Carpe Diem Ghost Writer #25, Björn Rudberg on "Haiku and Humor"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I have a nice GW-post for you all. This time it's a Ghost Writer post by Björn Rudberg of Björn Rudbergs Writings and he invites us to bring humor into our haiku. Humoer in haiku isn't my "cup of tea", but sometimes I try it of course. I will look for a few examples and post them in response on this GW-post. Have fun!

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Humor in Haiku and renga

One thing we use to little in haiku is the dry humor you can sometimes find in classical haiku. Maybe we are too respectful to the form sometimes, still when reading through I see (often with apologies) attempts in this direction. Today I would like you to take an approach to the dry wit of haiku writing, 

We have had even classic example previously here, consider for example this one by Issa:

spring peace -
a mountain monk peeks
through the hedge

The combination of the monk and peeking through the hedge removes some of the respect for the monk and make him a human of flesh and blood, and spring is an excellent time when this might happen to a monk full of hormones.

Another way of doing humor in haiku is a concept of renku haikai no renga (俳諧の連歌, "comic linked verse"),. This is similar to renga in the sense that we create a comic effect in collaborative poetry.

A classic example is:

The robe of haze is wet at its hem

to which the disrespectful response was:

Princess Sao of spring pissed as she started

Imagine, a deity like the princess of spring gets wet by peeing on herself.

So today I want you to either, write a classic haiku with humor embedded, or take a classic haiku (maybe from our earlier challenges), and to a tan renku, where your second stanza create an effect of humor through coarseness and disrespect. 

Do not be afraid, this is a day to be merry.

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Well ... let us have a smile on our faces or let us laugh out loud ... it's up to you my dear Haijin, visitors and travelers.

This episode will be open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until September 19th at noon (CET). I will publish our new episode, river, later on.