|
HAIBUN:
POETIC JOURNEY
by
Dawn L. Stewart
The form of Japanese poetry known as haibun
first developed from a Japanese writer taking a journey and composing a
diary of his travels in a mix of brief prose, haiku and sketches. Matsuo
Basho (1644-1694) is perhaps the master of haibun. During the last years
of his life, he traveled by foot throughout Japan, writing of his five
journeys in terse combinations of prose and haiku. Basho’s The Narrow
Road to the Deep North relates his five-month journey of 1,500 miles
north of Edo in1689 where he wrote of the wilds.
WHAT IS HAIBUN?
Haibun
is a combination of prose strong in imagery and at least one haiku. The
prose in a haibun is trimmed to its essence just as a haiku is composed of
few words chosen for their particular meaning. A haibun relates a journey,
whether the travels are a physical exploration of the world or an internal
journey of discovery. Often haibun contain a revelation or epiphany
obtained through experience. The prose can reflect fragmented thoughts or
complete sentences, but the sentences are tight with all the words serving
a purpose. It is important to note that a haibun is not a short story.
HOW
MANY HAIKU?
Some traditionalists believe that haibun
should be written with the prose portion first, ending with only one
haiku. As more writers discover this form, the boundaries of style and
format have grown to include more than one haiku interwoven with prose.
The writer can arrange and intersperse the prose and haiku in whatever
format suits the piece; however, the haiku is separated from the prose and
written in haiku format. There is no set length to a haibun.
The haiku in a haibun does not have to
relate directly to the subject matter. It is the reader who must decipher
the link between the prose and the haiku — no explanation is necessary.
The haiku connected to a haibun might be considered a microburst of
detail.
HAIBUN
ESSENTIALS
Haibun relates a journey
Is a combination of prose and haiku
The writing is sparse, tight
With strong imagery
It imparts a revelation
Read a haibun by Dawn
© 2001 Dawn L. Stewart
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be
copied or used in any way without written permission from the author.
 |
 |
|
Back to Previous
Article |
Return to
Writing Links |
|
