Carpe Diem Haiku Writing Techniques #25 The Technique of Narrowing Focus

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

2015 Is running towards its end and so every post here at CDHK is the last of this year. This episode of Carpe Diem Haiku Writing Techniques is the last of this year and this time I have not chosen to create a resume, but to share another nice haiku writing technique.

As you all know these series of CD-HWT I couldn't have made without the love and support of Jane Reichhold. So I love to say "Thank You Jane" for being my co-host for these series of haiku writing techniques.

This week I have the following haiku writing technique for you: The Technique of Narrowing Focus it's a technique which was often used by Buson (1716-1784) who looked in a different way to nature ... as an artist, he created a lot of haiga, and as a painter you look in another way to your surroundings.

Let me share what Jane wrote about this Technique of Narrowing Focus:

The Technique of Narrowing Focus is something Buson used a lot because he, being an artist, was a very visual person. Basically what you do is to start with a wide-angle lens on the world in the first line, switch to a normal lens for the second line and zoom in for a close-up in the end. It sounds simple, but when he did it he was very effective. Read some of Buson's work to see when and how he did this.

the whole sky
in a wide field of flowers
one tulip

(c) Jane Reichhold

Credits: Jellyfish

An example of a haiku by Buson in which he uses this technique:

ake yasuki yo wo iso ni yoru kurage kana

the short night ending--
close to the water's edge
a jellyfish

(c) Yosa Buson

And another one, also by Buson:

amenohiya madakini kurete nemuno hana

A rainy day
Quickly falls the night--
Silk-tree blossoms

(c) Yosa Buson

A nice way to write haiku I think and I even think this technique is very common used, but we aren't always aware of using it. Here is an example by myself:

in the moonlight
Wisteria flowers look fragile -
a gust of wind

© Chèvrefeuille

Is this "narrowing focus"? I think so. I will try to explain it. "In the moonlight", far away, high up in the sky; "Wisteria flowers look fragile", down to earth; "a gust of wind", that's very close to the body if you can feel that.

This episode of Carpe Diem Haiku Writing Techniques is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until January 2nd at noon (CET). Have fun!
I will try to publish our last post of 2015 later on today and I hope to have our new prompt-list ready. In January we will explore classical and non-classical kigo (seasonwords) for winter and of course the Tokobetsudesu feature will return.