H - Haiga

 H - Haiga

Haiga is a Japanese form combining a painting or drawing and a haiku written directly on the artwork.  In English we usually include the combination to include photographs.  However, in Japanese there is a word for photo-haiku, shahai, haiku + photo.

* 3 lines 

* syllable count of short/long/short - traditionally 5/7/5, but can be 3/5/3, or 2/3/2.  

* the haiku is the most important part of the haiga, and should not rely on the image to complete it, or make it understandable.  

* no title, no rhymes, no punctuation (as in haiku)

* include a kigo, or seasonal word or phrase (which all haiku need!)

So, here is a haiga, or what in English we usually call a haiga, which is really a shahai.

©2024 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved 


Comments

  1. Haiku and picture/Spring Arrives will Winter leave/I really do not know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice! I think my winter left this past weekend. Fingers crossed.

      Delete
  2. Oh my gosh, I didn't know that! I'm a fan of haiku, but never realized that when I saw an accompanying pc that it had its own special term!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, it's not quite the "real" thing, where the haiku was written on the paper when the artwork was made.

      Delete
  3. Jamie (jannghi.blogspot.com):
    Another I never knew about. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was doing some more research, as I am always interested in poetic forms, and came across Tontoism (named after Tonto on The Lone Ranger!) on an old blog post. I usually do the customary 5-7-5, but have read about using 232 and 353(?) as in Japanese the syllable count doesn't translate. I also try to avoid the use of the word for the season, instead using phrases or wording that would indicate the season. What do you typically do?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the syllable count can be 2/3/2 or 3/5/3, usually in English. Some haiku sites, and contests, require the 5/7/5 form. I was taught to avoid the direct season word, however it is acceptable by most haiku sites. I usually avoid using the season. Have you seen the info at https://tankatuesday.com ? She has lots of resources and links to kigo words.

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