Natterings

Joke haiku considered harmful

Alas, this is all that remains of a not-so-old diatribe against joke haiku.

From sneakums at zork.net  Sat Jun 16 08:29:25 2001
From: sneakums at zork.net (Sean Neakums)
Date: Fri Jul  8 18:51:14 2005
Subject: [CrackMonkey] Joke haiku considered harmful
Message-ID: <6ud784xx2i.fsf@zork.zork.net>

http://phenry.org/junkdrawer/haiku/

> For starters, the vast majority of joke haiku writers aren't writing
> haiku at all, they're writing senryu, whether they know it or not.
> One of the most important aspects of classical haiku is the kigo, or
> season word, which indicates the season in which the poem is
> set. Kigo can express the season directly or through implication.
> For example, many Japanese haiku refer to cherry blossoms, which are
> a sign of spring. Kigo in English-language American haiku might
> include the start of Daylight Saving Time (for spring), school
> letting out (summer), football season (fall), and Christmas
> (winter).  The concept of kigo is vitally important to haiku poets,
> many of whom compile lists of appropriate words.  Senryu, by
> comparison, generally follow the conventions of haiku but don't
> require kigo.

Take note.