Throughout history, there have been many tallented people with innovative ideas, however, only a select few have been able to truly affect the enormous amount of lives that haiku’s have been able to. After the introduction of the infamous five, seven, five syllable arrangement by Basho, whole cultures and lifestyles were changed. Haikus can relay everything from humorous or happy stories, poems reflecting Zen Buddhism, or melancholic poems about sadness and grief. They have an uncanny ability to create feelings you never thought you had. Poets like Matsuo Basho, the “great haiku master,” (H5) Yosa Buson, Iwama Ostuni, and Kobayashi Issa all convey great emotions and questions with just three lines of poetry. Great poets also lead and inspire others to become poets as well, like Basho, who after becoming famous for his perfection of the haiku taught many people in Japan the art of haiku, and even had “Ten philosophers that followed him.” (H1) However, it's also important to focus on lesser known, but still talented poets to provide a full spectrum of what haikus are meant to be. When reading haikus, and poetry in general, it is important to keep an open mind about the poet and style, altering your perspective on everyday life. Haikus aren’t meant to be one thing, instead, they’re designed to produce countless feelings and emotions in a harmonious fashion.
te wo utebakodama ni akurunatsu no tsuki[as I clap my handswith the echoes, it begins to dawn --the summer moon] By Matsuo Basho (C1) This poem by Basho creates a vivid picture of a man simply clapping his hands to “dawn” the perfect sunset. Basho’s talents are very understated when reading the poem, however, you can't help but imagine the pure joy of creating a perfect sunset with the clap of a hand.
Winter seclusion -Listening, that evening,To the rain in the mountain.- By Kobayashi Issa (H4) This serene haiku written by Kobayashi Issa shows how peaceful and Zen-like a poem can be, however, it also brings a mysteriously numb and depressing feeling.
“In every nook and cornerCold remains:Plum blossoms” By Yosa Buson (H6) Yosa Buson, widely viewed as one of the best poets during the Edo period, displays an image of a flower attempting to blossom during a cold winter day. You can feel the temperature lurking around while the blossoming flower collects sunlight
Over the wintryforest, winds howl in ragewith no leaves to blow. By Natsume Soseki (H4) Natsume Soseki, better known as a novelist than as a poet, depicts a harsh and almost exciting forest during winter. You can almost imagine walking through a dense white forest with wind rushing past your face.
Haikus unique and daring style has long been thought of as the most influential form of poetry to come out of Japan. From Basho’s revolutionary changes to the Japanese poetry, to Buson and Issa’s work with culture and deep emotions, to current poets who are striving to keep this legendary form of art going. Every poem and poet creates an impact on their surroundings. Put simply, a haiku is, “an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively.” (H7) However, behind the five, seven, five format, there is the real reason why haikus are so important to today’s world. These ancient poems, written by the minds of legends, aren’t just random words put together to describe one feeling or scene. Haikus are derived from countless types and forms of ancient Japanese literature, whittled down by Basho, the greatest haiku writer, to a, “highly refined art,” (H7) When reading the simplest of haiku, you feel the careful yet profound steps each poet took centuries ago to create the perfect poem. Great poets realize this extraordinary characteristic of haiku and are able to delicately insert the purest of emotions into the five, seven, five format. This bond between the haiku and the poet is what makes each haiku so beautiful yet so unique and is exactly why they will never be, nor should ever be, forgotten.