Kigo: A kigo is a season word in Japanese haiku poetry (governed by the convention of 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, 5 syllables in the third line). The season word can either be used outright or implied with strong imagery or connotation.It establishes atmosphere for the poem. One can use actual names of seasons or months or one can use words hinting to them. for example, in the south, words referring to summer would include humid, hot, sweltering, mosquito, cricket din, watermelon, tomato vine.
An Example from Literature: A haiku with a kigo by Bashó
Kare eda ni
Karasu no tomari keri
Aki no kure
Karasu no tomari keri
Aki no kure
Translation:
On a leafless bough
A crow is perched--
The autumn dusk.
My Try: Netty's childhood was lost in a haze of brown liquor and smoke. Innocence rubbed off in the scratchy fuzz of shag carpet, while aloof, disconnected parents turned the other way. Sitting in the darkness of the screened porch, the cricket din drowning out inebriation from within the house, she ruthlessly recorded teenage angst in her journal by the ambient glow of the lone streetlight:
Humid breath cloaks me
Blood-thirsty mosquitoes
I am empty, lost
Compose your own haiku with a kigo. Leave it as a comment. Also, feel free to tell me where you think Netty's story should head.(This blog post is brought to you as a part of the April A to Z Challenge.)
April 14th - Limerick
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10 comments:
Much as I like Haiku's I have not mastered the art of writing them
Loved reading about them.
Yvonne.
Your words amuse me
Falling bricks are now in place
smiling childish words
Netty should run away to find the perfect haiku. Lovely words painting a vivid picture.
Caught in a riddle
word verification rules
I am a robot
Interesting - I never heard this before. Thank you for sharing! I'm so glad I found your blog. I'm stopping by from the A to Z challenge and I look forward to reading more from you.
A secret she holds
what it is I do not know
her father perhaps
Not sure if that is haiku because I never get the syllable count right.
Hi
Thanks for this - I only recently heard of Haiku (d'oh - must try to keep up!) and I was unaware of the seasonal reference. I'll have a go ...
White winter sparkles
Snow softens the jagged hills
Heavy are my feet
Thanks for the K post. Really enjoying your A - Z'ds
All best
karla
I'm sure I'll write a haiku one day, but not today. Today I'm just stopping by to say 'hi' as I make my way through the A-Z blogs.
Thanks for the visit, sorry about giving you the chills.
Yvonne.
I knew that about haiku but didn't know there was a word for it. So many people write the 17 symbols about anything at all and call it good, but it's not true haiku.
Popping in by way of the A-Z Challenge. I’m blogging at:
Write, Wrong or Indifferent
Marie Anne’s Missives
In the Garden With Sow-n-Sow
Every Day Crochet
I can write Haiku's but not good ones. They are more just 3 line poems. Now Limericks, I love to write those :)
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