Re: Haiku for 13 April 2008

On Apr 14, 10:15=A0pm, Kip Williams <ki...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Will in New Haven wrote:
>
> > Ripple in still water,
> > When there is no pebble tossed,
> > Nor wind to blow.
>
> > isn't quite a haiku but it's lovely.
>
> Why not? Because it's not 5-7-5? Counting syllables isn't what makes
> haiku, and the number of syllables isn't as rigidly fixed as people seem
> to think it is. Briefness, elegance of expression, and the subject
> matter -- I'm speaking here of the qualities found in the example --
> make it a strong candidate. Not that I'm a judge.

It's closer than most, especially considering that the writer didn't
claim it was a haiku. No seasonal reference is the biggest issue but
lots of people get around that one way or another. I was always
partial to 6-7-4 and wasn't considering that a problem. And it's part
of a longer work, which was true of a great many early haiku.

--
Will in New Haven
>
> Kip W