoting the classics. Haikai poets used plays on words and treated preferably things of daily life renga hadn't found interesting.

6. A Brief History of Japanese Poetry Renga It is also called linked verse. It blossomed in the 15th century. It is a poem several poets create cooperatively. Members alternately add verses of 17 syllables (5, 7, and 5 syllables) and those of 14 syllables (7 and 7 syllables), until they complete a poem generally composed of 100 verses. It was a dignified academic poem. Members were traditionally demanded to present their verses following the medieval aesthetics and quoting the classics.

7. A Brief History of Japanese Poetry Hokku The first verse of renga and haikai. Haikai poets sometimes presented their hokkus as independent poems. These were the origin of haiku. It was traditionally demanded to adopt a kigo (season word: word referring to a season) in the first verse of renga and haikai. They demand to introduce a kigo in a hokku (and in a haiku).

8. A Brief History of Japanese Poetry Haikai In the 16th century, instead of renga, it was haikai - humorous poem - that became popular. It (haikai-renga) is a poem made of verses of 17 and 14 syllables like renga, but it parodies renga introducing modern vulgar laughter. Haikai poets used plays on words and treated preferably things of daily life renga hadn't found interesting.

9. What is Haiku? What is haiku? Check out what she is reading about the history of haiku. What are the elements of haiku? Where and when did haiku start? Why do we still have to learn and study haiku? To know more about Haiku, click this girl.

10. Haiku

11. A haiku is a Japanese poem with three lines.

12. Haikus are probably the shortest poetic forms in the world.

13. Each line of a haiku has a certain number of syllables.

14. The first line of a haiku contains five syllables.

15. The second line of a haiku contains seven syllables.

16. The third line of a haiku contains five syllables.

17. The topic of a haiku poem usually deals with nature.

18. Example: The leaves fell slowly To the unforgiving ground. Too soon-summer’s gone!

19. Worksheet 3: My Notes on Haiku What is haiku and where did it start? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ What is the common subject to be considered when writing a haiku? Why? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Why is haiku considered a poem? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Do you think studying haiku is important? Why or why not? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ After exploring about haiku, write down new things that you have learned and realized by answering the questions.

20. Worksheet 3: Haiku on the Go! Choose a partner and discuss with him/her your answers about the elements haiku using the mind maps. Subject Seasons Imagery Elements of Haiku Kigo Syllabication Kireji

21. Haiku… The compression of language and the expansion of meaning.

22. Symbolism Haiku uses symbolism to describe nature or emotions. What does a tree symbolize to you? Life? Learning? Family? Growth?

23. Haiku Is Effective When… … the images are concrete: “Powdered crags…” … the reader finds personal meaningin the symbolism. Powdered crags look up Clear blue canopy protects Green blanket below

24. A kigo is a word that gives a hint about a season:

25. Japan Celebrates 5 Seasons • Winter • Spring • Summer • Autumn and….. Oshogatsu - the Japanese New Year!

26. How Do You Do Haiku? 3-line verse, using 17 syllables. 5 syllables 7 syllables 5 syllables In this first line of haiku, the “Lo/tus blos/som peeks” 1 2 3 4 5 (5 syllables in this line.)

27. Kigo In true Japanese form, haiku uses a season’s hint word, or kigo. “Lotus blossom peeks”

28. (During what season does the Lotus begin to bloom?) Autumn Winter New Year Spring Summer

29. “The Compression of Language.” The delicate lotus blossom slowly emerges from a bundle of leaves when spring arrives… …blah…blah…blah.

30. Those 14 words, or 23 syllables, were compressed to create this 5-syllable line: • Lotus blossom peeks

31. The Expansion of Meaning. ‘Lotus’ is a simple, concrete,idea. When the words, ‘blossom peeks,’ are added, the meaning is expanded. Lotusblossom peeks Green bed hugging fresh petals Bees seek sweet nectar

32. Lotusblossom peeks Green bed hugging fresh petals Bees seek sweet nectar

33. Are you still afraid of writing a Haiku? Worry no more! Click the different elements of haiku to find out more! Elements of Haiku kigo seasons imagery syllabication secondary elements

34. Haiku Masters With the advent of haiku flourished the great haiku poets. Do you know them? Click their respective pictures to know more about them and their contribution to haiku. KOBAYASHI ISSA (1763-1827) MASAOKA SHIKI (1867-1902) MATSUO BASHO (1644-1694) YOSA BUSON (1716-1783) Want to see more of these haiku masters? Click this tree.

35. The thought of Tchouang-tseu, philosopher in the 4th century B.C., influenced greatly Basho, and he often quoted the texts of "The Book of master Tchouang" in his hokkus. The thinker Tchouang-tseu denied the artificiality and the utilitarianism, seeing value of intellect low. He asserted that things seemingly useless had the real value, and that it was the right way of life not to go against the natural law. Basho Matsuo (1644 ~ 1694)

36. Basho’s Haiku • Dramatic • exaggerate humor or depression, ecstasy or confusion. • These dramatic expressions have a paradoxical nature. • The humor and the despair which he expressed are not implements to believe in the possibility of the human being and to glorify it. • The literature of Basho has a character that the more he described men's deeds, the more human existence's smallness stood out in relief, and it makes us conscious of the greatness of nature's power.

37. In the 18th century, haikai-renga became less popular and the haikuists put efforts into the creation of hokkus. Buson, excellent painter and poet, succeeded in evoking clear images in his picturesque hokkus filled with light. Buson Yosa (1716 ~ 1783)

38. Buson's hokkus, different from Basho's, don't present philosophy, nor show emphatic gestures. • His expressions are so refined that he has no equal in technique. • He had genius and he could make feel the eternity beyond the landscape by describing only one peaceful scene. • His poems are descriptive, but their scenery is idealized rather than realistic. This means that he wanted to describe the essence of things, not their surfaces.

39. A Great Haiku Poet Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827). He wrote tender haiku about his children and wife who died, his poverty, and his little insect and animal friends. Kobayashi Issa, one of Japan’s great poets, is introduced as someone who created haiku by integrating his own emotions and observations of nature. A Self-Portrait by Issa: "Gimme that moon!/ cries the crying/ child."

40. Credits Music: Taiko Drumming: http://members.accessbee.com/jkwasnik/midi/warsong.mid Images: Tree: No. 4. Japan, John Fitzgerald; http://www.botanique.com Oshagatsu Drummer: http://www.familyculture.com/images/taiko.gif Lotus: http://www.cnpa.org/images/Lotus_-_resized_3Casey_Szocinski.jpg Issa’s Self Portrait: http://xavier.xula.edu/dlanoue/issa/images/sketch.jpg Mountains: http://www.hsuyun.org/Dharma/zbohy/VisualArts/IandR/set3/powdered-crags2-c.jpg Map: http://www.sacredhps.act.edu.au/assets/images/japan_map.jpg

41. Worksheet 3: Style Matters! It is now time for you to answer the following questions regarding the haiku poets. Write your thoughts in the box.

42. The SeaShell Game Using the elements of haiku that you have learned, it is now time for you to evaluate which is a more beautiful poem. Click the sea shell to find out how to play this game.

43. Watch a video of U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass reading a translation of haiku by the 18th century Japanese poet, Kubayashi Issa. Click the happy sun to see the video. Do you want to see sample haiku poems done by students? Click here!

44. Haiku and I After learning about haiku, it is now time for you to answer some interesting activities that will enrich your knowledge and will prepare you for the writing task. Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3

45. You must probably be thinking how to get it all started. I am sure your pen is ready to scribble yourthoughts. Are there rules I should be aware of? Am I ready to writemy own haiku? What shall I dofirst? What’snext?

46. Do you want to know other formsof poetry and practice writing? Bring out the writer in you! Click this hand to know more!

47. Writing is fun! • What other forms of poetry aside from haiku are you interested in? Why? • Write a poem using the form you have chosen.

48. How Haiku Changed My Life A Journey with Haiku: Reflection What new realizations have you discovered about haiku that you did not know before? _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ After learning how to write haiku and other forms of poetry, what is now your impression about writing? Why? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How can writing a haiku help you to express your inner thoughts and views about life? ______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

49. It is now time for you to write your own haiku. Use all the elements of writing a good haiku that you have learned. Writing poetry is really fun! title First line: ___________________________________________ Second line: _________________________________________ Third line: ___________________________________________

50. Haiku Journal Project • Choose a partner for the journal project. • Compose 10 haikus each. Include the title for each poem. • Create a journal like output. You can use recycled papers! 4. Bring out the creativity in you!