Takeo Maekawa analyses an example of haiku poetry.
Those who were poets and didn't know it were treated to a pleasant surprise on June 17, when the Japan Information Centre presented a lecture and workshop on haiku poetry, featuring haiku enthusiast and expert Takeo Maekawa.
Haiku is a form of poetry that originated in Japan, and is
famous for its sturcture which traditionally calls for 17 morae
(a unit of sound similar to, but shorter than, the English syllable):
five in the first line, seven in the second and five again the
third. Haiku developed in Japan about 400 years ago, and was popularized
greatly in the first half of the Edo period (1603-1868), when
a poet named Matsuo Basho wrote distinctive verses on his journeys
around the country describing the seasons and the scenery of the
places he visited. In the ensuing Meiji period (1868-1912) haiku's
conventions were further developed by another poet, Masaoka Shiki,
who focused on realistic portrayals of nature and human life.
Attendants listen intenly to Mr. Maekawa's lecture (photo left); Mr. Maekawa and the can of green tea which displays his haiku (right).
Mr. Maekawa was a finalist selected in 2002 from over one million submissions to an annual national haiku competition sponsored by ITEO, a Japanese company that produces a number of products, including green tea. As a result, Mr. Maekawa's work was published in a book, as well as displayed across Japan on cans of green tea. Mr. Maekawa is currently Director and Board Member of Japanese Social Services, a non-profit, charitable organization providing such services as counselling, public education, referral and advocacy in Japanese and English. He was formerly President of Fujitsu Canada.
After explaining the origins and
development of the haiku form, Mr. Maekawa presented examples
of notable haiku, highlighting specific characteristics that distinguished
them. He noted also, however, that aspiring haiku poets should
allow themselves to write freely without too much concern about
convention. After concluding his lecture, he led a workshop on
haiku, assigning participants the task of composing a work with
the summer theme of "firefly".
A haiku workshop followed the lecture.
Friendly competition ensued, with the winning poet to win one of the green tea cans displaying Mr. Maekawa's work. After much inspiration and creativity among the participants, Toshiko Yamashita emerged as the winner. Her winning haiku was as follows:
Firefly In the warm darkness A gentle spark -- Toshiko Yamashita
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