I am only an occasional writer of haiku, but I adore the form. Studying it, I’ve found that there’s a lot we can learn from haiku which we can apply to all sorts of writing—in other verse forms or in prose. Now, I bet you’re thinking: brevity. Sure. That’s the most obvious aspect of haiku. And brevity is great to keep in mind when we’re writing anything. But there are other concepts from this verse form that we can use, as well.
In a recent online workshop led by Floridian Michael Henry Lee (a writer of wonderful haiku) several concepts were introduced which any writer should spend some time considering. I’m not speaking of the form itself. You can easily look up the variations of haiku (senryu, haibun, haiga, renga, tanka, etc.), the details of syllable counts (and the arguments about that), the use of seasonal words (kigo) or cutting words (kire-ji). What I think is really fascinating, and applicable to all writers, is a bit of the philosophy and stylistic concerns of writing haiku. (Michael, forgive me if I’m a bit rough in defining these!)
A few concepts to consider:
Hosomi: Slenderness of mind. That is, less is more. Using understated, modest language. Being unpretentious. Always a good idea!
Karumi: Lightness. A light, everyday tone to create comfortable writing without posturing. The Haikai Glossary adds this clarifying definition: “In contrast to the ‘heavy’ poem, which is conceptual or leaves little room for alternative interpretations, the poetics of lightness leaves a space for the reader to become an imaginative participant.” Thus, when we address our readers personally, they can slip easily into our narratives.
Ma: The space/emptiness between things or concepts. The unsaid in a work of art, for silence is also part of the creative act and the creation itself. The Haikai Glossary adds: “More particularly, ma may be taken as the timing of space, as in the duration between two musical notes.” When I think of this concept, I think of pacing and where we leave silence in our novels, stories, songs, and poems.
Yugen: The exact definition of yugen depends on its context. But in haiku it generally means mystery or unknowable depth. It alludes to the subtle profundity of things suggested. Ah! It’s that ineffable other feeling about a piece of writing that can hit us with the knowledge that there is more here than meets the eye. It makes the reader want to ponder over a piece, perhaps returning to it often. Don’t we all want that?
To learn more about these concepts, read! Read whole collections of haiku, and then practice implementing these ideas into your work whether you write fiction, non-fiction, free verse, or other formal verse. There is much to enlighten us in this ancient form.
Lee Gramling
I agree completely — insofar as all these principles apply to ordinary prose. I haven”t attempted a poem of any kind since I was a sophomore in college (many, MANY years ago!!). But it’s amazing how often I find myself looking in my Thesaurus for a 2-syllable word to replace the 4-sillable word that first came to mind. It’s all about the “flow” of the narrative.