Discussion Do you think haikus are poems?

[Plankter]

(This kept me up last night in bed)
I mean they don't rhyme or anything
And they're too easy to come up with
Here's one I just improvised:

It just sucks to live
I don't want to keep living
Don't you agree so?

 

[Temporarilyabsurd]

I think this is
a great diversion thread
@Plankter ...


There are fireworks.
Next door ,
Right now.

Mr.Jazz
Won the Melbourne Cup.
In 1983

A small ginger cat
said hello to me
in the sun

I'm not really
I'll never be
A real poem.

 

[Soul]

My dears, of course haiku is a form of poetry.

The lines you've offered
are not haiku, although some
come close in spirit.

(In case you're unsure,
my lines aren't haiku either.
It's not that simple.)

 

[Plankter]

The lines you've offered
are not haiku, although some
come close in spirit.

Do you mean because of the Japanese on (おん) thing? Its hard to approximate it in English. Or do you mean by the theme? Or anything else I don't know about since I'm obviously prejudiced a little?

 

[Soul]

Do you mean because of the Japanese on (おん) thing? Its hard to approximate it in English. Or do you mean by the theme? Or anything else I don't know about since I'm obviously prejudiced a little?

I don't know what you mean by " the Japanese on (おん) thing", and I'd love to learn, but meanwhile, to seem erudite, I'll just say: Yes, among other things.

Your offering seems to have pretty much "filler" and not enough natural imagery to be haiku. @Temporarilyabsurd's lines about the cat are close in spirit. We all lack poetic turns, though.

Update: I've learned about on at this fine site:

Haiku: A Whole Lot More Than 5-7-5

Haiku is often misunderstood as just 5-7-5. But there's way more meaning and philosophy packed into these tiny poems. Learn exactly what you're missing.

www.tofugu.com

Personally I wouldn't worry much about that. I'm more into the feel of the lines.

 

[Temporarilyabsurd]

@Soul

I'm entertaining worries about my cultural insensitivity , my aesthetic ignorance ... my personal insensitivity ...
and a few more I'm sure .

( I've been keeping time right ? -Yes Temporarilyabsurd ... but that's a violin , not a drum . )

I'm not gonna beat myself up about it though ... too much .

I have to learn the rules
of this new game
i thought i knew how to play.

 

[Soul]

You *have* been keeping time and mostly stay in tune too, @Temporarilyabsurd!
Please don't entertain
Too many heavy worries -
They suck up the fun.

 

[helpmehelpme]

Poetry for sure

Argue otherwise a bore

Know I will ignore

 

[Thereisnothing]

Haikus are poems. Poems can be any length from a few mere words to pages and pages.

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

Even in free verse, poems follow some kind of discernible form that separates them from prose. Haiku has very strict form.

Sanctioned Suicide
is a haiku inside pro-
choice anthologies.