Contemplating Haiku


An old writing teacher of mine imparted this humble piece of advice: "Terse is the essence of verse." Having always been drawn to Japanese haiku poetry, naturally, such advice struck home. And it goes beyond verse...and even poetry. Ideas/emotions best resonate when stated succinctly. Yet haiku, as a form, needs to open itself up by transcending structure and celebrating what makes the form magical: i.e., its innate ability to sculpt written text down to an elemental state. New Haiku Challenge's latest blog, Elusive Vision Challenge, helps put it all into perspective.

The animation running above is an adaptation of a haiku poem in the blog.


© 2008 Peter Schmideg

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