Haiku: Volume 1: Eastern Culture - R.H. Blyth
Haiku is probably not what you think it is. Forget the elementary
school exercises with 17 syllables in a 5-7-5 pattern. Haiku is a way
of life that happens to have one manifestation as few words.
R.H. Blyth has been regarded as the leading English-language expert on haiku since he brought the first deep analysis of it from Japan. His four-volume series Haiku includes an introductory volume on the way of haiku and then three volumes collecting all reasonable haiku written during the times of the Japanese masters. Those three volumes are organized in the traditional Japanese way, by season.
The first volume looks at the nature of haiku and how it has grown in concert with Eastern religion, Zen, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, No theatre, Ikebana (flower arrangement), and Cha no Yu (the art of tea).
Haiku Vol. 1 is written for the English-speaking reader who has limited awareness of Japanese culture and religion and shows how haiku voice similar themes as English-language poetry over the past six centuries.
Toward the end of the first volume, there is a short section on the four great haiku poets, Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki. Although this volume by itself does not give a comprehensive selection by the masters, the other volumes make up for that lack. Instead, Blyth devotes his pages on the masters to a comparison of styles, characterizing each with reference to the others. For a fuller comparison of the masters, other books exist as important supplements.
Despite the 350 pages of this volume, a mere 25 are devoted to the technique of haiku. If this book were re-written now, there would undoubtedly be more because of the vast quantity of discussion on the topic and the fact that there has been so much misrepresentation of the form. Fortunately, the web now provides many resources for those interested in exploring haiku more deeply and understanding the discussion and technique and form that is vital to understand before contemplating writing haiku in English. The World Haiku Club is a useful starting point.
In all, this is a vastly important book for English-speakers wanting to understand the historical and religious roots of haiku without dedicating the time to a full historical text. If you have never looked into haiku, this book will change your preconceptions dramatically.
Buy this book from Amazon
R.H. Blyth has been regarded as the leading English-language expert on haiku since he brought the first deep analysis of it from Japan. His four-volume series Haiku includes an introductory volume on the way of haiku and then three volumes collecting all reasonable haiku written during the times of the Japanese masters. Those three volumes are organized in the traditional Japanese way, by season.
The first volume looks at the nature of haiku and how it has grown in concert with Eastern religion, Zen, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, No theatre, Ikebana (flower arrangement), and Cha no Yu (the art of tea).
Haiku Vol. 1 is written for the English-speaking reader who has limited awareness of Japanese culture and religion and shows how haiku voice similar themes as English-language poetry over the past six centuries.
Toward the end of the first volume, there is a short section on the four great haiku poets, Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki. Although this volume by itself does not give a comprehensive selection by the masters, the other volumes make up for that lack. Instead, Blyth devotes his pages on the masters to a comparison of styles, characterizing each with reference to the others. For a fuller comparison of the masters, other books exist as important supplements.
Despite the 350 pages of this volume, a mere 25 are devoted to the technique of haiku. If this book were re-written now, there would undoubtedly be more because of the vast quantity of discussion on the topic and the fact that there has been so much misrepresentation of the form. Fortunately, the web now provides many resources for those interested in exploring haiku more deeply and understanding the discussion and technique and form that is vital to understand before contemplating writing haiku in English. The World Haiku Club is a useful starting point.
In all, this is a vastly important book for English-speakers wanting to understand the historical and religious roots of haiku without dedicating the time to a full historical text. If you have never looked into haiku, this book will change your preconceptions dramatically.
Buy this book from Amazon
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