Customer Reviews

Haiku Seasons: Poetry of the Natural World

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This book is a wonderful follow-on to Higginson's first book on the subject - "The Haiku Handbook". In it, he goes into much more detail and depth on the historical background of haiku. But one gets the feeling that this is really window dressing for the main topic - the significance and overwhelming importance of seasonal reference in traditional haiku.

It has been suggested that the difference between Western haiku and "real" haiku is the former's reluctance to make use of seasonal references. In this book, Higginson explains how the references can be used to convey a vast amount of sub-textual emotion and information by the use of key words and phrases. In short, he shows how it is possible for non-Japanese to use their own cultural and natural pointers, to be able to craft haiku that potentially has as much resonance as those of the Japanese masters.

Needless to say, if you are against the idea/convention/concept of "kigo", this book is not for you. However, if you want to really understand the way that haiku works, if you want to be able to comprehend all the nuances that go in to haiku, you need to at least read this book. It is fascinating and enlightening. Just as good haiku should be.

The subtitle for this book is "poetry of the natural world" and that is exactly what Professor Higginson addresses in a wonderful resource for haiku poets interested in exploring kigo (season words and phrases) and the possibilities of renku (collaborative linked verse). Like others, I came to "The Haiku Seasons" after years of referring to "The Haiku Handbook". It has proven to be an excellent sequel.

I particularly like Higginson's explanations of renku portions as well as the richness in scholarship and attention to historic detail. A keeper!

Haiku, like all else, ebbs and flows and completely flips. One of the hotly debated issues is whether or not the "kigo" or season-word still has a legitimate standing in modern haiku. The existence of "saijiki" or season-word lists and the attempts to create saijiki applicable to regions beyond Japan would seem to indicate that the season-word will stay around for quite awhile.

The sheer volume of truly transcendent haiku with kigo will not just evaporate and many haijin still utilise the kigo in haiku as well as in renga/renku experiments for which awareness of season is essential.

This is a book on how to write haiku, analyze the different elements within a haiku, etc. Its not a book of haiku poems although there are some really wonderful ones used as examples throughout the book. Although this book is not what I had expected, it is a nice one that would be great for someone studying the art of haiku or just one who enjoys haiku and wants to see the meanings behind the words used. The chapters include:
- The essence of haiku
- the seasons in older japanese poetry
- linked verse and the seasons
- hokku, haiku and senryu
- the haiku seasons
- toward and international haikai almanac

This book is meant to be a step up from the Haiku Handbook with lists of season words and helpful material for the practicing English language haijin. Perhaps because of this focus on the more technical aspects, it loses the warmth of the Handbook in process. In addition, the material is not organized in the splendid manner of the Handbook, and it rather rambles. Not a necessity like the Haiku Handbook, which is clearly Higginson's masterpiece.