Wednesday, December 5, 2007

meta-haiku on the internet part #3

November 27, 2006 - Monday

3:25 AM - Swatted On The Nose With The Rolled Up Newspaper Of Truth -Part 3: . Meta-Haiku ( in contusion)
Category: Blogging


I was so worried
My Meta-Haiku
Was not good enough

To Je Meverick:
Who said,"This is senryu."
You are mostly right

I forgot content
Is important to haiku
I apologize




To my dear readers:
Meta-Haiku is senryu.
Haiku treats nature.



To Je Meverick:
Who said,"This is senryu."
You are mostly right

Meta-Haiku is
Senryu about poetry
Or other art works.
senryu about
the writer, or the writing
Is Meta-Haiku


A few days ago I learned an important lesson in humility. If you pioneer a new territory, make sure you tell enough people about it, so that when it becomes popular, future generations of explorers will hold you in high esteem, remembering your name.


Senryu is a particular type of poem that has the traditional form of three lines and seventeen syllables found in haiku. What I didn't understand until Je Maverick pointed it out, is senryu addresses human structures in the same way that traditional, formal haiku only presents natural scenes, usually with a reference to a season.


Meta-Haiku is a particular type of senryu that is written in response to another poem, or work of art. To write a haiku about human nature is senryu: to write a haiku about the nature of a haiku or senryu is Meta-Haiku . I have written so many senryu without knowing that I wasn't writing haiku, that I have to admit to being a little bit embarrassed.


I have come to terms with this negative emotional reaction. I concede that the poems that I write about people and their activities in the physical world is senryu. Senryu is named after the poet that pioneered and popularized this art form. I see Individuals In MySpace who write short poems, and name them after themselves as a way of distinguishing their style, (Glaiku (by Glines), Jaiku (by Justin) , Scifaiku(by any sci-fi fan), Daiku(by horror writers and warriors) , Haikum(by writers of erotica)), from the "normal haiku". Most are senryu based on a certain subject or group or genre of subjects. I have also seen styles of poetry here in MySpace that are so unusual that they deserve their own new name, haiku junior(3-5-3), and Fibonacci verse (1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21...) are my favorites after Meta-Haiku.


Because I believe that the art of comment in haiku form deserves its own genre title and since I am humble enough to believe I wasn't the first to do this, I won't even try to call this sub-genre of senryu "Evolu".

In fact Meta-Haiku was coined by South of Strange in reference to a senryu I wrote about writing haiku. I have also written numerous comments in the 5-7-5 form that have nothing to do with anything but the blog, (not nature, nor the author, but the blog post itself) as a form of literary criticism. Another use of Meta-Haiku is to describe various poetry groups in invitations and bulletins.

I will continue to write haiku about nature, senryu about people, and Meta-Haiku about haiku, senyru and other writings. I have expanded the definition of Meta-Haiku to include any poem , long or short about any form or piece of art, literary or otherwise. Meta-Haiku is any haiku-like expression enspired by an artistic effort.


In my archive, I moved all senryu to the "Life" category and removed the parenthetical notation identifying them as haiku. In future postings of senryu, only a subject phrase and category "Life" will distinguish senryu(about life among people), from haiku, which will be posted in the category "Pets and Animals" (about life in nature). Other styles of poetry will be found in Writing and Poetry, except Meta-Haiku most of which will be stored under "Blogging".


Other haijin accept senryu/haiku comments to their haiku/senryu. Some reply to these comments in kind. In its highest form, Meta-Haiku is a poem (haiku/senryu) that suggests itself or poetry in general as a subject for discussion among poets (senryu/haiku artists, "haijin" in Japanese).Every comment would be in a similar form, and the author of the original poem would reply to each comment accepted with another short poem. In this way several conversations can be held at once between the writer and any number of readers, for as long as the answer is in 5-7-5.

If you love haiku
You will comment in haiku/
Senryu to this

One Meta-Haiku
Can lead to 50 or more
Related verses

Reinvent the wheel
To build a better mouse trap
Poet know thyself


Show them poetry
In three lines, five seven five
They will think "haiku"

Theoretic'ly
Elegant answer to my
Honest oppinion




PS. I also love to draw and paint
Thanks , Poem Williams!
The first Million Haiku Smile
Said, "You can Do it!"

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