Reading
and writing haiku, senryu, and other mini-poems help us to see more detail and
say more in fewer words. Why should this matter to poets and writers?
Brevity
Many of
the poems posted on the Internet go on and on, like a first draft that was
never read aloud, reconsidered, or revised. With just a little more wait-time allowed
after writing and just a little more listening time allowed to evaluate the sound
echoes, rhythm, and musicality, each poem can go from “okay” to “good” or “good”
to “well-done.”
Haiku,
senryu, and other mini-poems remind us to be brief.
Clarity
Lengthy poems
often have overlapping pictures with no clear focus. This can happen by mixing
metaphors, but also because the poem has no clear direction. That’s fine in a
first draft, but after letting a poem sit for a while before coming back to
revise, poets are more apt to see what they and the poem are trying to say.
Haiku,
senryu, and other mini-poems call on the clarity of a well-taken photograph or an
artist’s quick sketch.
Beauty
Haiku,
senryu, and other mini-poems frequently rely on a beautiful sight or insight
(preferably both!)
This awareness
of a fleeting thought, moment, or scene causes us to welcome the unexpected, be
alert for the exquisite, be attentive to the profound, and be appreciative of
our environment.
Other
Features
Haiku,
senryu, and other mini-poems are so transportable! They encourage us to keep a
notebook handy.
These little
forms help us to break free of rhymes that quickly close down thought, originality,
and natural-sounding language. Also, by focusing on rhyming words, we might
overlook other poetic factors, waiting to reveal themselves.
When we give
ourselves and our poems over to the traditional 5/7/5 syllables in the three lines
of haiku or senryu, we begin to think in form. If we prefer 2/4/2 or 3/4/3 or
other syllabic count, that works too. Regardless, we’ll eventually be apt to
count out those syllables on our fingers, activating kinetic memory, exercising
creativity, and becoming more aware of the poetic moments in our lives.
©2021,
Mary Sayler, poet-writer
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