Philosophers' Ideas in Haiku

Reply to NedWalters

Those three examples are not haiku. They are zappai (or even senry?, the last one) because there is not a kigo (a reference to summer, autumn, spring or winter) and they just reflect ideas, not feelings nor amazement.
It is not necessary to express a lot words in a haiku. It is about to be precise and specific. For example, this one by Basho? is more philosophical than the rest:

[i]Oh, tranquility!

Penetrating the very rock,

A cicada’s voice.[/i]

... What an excellent haiku for summertime, right? :smile:

Haiku is not a Zen souvenir. It is Japanese art and literature. To compose a haiku, you need to work out on Japanese aesthetics previously.

William James (sort of)

Is it true? Who cares?
What to do next is what's key
What's useful is true.

Welcome to the forum.

Quoting javi2541997

Haiku is not a Zen souvenir. It is Japanese art and literature. To compose a haiku, you need to work out on Japanese aesthetics previously.

Javi is Spanish
But his soul is Japanese
He is passionate

Quoting T Clark

Javi is Spanish
But his soul is Japanese
He is passionate

You know I love when you say my soul is Japanese. I have not visited Japan yet. What will happen when I would do so? A criss-crossed between my mind and soul?

Kant

Morning walk
Fresh spring air; alone
a priori thoughts run

Reply to RWells
Good Morning :smile:
Inspiration contagious and Welcome!

Anonymous A

Thinking thread aloud
Haiku sprinkles; imagine
A sneeze of pepper

***
Quoting NedWalters

Plato

Shadows are all things
to those chained in the dark cave.
Sunlight waits outside.

That was two years ago. Still around? Disappointed after one post? Or simply a one-off advertisement?

Quoting javi2541997

Haiku is not a Zen souvenir. It is Japanese art and literature. To compose a haiku, you need to work out on Japanese aesthetics previously.

In the traditional sense, correct.
Sometimes, people (even philosophers) love a poetic idea, like 'haiku' and run with it. Across the globe.

The book mentioned in the OP is one such enterprise. Creativity flows.

Quoting NedWalters

Great active learning exercise if you teach students. Baronett's Zen and Western Philosophy has 100+ similar haikus. Get your students to write their own!

Quoting Zen and Western Philosophy

A Note from the Author...
Zen and Western Philosophy takes a novel approach to philosophy. The goal was to try capturing the body of thought called “Western philosophy” with an Eastern net—Zen as embodied in haiku. The book offers profiles of 139 Western philosophers by using a traditional three-line haiku format of 5-7-5 syllables in order to capture each philosopher’s ideas in a manner that is both concise and playful.

When I started writing it, I accepted that it is nearly impossible to capture any interesting philosopher's ideas in a mere 17 syllables; nevertheless, I accepted the challenge. The result is simply an exercise by someone schooled in Western philosophy to see things from a different perspective.

?Simply put, the book’s purpose, design, and structure is

A parallax view
of Western philosophy
through an Eastern lens.

?Stan Baronett
April 20, 2023

***

I'm not sure you can get a lot of mileage from well-known philosophers alone. I think similar has been attempted in limerick form. And the like...

However, philosophy writing in short form poetry...hmm...thoughts condensed. No need for Kant but if he is on your mind, why the hell not?

A British outlook. Weather not included! How strange...

Quoting British haiku

What Are Haiku?
Haiku poems originate in Japan and are typically three lines long, with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables in the third line.

All British Haiku on this website and in the related book (The Book) follow that format strictly. Quite often, however, they do not follow the Japanese tradition of including a reference to seasonal weather.

As will be seen from the Haiku on the website and in The Book, much of British life takes place out of the prevailing weather, in homes, offices, schools, sports halls, places of worship, and elsewhere.

Sounds like an excuse to be lazy. Changing seasons are important. There must be more...

I note this thread is in the Learning > Resources subcategory.

About haiku, then...general resources:

https://thehaikufoundation.org/resources/

Includes articles on the haiku spirit, reform and communities:

https://haikupedia.org/article-categories/countries/
4 entries re Haiku in Spain, p3:
Spain Basque Catalan Galician

@javi2541997 - how is haiku progressing where you're at?

***

Haiku in the United Kingdom: England
Lafcadio Hearn and Basil Hall Chamberlain are thought to be the first to have introduced readers in the British Isles to Japanese haiku in the early years of the 20th century. In 1990 the British Haiku Society (BHS) was set up, and its quarterly membership journal, Blithe Spirit, was launched. Since the beginning an increasingly active community of poets in print as well as online have taken part in the international haiku scene.

Haiku in the United Kingdom: Wales
Possessing one of the oldest living literatures in Europe, Welsh poetry’s first brushes with haiku occurred in the 1960s through the small press scene. Though developments were relatively slow in the following decades, the turn of the century saw a much wider and more meaningful engagement in the form in Wales, owing particularly to the nurturing of haiku appreciation in the country’s educational institutions. The creation of a national haiku journal, along with an ever-growing international awareness of haiku by Welsh poets, are serving to ensure that engagement in the form continues to thrive in Wales.

I wonder when this was written.

Reply to Amity Hello Amity. How is it going? :smile:

Quoting Amity

In the traditional sense, correct.
Sometimes, people (even philosophers) love a poetic idea, like 'haiku' and run with it. Across the globe.

The book mentioned in the OP is one such enterprise. Creativity flows.

I think I might be precise. Japanese haiku poets no longer follow the traditional structure. Nonetheless, I still believe that it is very important to give a try at understanding Japanese aesthetics and their way of thinking. They are more ambiguous than us (the Western people), and they are also influenced by a culture where silence and non-emotional expressions are very relevant.

I think one of the usual mistakes I made writing haikus is precisely trying to be creative. The key of the haiku is letting ourselves be embraced by nature. :flower: :smile:

Quoting Amity

javi2541997 - how is haiku progressing where you're at?

Very well! We (my friends and I) are publishing haikus in an online magazine. It is very fun, although some haikus might not be very good enough haha. On the other hand, we also focus on commenting and sharing ideas about old known haikus by Santoka, Kobayashi, Buson, and Shiki. This is very interesting, and I am learning a lot, but I have to admit that I still have a lot of things to learn. I met folks who have written haiku since 2000 or 2002. Crazy! Imagine writing haikus for more than twenty years!

The following thread is very awesome, but it is only available in Spanish (sorry): :pray:

Kire.

Quoting javi2541997

The following thread is very awesome, but it is only available in Spanish (sorry): :pray:

There is an option to translate into English. I'll take a look. Thanks.

Glad to hear you're still having fun.

Quoting javi2541997

I think one of the usual mistakes I made writing haikus is precisely trying to be creative. The key of the haiku is letting ourselves be embraced by nature

Yes. Trying too hard can be a problem but that is part of nature too, no?
It can be when we try, fail, fall, get up and try over and again. And then...when we let it go.... Surprise!

Take care!

Reply to javi2541997
I mentioned haibun earlier. I am quite fascinated by it. But never attempted it. Have you?

I wonder if that could be incorporated into TPF 'philosophy writings' or 'short stories'?
What do you think?

Quoting Art in Context: Haibun - Journeying through Prose and Poetry

Philosophical Reflections
Philosophical musings are a cornerstone in haibun. The prose seeks to convey an epiphany or an acute awareness of the human condition. Philosophical reflections encourage readers to contemplate existence, often culminating in a haiku that serves as a crystallized form of the writer’s insight.

This synthesis captures fleeting moments of realization, providing depth and resonance to the overall narrative.

Notable Haibun Examples

Haibun, a Japanese literary form, masterfully blends prose with haiku. Matsuo Bash?, a pioneer of the form, has left an indelible mark with his travel diaries, where each diary entry is followed by a haiku. One of the most celebrated examples is The Narrow Road to the Interior where Bash? merges evocative prose with the succinctness of haiku to capture the essence of his journey through the Edo period Japan. Another exemplary haibun is The Records of a Travel-worn Satchel, where Basho’s reflective prose sets the scene for the haiku, offering deep insights into the human experience and the natural world.

Quoting Amity

But never attempted it. Have you?

Yes! I attempted writing haibun on more than one occasion. Yet it has been a while since I wrote the last one. It is hard to write to me because I can't figure out when I should stop or not. Remember that a haibun needs to end with a haiku. So, in most cases, it was difficult for me to discern whether the prose needed to be longer or shorter. Now that you mention it, I can't remember why I stopped writing haibun because it is a good way to practise our creativity skills!

Quoting Amity

I wonder if that could be incorporated into TPF 'philosophy writings' or 'short stories'?
What do you think?

Yes, definitely. I think it could be incorporated into 'short stories'. Like a different way of participating in the challenge/competition/activity, etcetera... or we may do an activity only focusing on haibun but this could be a bit extreme. :chin: