one-line haiku - Takiguchi

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On the one-line haiku
by
Susumu Takiguchi

The argument about one-line haiku in English is at once useful and
harmful.

The premise of the case for it is the contention that Japanese haiku
is a one-line poem and so should be the English haiku, which is half-
true but half-mistaken. The question of lines in Japanese haiku is
largely irrelevant or unimportant except for exceptions such as the
case of Takayanagi Shigenobu who experimented with four-liners.

So, what is the truth about the contention which insists on Japanese
haiku being a one-liner? If this contention collapses as truth, then
the argument in favour of one-line haiku in English will also
collapse. The Japanese haiku appears to be one-line poems as that is
how they are, for instance, normally printed in magazines and
anthologies. Why? Partly it is because of convention but it is also
partly because that is the most economical way of producing them
(i.e. takes least space). [Chinese poems are even worse in that they
are printed as one continuing line, page after page, until they come
to the end]

More importantly and intrinsically, the concept of lines is neither
important nor relevant in Japanese traditional poetry ever since the
choka (or long poems) ceased to exist. It came back to Japanese
poets' consciousness only in modern time when Western prosody and
poetics were imported to Japan with the actual poems.

It is not whether or not the Japanese haiku is or should be a one-
line but the following two factors that is important. Firstly, the
internal division of a haiku is more important: 5-7-5 or its
variants. Secondly, in shikishi, Japanese prints, suzuri-bako (ink
and brush box), fan, inro, kimono, screens, letters and other
artistic or formal presentations, haiku poems are normally written in
more than one line: two, three, four, five or even six.

In tanzaku, it is normally written in one line as the format is
shaped like that (an elongated vertical rectangle) but of course
sometimes even on this format haiku is written in more than one line.
This has in part something to do with the nature and style of
Japanese calligraphy. Therefore, to say that Japanese haiku is one
line in form is on the verge of a false statement.

It follows that any contention that English haiku must also be one-
liners to emulate the Japanese model is at best half true. To insist
on that and try to convert others to follow would be dogmatic as well
as mistaken.

The lines of poems are basically a Western concept. The original
Greek word for poems ('poiein'=to make, 'poiema'= something
made, 'poesis'= making) refers to the creation side of poems.
However, the Latin word for poems ('vertere'=to turn, 'vers-us'=
furrow, line or row) refers exactly to 'turn (or return) the lines'
and this was the origin of a 'verse' we use now. In other words, the
turning of lines and its results, i.e. lines, have been one of the
most fundamental features and requirements of Western poetry.

As Japanese haiku happens to have three components within itself, it
is in fact a meaningful and reasonable thing to decide writing
English haiku in three lines which have more correlation and affinity
with the Japanese cousin (or mother!). In spite of the difference of
appearances three-line English haiku poems are actually much closer
to Japanese haiku in substance than one-line English haiku poems.

Is it wrong, then, to write English haiku in one line? All is fair in
love and war. All is fair in art also. Therefore, nothing is stopping
you from writing a one-liner English haiku. However, if you want to
do it, do so from the artistic motive rather than spurious half-
truth. Sometimes, and really very much sometimes, one-line English
haiku works and could even be better than a three-line version.

Another advantage might be that one-liners are generally more
difficult to write and focus our mind into producing more crisp,
articulate and punchy haiku than rather slack three-liners which may
look good but have a lot of flabby and clich-ridden rotten parts.
In the spirit of artistic creation, one-liners, two-liners, three-
liners and four-liners could all be good vehicles to carry good or
even excellent haiku. Five lines and more should be avoided as they
would become too long and would of course be confused with tanka.

* * *

With best wishes and kengin,

Susumu




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