Introduction
Haiku is a traditional Japanese form of poetry usually with seventeen syllables in three lines. The style of writing is often written in a 5/7/5 syllable count and followed by 7/7 count by another poem. Matsuo Bashō identified it as a haiku as a stand-alone work though it was primarily meant for a cooperative poem known as haikai no renga ( Haiku: Poetic Form , 2016). The form of poetry incorporated present tense in writing and emphasized the association between images to enhance its classic style. The principles of the style included the focus on a brief moment, use of juxtaposed images, readable in one breath and a sudden sense of enlightenment ( Haiku: Poetic Form , 2016). This form of poetry has had significant impact on the modern free-verse poetry as poets responded to a changing world and environment around them. The haiku provides the poet with emphasis on intensity, simplicity and a direct expression of thoughts or feelings.
Old Pond
One of the classic haiku poems by Matsuo Bashō is titled “Old Pond”. Usually, haiku’s in Japanese culture would be written in a single line as will be the case in this analysis. The original poem is written as follows, “ Furuike ya/ kawazu tobikomu/ mizu no oto ” ( The Old Pond , 2015). This poem is translated to mean “ The old pond-/a frog jumps in/ sound of water ”. It is clear that the poem in its original state adheres to the principles of haiku as the poet incorporate the syllable count for the form and achieves simplicity in writing. Additionally, there is a relation to the moment of time of writing as the action of the frog jumping into the water shows that it may be spring season ( The Old Pond , 2015). As Bashō was a man of many travels, the poem presented a point in time where he had visited a number of fields bringing about his interpretation and introspection of the world around him.
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In a Station of the Metro by Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound is one of the poets believed to be most responsible for the revolution of poetry in 20 th Century bringing about a modernist aesthetic view. The influence of the traditional Japanese haiku is most evident in the poem “In a Station of the Metro” which initially was a thirty-line poem but was trimmed to two, “ The apparition of these faces in the crowd/Petals on a wet, black bough ” ( Haiku: Poetic Form , 2016). Unlike the original haiku style, as it has two lines instead of three and 18 syllables instead of 17. However, it maintains majority of the principles including the focus on a brief moment as seeks to inform the audience on the crowded subway station. Pound uses the influence of haiku to trim the poem from 30 lines to just 2 making it readable in one breath. The use of the word “apparition” shows the possibility of a sudden illumination of thought or sights. In this case, he seems to see them suddenly and they possibly disappear just as fast. The second line provides a depiction of the weather provoking the audience’s interpretation or introspection of meaning.
Conclusion
The traditional Japanese haiku was intended to provide the author with a brief moment of presenting something meaningful through the observation of the environment. In the same way, modern poets of the Western world adopted this style of poetry to emphasize the numerous changes in the world. Though they did not observe the primary principles in traditional Japan, they kept majority of its practices. For instance, the emphasis on simplicity, provocative language, brief moment of time and sudden illumination are some of the rules adhered to by the contemporary poets.
References
Haiku: Poetic Form (2016) Poets.org, Retrieved from https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/haiku-poetic-form
The Old Pond - Poem by Matsuo Basho (2015) Poemhunter, Retrieved from https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-old-pond/
