No, I’m not talking about the Scottish Premier League. I’m talking about the Scottish Poetry Library , which is running a campaign to gather haiku about love for Valentines day. There’s also a workshop on Saturday afternoon about haiku which I’d love to go to but don’t think I’ll be able to.
I sent a couple of haiku. Here’s one:
She touched my knee
And went on talking
About …. ?
There’s a concise description at SPL of what a haiku should be, which I’ve reproduced below.
The Scottish Premier League, that’s another story.
The haiku form is a three-line poem, one which seems
very simple in its description of a moment out of time. They often
describe the natural world in a particular season of the year, and the
most powerful haiku can resonate in your mind long after the reading.
Senryu is very close to haiku, but describes people and emotions more
directly, and is often more humorous; the difference between the two
forms is often blurred in English-language writing. In its original
Japanese form, the first line is 5 syllables long, the second 7
syllables, and the third 5 syllables. Poets in other languages often
adapt the form, but always hold true to the three-line shape, with a
maximum of 17 syllables. They are also faithful to the style of haiku –
simplicity of language, economy of image.
Your haiku should be:
– Three lines long
– No longer than 17 syllables in total
– Capturing a particular moment
(From the Scottish Poetry Library website)