Tag: Haiku

Garry Eaton’s Cold Marble

On By Nicholas KlacsanzkyIn Haiku3 Comments

his everlasting love’s cold marble Taj Mahal

© Garry Eaton (Canada)

Specifics in haiku are quite important, as they can add nuance and layers. As the poet mentions “cold marble” and “Taj Mahal” we get definite specifics about the location and substance of the haiku. Taj Mahal is a famous mausoleum at Agra, India, constructed by the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his favorite wife. It was built with white marble, which reflects in a pool flanked by cypresses.

The Taj Mahal is a monument of love and dedication, and a wonder of the world. But the poet brings out a direct truth about it: the coolness of the marble itself. Coolness can have many meanings. One meaning is despite that the emperor believed his love would carry through the Taj, now the only thing that lingers is the coolness of the marble. Another interpretation of coolness can be that his love for his wife is still felt through the cooling sensation of the marble on bare feet, and in the atmosphere.

Another entirely different reading of this is “his everlasting love’s cold/marble Taj Mahal” which highlights the possible sickness emperor’s wife died from, and being contrasted with the coolness of the marble.

In one line haiku, as in this one, there are so many readings available that one might get confused. But this confusion, I believe, is part of the philosophy of haiku–that truth can be approached at many angles and that the connection between things can seem endless.

Look at the sound of the haiku, as well. The “o” sound in “love’s cold” makes it that much cooler in effect. The “a” sound which runs through the haiku makes it heavier, which is appropriate for the subject.

This is a haiku that is at once charming and melancholic. This mixture makes it all the more intriguing.

– Nicholas Klacsanzky (Ukraine)

Jacob Salzer’s Sound

On By Nicholas KlacsanzkyIn Haiku2 Comments

how many
become one
sound of rain

Frogpond 38:3, and VerseWrights 2016

© Jacob Salzer (USA)

Though this haiku has only seven words, there are at least three readings of it.

One is the haiku acting as a question. It can be read as two different questions: “how many become one sound of rain?” or “how many become one? sound of rain.” They have a drastically different meaning, but lead us to introspection and imagination.

Another reading involves metaphor. Jacob is saying, “this is how many becomes one: the sound of rain.”

In these readings, it is important to note that the poet says the sound of rain instead of rain itself. It is the aftereffect of the rain that is the focus. What is the aftereffect of our actions? Do we become one as a humanity through the aftereffect of our actions?

Now let’s turn to the sound. The “o” sound is the most prominent sound in the haiku, imitating, I believe, the song of far-off rain. The “a” sound of “many” and “rain” emphasize these two words, bringing more importance to them.

Though there are many readings of this haiku, I believe by the mood it conveys, it is a sober message of paying attention to the wonder of how many can become one, even though each individual has his or her own trajectory. What we leave behind with our actions can create unity in a fragmented world.

– Nicholas Klacsanzky (Ukraine)

Dave Read’s Night Winds

On By Nicholas KlacsanzkyIn HaikuLeave a comment

Dave Read gives us a masterful last line, a strong pivot line, and an emotive first line.

night winds
I let her go
to voicemail

Frogpond 39.1

© Dave Read

I am a fan of Dave’s last lines. His haiku usually surprise readers in witty or emotional ways, or both. Last lines are kind of the first “aha” moments in haiku. The second eureka moment comes when you realize how the night winds may be, in a sense, speaking to Dave… and that’s why he lets “her” go to voicemail. I propose that “her” is either a girlfriend or a wife. Don’t want to sound like a psychologist, so I will put it at that.

The second line creates the tension in the haiku, which is essential to writing good haiku, and well, almost anything. Without tension, haiku would be merely a pretty picture. And by tension, I don’t mean exclusively stressful events, but some way for readers to have suspense or to feel a disconnect for a while before they figure it all out.
With the wind and the act of letting go, it seems he is handing her over to the forces of nature. But in the third line, we get a surprise.

“night winds” not only sounds emotive reading it out loud, it is emotive in the images and memories it brings to our minds. It also brings up a seasonal reference. I am feeling it is probably autumn, which would mark the change happening in the author’s relationship with the caller. Night winds carry on without obstruction, and this seems like what the author wanted to do as well.

But more than intellectual thought, the feeling of the author is palpable: the melancholy and introspection. Above all, to me, haiku are about a feeling. And I think Dave deftly got his feeling across.

– Nicholas Klacsanzky (Ukraine)