Captain Shunsui Kyōraku (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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fandomhigh2022-07-04 04:13 am
sake_shinigami) wrote in fandomhigh2022-07-04 04:13 am
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The Art of Haiku; Monday, Second Period [07/04].
If Shunsui had been even remotely aware that today was a holiday, he would not have hesitated for a second to have called off class in lieu of celebrating it. As it was, though, this was a man who barely remembered that his own birthday was coming up (and that only because he knew it was a few days after someone else's birthday, one he always, always remembered), and so there was class. But it was still one of his classes, so, really, there it wouldn't be very taxing beyond some waxing intellectual about poetry and enjoying the welcoming shade of a large tree in the park.
"Ohayōgozaimasu," he started, with a duck of his head and that nearly ever-present lazy smile on his face, as he invited the students to gather around comfortably in the shade, "and welcome to our first lesson of the Art of Haiku ♥, where we will explore the traditional classic Japanese short form of poetry know for its brevity, its beauty, and its ability to say much in very, very little ♥.
"The concept of the haiku," he continued, in his low, rumbling, drawling voice, "in modern times has been a bit reduced to its basic structure: three lines, broken up by syllables, five for the first, seven for the second, and then back to five to bring us home ♥. Already, though, we are diverging from its original form. Breaking it down this way is common in English translations, but in the original Japanese, the haiku is usually written as just a single line. We are hardly going to flail our hands about technicalities in this class, of course. Our main concern will merely be creating beautiful words to embody beautiful ideas ♥.
"It's far more complex than merely the beats of the words and the way they are arranged, though," he added. "A true haiku will also involve two very important elements: a kireji, or 'cutting word,' and a kigo, which is a relation to a season, or at least some aspect of nature. Things also get a little bit trickier when you're dealing with translations and the like, but we'll not worry about that too much ♥.
"Let us take an example from Bashō, one of Japan's best-known haikuists, to highlight what I mean:"
He cleared his throat lightly and recited, first in Japanese, then in English:
"furu ike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto
Ah, the ancient pond
As a frog takes the plunge
Sound of the water "
He paused, tilting his head toward the pond itself, as if expecting nature to respond in kind with exactly the sound described in the poem. Nature did not oblige, just as it hadn't the last time he'd done this lesson, but he smiled at the students.
"Simple, neh ♥? But also vivid in its emotion, in capturing a specific moment that inspires a specific feeling. We do not need the frog plunging into the water to feel the full effect of the poem. Its simple words are enough; it encapsulates a whole scene, and does so in very little.
"There is much to explore with the haiku," he added, "but as this is only our first meeting, we will save much of that for future classes ♥. For this class, I would like us all to take some time and consider composing a haiku that embodies the moment of ourselves: an introduction by way of haiku, based on the most simple elements of it: one sentence, broken up into a 5-7-5 rhythm, with a reference to nature, but about yourselves. For example:"
Of course he hadn't prepared anything for his own example, nor could he recall the example from last time. His poetry was, usually, quite emphemeral and in-the moment. So he tilted his head to consider for a moment before offering out:
"Caught in warm sunlight
Blissful slumber like a cat
Of what does he dream?"
He chuckled a little as he finished. "Well," he said, ducking his head again, this time as if in apology, "not quite my best, but, then again, I am no Bashō, nor do I expect or claim to be ♥! But hopefully, you get the idea. Now if you prefer a more modern pen and paper to compose your poems, please do that, but I have also brought with me some parchment and calligraphy brushes if you'd like to try to make the experience a little more immersive. Take a moment to consider your introduction haikus and towards the end of the class, we'll share ♥. And I also have a little assignment for you ducklings for next week, as well; I'd like you each to find your own haiku in the wild and bring it in and we shall discuss them next week ♥. Any questions before we begin?"
"Ohayōgozaimasu," he started, with a duck of his head and that nearly ever-present lazy smile on his face, as he invited the students to gather around comfortably in the shade, "and welcome to our first lesson of the Art of Haiku ♥, where we will explore the traditional classic Japanese short form of poetry know for its brevity, its beauty, and its ability to say much in very, very little ♥.
"The concept of the haiku," he continued, in his low, rumbling, drawling voice, "in modern times has been a bit reduced to its basic structure: three lines, broken up by syllables, five for the first, seven for the second, and then back to five to bring us home ♥. Already, though, we are diverging from its original form. Breaking it down this way is common in English translations, but in the original Japanese, the haiku is usually written as just a single line. We are hardly going to flail our hands about technicalities in this class, of course. Our main concern will merely be creating beautiful words to embody beautiful ideas ♥.
"It's far more complex than merely the beats of the words and the way they are arranged, though," he added. "A true haiku will also involve two very important elements: a kireji, or 'cutting word,' and a kigo, which is a relation to a season, or at least some aspect of nature. Things also get a little bit trickier when you're dealing with translations and the like, but we'll not worry about that too much ♥.
"Let us take an example from Bashō, one of Japan's best-known haikuists, to highlight what I mean:"
He cleared his throat lightly and recited, first in Japanese, then in English:
"
Ah, the ancient pond
As a frog takes the plunge
Sound of the water
He paused, tilting his head toward the pond itself, as if expecting nature to respond in kind with exactly the sound described in the poem. Nature did not oblige, just as it hadn't the last time he'd done this lesson, but he smiled at the students.
"Simple, neh ♥? But also vivid in its emotion, in capturing a specific moment that inspires a specific feeling. We do not need the frog plunging into the water to feel the full effect of the poem. Its simple words are enough; it encapsulates a whole scene, and does so in very little.
"There is much to explore with the haiku," he added, "but as this is only our first meeting, we will save much of that for future classes ♥. For this class, I would like us all to take some time and consider composing a haiku that embodies the moment of ourselves: an introduction by way of haiku, based on the most simple elements of it: one sentence, broken up into a 5-7-5 rhythm, with a reference to nature, but about yourselves. For example:"
Of course he hadn't prepared anything for his own example, nor could he recall the example from last time. His poetry was, usually, quite emphemeral and in-the moment. So he tilted his head to consider for a moment before offering out:
Blissful slumber like a cat
Of what does he dream?"
He chuckled a little as he finished. "Well," he said, ducking his head again, this time as if in apology, "not quite my best, but, then again, I am no Bashō, nor do I expect or claim to be ♥! But hopefully, you get the idea. Now if you prefer a more modern pen and paper to compose your poems, please do that, but I have also brought with me some parchment and calligraphy brushes if you'd like to try to make the experience a little more immersive. Take a moment to consider your introduction haikus and towards the end of the class, we'll share ♥. And I also have a little assignment for you ducklings for next week, as well; I'd like you each to find your own haiku in the wild and bring it in and we shall discuss them next week ♥. Any questions before we begin?"
Sign In - AoH, 07/04.
Re: Sign In - AoH, 07/04.
Re: Sign In - AoH, 07/04.
Re: Sign In - AoH, 07/04.
Listen to the Lecture - AoH, 07/04.
Class Activity: Introduction Haiku - AoH, 07/04.
All perfectly valid classtime activities.
Re: Class Activity: Introduction Haiku - AoH, 07/04.
The only problem was she was a little stuck on what she should write so she got as far as writing her name on the parchment and then looked rather lost.
Re: Class Activity: Introduction Haiku - AoH, 07/04.
Re: Class Activity: Introduction Haiku - AoH, 07/04.
“Um …I’m not really into nature all that much,” she admitted, “er …” she tried to think back to all those walks she used to have to go on at her old school, “I like flowers?” she tried.
Then she tried to think of an answer to the last question, “er…a butterfly, I think?” she wasn’t entirely sure of her response.
Re: Class Activity: Introduction Haiku - AoH, 07/04.
He chuckled a little at that, because of course he'd see the merits in something that allowed for less work to be done.
"What about the butterfly draws you to her so?" he then concluded. "Find that, duckling, and I think you may find your poem not too far behind ♥."
Re: Class Activity: Introduction Haiku - AoH, 07/04.
"Even a small sapling
Can grow into a mighty
Oak tree. And that's me!"
He was particularly proud of that finish, yes.
"Ohhhh!" he realized. "Can I make one for Triiumph, too?"
Re: Class Activity: Introduction Haiku - AoH, 07/04.
actual canon metaphorcommon theme."I'll certainly not hold you back if the inspiration has struck," he noted.
Re: Class Activity: Introduction Haiku - AoH, 07/04.
"Scorching eventide,
a dreaming butterfly's heart
inside the lion."
Talk to the Teacher - AoH, 07/04.
Not as much as the napping ones, of course, but that probably goes without saying.
OOC - AoH, 07/04.