Sunday, March 13, 2016

Carpe Diem #938 Iris leaves


!!! Don't forget the voting for our Time Kukai. It's possible to 10.00 PM (CET) to email your votes to carpediemhaikukai@gmail.com

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

In this episode I love to introduce a haiku writing technique used by Basho which we haven't seen here earlier, maybe I have written about in some episodes, but not as a theme. In several of our haiku we can read knowledge we have gained at school, at work or through study. Nothing wrong with of course. In haiku you may use your knowledge.

Basho often used his knowledge of Japanese and Chinese literature and sometimes he uses the "real" knowledge in his haiku. In this technique of today we see a kind of science back and it's in a way comparible with the "paradox" technique. The haiku writing technique of today is called "pseudo science".

iris leaves
I tie them to my feet
as sandal cords


© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)


The "pseudo-science" technique is very close to the paradox but has a slight difference. This technique demonstrates a distorted view of science - one we think is not true, but has the possibility of being true, perhaps when we understand quantum physics or all become poets. When the "other reality" the author was using is explained, the poem becomes absolutely clear. Again, this is an old Japanese tool that was used to make the poet sound simple and childlike but also to confound the reader.

As I was preparing this episode I ran through the haiku by Basho and found another one in which this haiku writing gtechnique, "pseudo-science" is used.

a falling sound
that sours my ears
plum rain


© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

And here is another one by Basho in which you can see this technique been used:

mushrooms
not yet that many days
of autumn dew



Mushrooms in Dew
I think this is a nice haiku writing technique, but it's not an easy one to use. I have given it a try myself, but I don't think I succeeded.


kimono slipping
fingertips discover silk road
ecstatic sigh

© Chèvrefeuille
And here is another one in which I have tried again:


the day ends
buttercups share their golden light -
the moon rises

© Chèvrefeuille
This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until March 16th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, old pond, later on.


4 comments:

  1. I like your haiku but I am still really feeling confused on what the technique is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will try to explain it through the haiku by Basho:

      a falling sound
      that sours my ears
      plum rain

      In this haiku Basho describes a scene which we can see often in late winter and early spring. Heavy rain fall. The pseudo science in this haiku is the following; the heavy rain you can hear, but there is not such a rain called "plum rain", but it could be true if e.g. the blossoms of the plum are falling down, maybe it's possible to hear that noise, that sours the ears of Basho.

      Delete

  2. I was a few hours late for submission . but here is my attempt of the prompt


    Carpe Diem #938 Iris leaves

    In the words of Kristjaan “The “pseudo-science” technique is very close to the paradox but has a slight difference. This technique demonstrates a distorted view of science – one we think is not true, but has the possibility of being true, ……
    Again, this is an old Japanese tool that was used to make the poet sound simple and childlike but also to confound the reader.”
    I live near the most sacred temple (at imphal,Manipur) of ‘Govindaji ‘ ( Krishna ) , the 8th Avatar of Hinduism .
    and every morning we can hear the sound of the big gong of the temple . the sound and its vibration suddenly strikes my mind and that is how i attempt ‘The pseudo science technique of writing a haiku ‘ using this idea .
    Here is my attempt following the path of the master, Basho .

    temple’s gong
    resonates the spring blossoms
    ripples on my water bowl .

    chevrefeuillescarpediem.blogspot.in/2016/03/carpe-diem-938-iris-leaves.html/-

    https://rajkumarmilan.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/temples-gong/

    ReplyDelete