The Haiku Seasons: Poetry of the Natural World (Paperback)

~ William J. Higginson (Author) "The Japanese haiku and its cousin, the satiric senryu, both originated in a style of linked-verse poem called haikai no renga..." (more)
Key Phrases: independent hokku, senryu poets, seasonal topics, New Year, North America, Mogami River (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Haiku Seasons introduces haiku and the whole range of poetry related to haiku--now growing in popularity worldwide--with explanations and numerous examples. Here too are independent hokku, originally starting verses for linked poems; senryu, humorous verses on human foibles; and linked-verse poems written by teams of poets. Drawing on a millennium of Japanese tradition, the author discusses the history and meaning of the deep connection between haiku and nature.

The Haiku Seasons concludes with a brief anthology of recent poems from several countries, organized to demonstrate the features of a typical Japanese poetic almanac, or saijiki, including both seasonal and non-seasonal poems.

About the Author

William J. Higginson studied Japanese at Yale University where he discovered the haiku, and served, with the U.S. Air Force in Japan. He is a charter member of the Haiku Society of America, founded in 1968, and edited and published Haiku Magazine (1971-76). He has three published collections of longer poems and one of haiku, and has work appearing in magazines and anthologies worldwide. He has also taught in the National Endowment for the Arts "Poets-in-the Schools" program, leading writing workshops in hundreds of schools, and he regularly speaks at conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Higginson's international anthology of haiku for children, Wind in the Long Grass, is a classroom favorite. His two-volume sequel to The Haiku Handbook, The Haiku Seasons and Haiku World, gives a comprehensive view of the history, present state, and international possibilities of seasonal consciousness in poetry.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 171 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN); First Paper edition (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770016298
• ISBN-13: 978-4770016294
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,251,583 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lucid explanation of the importance of "Seasons" to Haiku., May 22, 2000

By	talesin - See all my reviews

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Resource for Haiku and Renku Enthusiasts!, December 3, 2000

By	"aikimiko" (Los Angeles, California, USA) - See all my reviews

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!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Higginson "must-have" for haiku aficionados, October 15, 2001

By	Hortensia Anderson "Hortensia Anderson" (nyc, ny, usa) - See all my reviews

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.