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MASTER WORKSHOPS
WORLD HAIKU FESTIVAL 2008 IN INDIA
WORLD HAIKU REVIEW
Volume 6 Issue 1 - March 2008 (Part 1)
CONTENTS
Master Workshop
Crafting Haiku
by Stanford M.
Forrester
Haiku Bowl -
A Panel Discussion
Calligraphy
Master Workshop
by Ssusmu Takiguchi
Beginners Mind,
Workshop
by Stanford M.
Forrester
Renku
Master workshop
by Norman Darlington
Haibun,
Master Workshop
by Johannes
Manjrekar
The Heart of Haiku
Master Workshop
by Susumu Takiguchi
What is Tanka ?
Master Workshop
by Vidur Jyoti
Bird Calls,
Interactive
Demonstration
by Kiran Purandare
Omkar,
Lecture by
Dr Jayant Karandikar
Book Launch
K. Ramesh’s soap bubbles
Read also :
a collection of Indian Haiku
Master Workshops
CRAFTING HAIKU, MASTER WORKSHOP
BY STANFORD M. FORRESTER
Report Written by K. Ramesh.
On MASTER WORKSHOP: CRAFTING HAIKU: THE PROCESS OF REVISION AND REVELATION IN ONE’S POEM conducted by Stanford M. Forrester on 23 February 2008
The 9th World Haiku Festival which took place in the Art of Living Ashram in Bangalore provided a wonderful learning atmosphere for all the poets who attended it. Various events were juxtaposed in such a way that each session contributed to the whole of the Festival. The sense of humour of the haiku poets, the silence and beauty of the Ashram and the ambiance of the different venues for different sessions were all something very special.
On the first day, we had a Master Haiku Workshop which was conducted by Mr Forrester, the past president of the Haiku Society of America and founding editor of Bottle Rockets. His theme was: "crafting haiku: the process of revision and revelation in one's poem". He spoke clearly on the significance of revision in haiku by citing examples and using his experience as an editor of a haiku magazine.
During the session, he asked the participants to offer some haiku; he read out these poems first, then, paying attention to details in each poem gave his comments and also some useful suggestions. Questions regarding the art of composing haiku were asked by the participants and Mr. Forrester clarified various points. The workshop provided an opportunity to reflect on various factors involved in composing haiku and also to understand the nuance of the art.
The Festival not only provided an opportunity to learn but also offered a joyful experience we could share. For example, no one can forget the exquisite ginko walk which took place around the misty lake one early morning.
I would like to thank the World Haiku Club and WHCindia for conducting this program. Hats off to Susumu san, Mrs. Kala Ramesh, Mr. Thiagarajan and Dr. Vidur Jyoti for making this festival possible!
HAIKU BOWL - A PANEL DISCUSSION
Report written by Johannes Manjrekar.
HAIKU BOWl – A PANEL DISCUSSION on 24 February 2008
“Haiku bowl” was held in the evening of the second day. A panel was invited to discuss haiku matters and field questions from the audience. The panel members were Susumu Takiguchi, Stanford M. Forrester, Norman Darlington, Jagdish Vyom and K. Ramesh.
Various themes brought up by the panel members and the audience included: “haiku spirit”, functions of kigo, the position of the author vis-à-vis the reader, juxtaposition/combination, local characteristics of haiku, punctuation and the written form of haiku, humour in haiku, ideas of shasei, the “haiku moment” and “show-don’t-tell”, the modern haiku scene in Japan, and more. While there was a stimulating range of views and opinions on most of the topics discussed, there was general agreement that the “guidelines” and editorial principles for haiku that have become dominant in the west, and particular in North American haiku practice, tended to be excessively narrow and restrictive.
The session opened with a discussion of what constitutes the elusive “haiku spirit”. Some of the characteristics were suggested to be sincerity and honesty (makoto), lightness (karumi), empathy, and the too-often neglected quality of humour or self-deprecation. The discussion went on from there to deliberate on attributes of haiku that “work well” and ways of writing them, through which they might achieve depth and resonance with the reader. There were also enlightening discussions on the effective use of juxtaposition or combination of different elements and/or images in haiku; the role and place of seasonal references (kigo and kidai); the importance of practising haiku with reference to the local context (cultural as well as physical); the role of haiku writers and their “right” to express themselves in their haiku without excessively worrying about being “absent” from the poem and/or about leaving room for the readers’ interpretation or role in it. All in all the session was greatly enjoyed by the panellists and audience alike and everyone came away happier and possibly wiser.
CALLIGRAPHY MASTER WORKSHOP
BY SUSUMU TAKIGUCHI
Report Written by Kala Ramesh
On MASTER WORKSHOP: JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY conducted by Susumu Takiguchi on 24 February 2008
Susumu Takiguchi ran the Master Workshop on Japanese calligraphy in the afternoon of 24th February at Badrivishala Hall. With huge arches opening out to the natural scenic beauty of the ashram – it was just the right setting to showcase a Japanese master at work.
Takiguchi is not only a renowned haiku poet but is also a professional artist of many years’ standing, with the art of calligraphy as an integral part of his art. I was most impressed by the ease with which he demonstrated what is actually a difficult skill to acquire which will stay in my mind for a long time.
As we were arranging the hall before the participants got there, an incident happened which I thought I needed to share with you all. Badrivishala hall is huge and we had thick cotton woven sheets spread out to cover the entire area. As some sheets were all over the place, I bent down to straighten them. No sooner I began the job than Susumu san joined me. With a smile he said that he too wanted to straighten them, adding, “You see, we Japanese can’t have anything crooked. Things need to be done properly”. I replied, “We Indians are also taught all that but it is a fast disappearing art!” There is so much in common between the Japanese and the Indians.
It was indeed a joy to observe Susumu san meticulously arrange his rice paper, the ink stick and well, water and his book on calligraphy containing different styles of Chinese characters, or kanji in Japanese. His first free hand calligraphy was the kanji meaning heart. In simple but effective strokes he set off to write it with a big brush, and there it was the finished calligraphy right in my hands as he presented it to me! With painstaking accuracy and dedication to the art, he went on demonstrating the calligraphy of one kanji after another, explaining each time what it meant and how he tried to tackle it. What we witnessed was excellence and harmony wedded together and by the time the session ended all of us were given a calligraphy, some more than one, done in situ as a memento to take home.
On another occasion I had an opportunity to talk to one of India’s top calligraphy artists, Sri Achyut R. Palav, who said that Indian calligraphy was totally different in approach and style. He added that it was not extempore like the Japanese and that he called his style Urjakshara, meaning the eternal energy of calligraphy. Indeed, the energy we saw in Susumu seemed something totally different. He showed us his favorite style of calligraphy where he was using a lot of energy. What sounded like a low moan of anguish or even sometimes a loud groan came out of him (it is called kiai in Japanese, I later learned) and there it was before our eyes the energy duly transplanted onto the paper. Even doing the same kanji, no two works are the same. Each is an original and a work of art in its own right, with deeper involvement both on the part of the calligrapher and of the appreciator.
So, there was the perceiver and what was perceived coming together – a true Advaitic principal – behind this whole art of Japanese calligraphy. The same is the case with the Japanese tea ceremony or our own Indian classical music when we present the raga, or with any other art form, for instance, when the artist [the perceiver] becomes one with what he creates [the perceived] and therein lies the magic and the beauty of art.
in his eyes
a poem unfolds—
first calligraphy
BEGINNER'S MIND WORKSHOP
BY STANFORD M. FORRESTER
Report Written by Harish Suryanarayanan
On WORKSHOP: THE BEGINNER'S MIND AND THE HAIKU PATH conducted by Stanford M. Forrester on 24 February 2008
Forrester explained the importance of having the beginner's mind when trying to write good haiku. He also talked about how haiku was so closely related to spirituality and the Zen way of life. Even after years of writing haiku, he pointed out, it was important to be able to look back and draw upon the experience with the fresh perspective of a beginner.
RENKU MASTER WORKSHOP
BY NORMAN DARLINGTON
Report written by Kameshwar Rao
On MASTER WORKSHOP ON RENKU conducted by Norman Darlington on 24th Feb 2008
Norman Darlington’s workshop on Renku was one of the highlights of the second day of the World Haiku Festival 2008. Norman briefed us about its history, the form, and his perceptions on Renku.
Here are some notes from the workshop:
§ Renku is linked poetry. Traditional length of a Renku is thirty-six stanzas. Also twenty or twelve stanzas are popular.
§ In English, "renku" stanzas usually alternate three and two lines.
§ Renku has a slow opening, intense middle, and fast close.
§ Renku avoids repetition of themes.
§ The stanzas must be connected and must be concrete.
§ Renku must contain verses on autumn (moon), spring (cherry blossoms), and love.
§ In Renku, diversity is a plus and a collaboration among the poets brings about different ideas.
Renku DVD: Norman then played a Renku DVD. The DVD was an animated movie based on a Japanese Renku. The images related to each stanza and the translations of each stanza read out by Norman (Norman is a professional actor) made for a great effect and cast a spell on the gathering.
Renku Trip: On the final night of the World Haiku Festival, we had a vibrant session creating Renku. Around fifteen enthusiasts participated in the Renku session with Norman leading the effort. Norman was a true Sabaki. He egged the participants on till the verses that the participant had in mind became concrete. He had an “intuitive sense on what connects”. Under his inspiring leadership, the participants came up with the Renku, Our New Nano in under two hours. It was a beautiful way to end an absorbing and enchanting Haiku festival.
The Renku created, 'Our New Nano' is here on the Renku page.
HAIBUN MASTER WORKSHOP
BY JOHANNES MANJREKAR
Report Written by A.Thiagarajan
On MASTER WORKSHOP: HAIBUN conducted by Johannes Manjrekar on 25 February 2008
Mr. Johannes Manjrekar read out for the audience seven of his haibun. He discussed several aspects of haibun and introduced some of the many definitions of this genre.
One question which came up quite a bit during the discussion was on the role of the prose part of a haibun: Is the prose supposed to explain the haiku attached to it, is it just to lay the setting and backdrop, and why should the prose do it if the haiku is to stand on its own? Contrary to the opinion of many participated in the debate and to the belief which many others hold, Susumu San asked why not let the prose talk about things which are also put in the haiku, as is often seen in the Japanese classic haibun. Broadly, haibun was understood to be held as a prose written in haikai style and spirit with or without haiku. The general feeling was that haibun should allow a broad and wide-ranging forms and possibilities, usually containing one or several haiku. Also, ideally haiku in haibun should be able to stand on its own and be appreciated on its own merit, not simply as an add-on to the prose. It was also felt that the haiku worked especially well if it added something extra to the prose, which was similar to the link and shift practiced in renku. As for the topics of haibun it was mentioned that they could be pretty much about anything. It was pointed out that generally, haibun was thought to have been formalised and elevated as a literary form by Basho in his travelogues and diaries such as the famous The Narrow Road to the North, though there were a lot of precedents to them.
One of the haibun written by Manjrekar and was read out by him, which I found particularly interesting, is reproduced below.
The Guppy
The guppy's only company in the fish tank is the little plastic figure in green trousers, red shirt and the broad hat which suggests a farmer. The plastic man holds a basket - not a fishing basket but something like a hood; perhaps he is a grape farmer. With heroic tenacity, over and over again, this aquatic Sisyphus lowers his inverted basket until it has filled up with air bubbles, then raises his arms to release a harvest of bubbles, like upwardly tumbling grapes. The guppy pays no attention to its labouring companion. It is at the wall of the tank, its huge eyes pointed in my direction. But it doesn't appear to see me - even when I wave my hands or bring my face up close to the glass, it does not respond to my overtures. It just hangs there at its chosen depth, balancing gravity and buoyancy, gently fanning water over its gills. Perhaps it can see me if it chooses to but has decided not to, has excluded me from its universe of relevant objects. After all, I am outside the fish tank.
The longer I watch it, the more I become convinced that the guppy's unresponsiveness is deliberate, and I begin to feel resentful of its refusal to acknowledge my existence. I make threatening faces and violent gestures, but nothing produces even a momentary break in the guppy's gentle rhythm. Wait, I think, I'll show you! I shoot my hand into the water and make a grab for the guppy. It darts away to the other side of the tank.
So, am I real or not? I ask the guppy as I withdraw my arm from the water. My sweater sleeve is dripping. The guppy is looking out of the other side of the tank.
Or seems to be.
clink of glasses
someone in the next room
says something about me
THE HEART OF HAIKU
MASTER WORKSHOP
BY SUSUMU TAKIGUCHI
Report by A.Thiagarajan
On Master Workshop: THE HEART OF HAIKU — conducted by Susumu Takiguchi on 25th February
The session on 'The Heart of Haiku' was a freewheeling one on the rules and regulations relating to haiku. With two questions, Susumu Takiguchi set the tone of his presentation - (1) Why do children or beginners often write good haiku poems, even if technically there may be some flaws in them? and (2) Do we want good poems or good rules?
To have rules and regulations first and mould the haiku to fit them is putting the cart before the horse. Good haiku poets need no rules or definitions since they, by instinct, reach the heart of haiku. Poets should let each and every haiku they write to decide how it wants to be written rather than imposing their preconceived ideas on them, i.e. length, choice and order of words, kigo or no kigo, anthropomorphism, punctuation etc. etc. This is because each haiku would, or even should, be different.
Defining haiku has become misleading. It has ceased to serve the very purpose it is supposed to attain. Any attempt to define haiku is limiting and excluding. What is needed is “inclusion” as haiku is ever expanding and is transcending borders – be it language, traditions, mythology, climates/seasons, culture, ethos, symbols, and poetic sensibilities.
But this sort of generalization does not give much by way of help to an aspiring haiku poet. So, what does he do? To help, Susumu san gave some characteristics as essentials for haiku.
- A sense of brevity - he means the 'feeling of brevity' that one gets from a haiku rather than any definite or fixed short length. He prefers this approach to focusing on limiting the number of syllables or to defining the optimum length. He likes it to be left to the local language and literary tradition. In short, a haiku will decide for itself.
- A sense of humour- Susumu san opines that outside Japan, this aspect has either been ignored or deliberately excluded. The humour referred to may not necessarily be very obvious or open but could be just an undercurrent. This is rather a tough call since humour is not universally the same in terms of perspective.
- Karumi- lightness or light-heartedness. This he clarified is not to “make light of' something or anything”. It is to avoid sentimentalism, wallowing in emotions or taking things unduly seriously. It is simply to depict things as they are.
- Detachment- Susumu san illustrates it by example rather than explaining it since the latter can easily be misleading It is a viewpoint of a passer-by, such as that of Basho passing by an abandoned baby and just walks away, feeling sorry for it but doing nothing about it. This is a feature which distinguishes a haiku from a tanka.
- He makes an observation that haiku of today can broadly fall into three types: (a) traditional (b) progressive and (c) the most radical. WHC terms these three as Neo-classical, Shintai (or new-style) and Vanguard respectively. If one is a traditionalist, kigo is essential though he opines it not necessary or possible to use all the Japanese kigo. Susumu san makes a point when he says that those of us who are not used to such sensitivity about seasons as the Japanese can still benefit if we strive to learn to be aware of “our own” seasons.
WHAT IS TANKA
BY VIDUR JYOTI
Report written by the presenter himself, Vidur Jyoti
On WORKSHOP: WHAT IS TANKA? conducted by Vidur Jyoti on 25th Feb 2008.
Tanka is a lyrical form of Japanese poetry which used be called ‘waka’. Tanka writing has been in vogue for more than thirteen centuries now. These poems used to be chanted with musical accompaniments.
Waka gradually evolved into a poetical genre of the imperial court though the initial contributors included a wide spectrum of the society ranging from fishermen to frontier guards to emperors. While nature and appreciation thereof was one of the principal themes of this form, some other popular themes were also included, such as praise of the imperial reign, celebrations of all the good things in life, aspects of love, expression of grief, parting, mourning of the dead or narratives of travel ling. These themes are still the mainstay of tanka.
Waka poems are unrhymed verses of thirty-one Japanese syllables. Towards the end of the twelfth century a trend emerged whereby we saw the poems and images being divided into two parts of 5/7/5 and 7/7 syllables.
Tanka poems depict concrete images coloured in intense lyricism derived from first person experience of human emotions. In modern tanka we find expressions much freer in content. Outside Japan, tanka is written typically in five lines. The first three lines and the subsequent two lines constitute two sections of a single poem. The last line is usually the most significant because it tends to lend the ultimate complexion to the entire poem.
To write good tanka one needs to register an image and the associated experience first, which is usually expressed in the first three lines. Then, reflections on the image enable the poet to present his or her own experience in the second part of the poem. In the case of contemporary tanka in English one often finds poems which are written in 5/7/5/7/7 syllable pattern. However, one can also experiment different syllable counts so long as one follows a short-long-short-long-long structure. Tanka in English do not normally use capitalization.
On the part of the reader, he or she is encouraged to draw his or her own interpretation of the poem, using imagination and perception. Unless written in sequence or in a string, tanka poems do not normally have any title.
A few samples of modern tanka:
a pitter-patter
by my window side
long after the rains
listening to your footfalls
I stare at the moon
sailing with clouds
her lullabies
come back to me
over the clattering of rails
I listen to silence
muted footfalls
an eyeful of dreams
from across those banks
will you exchange my breath
for a whiff of breeze
last night
breeze wove a web
collecting moonbeams
a monk wandered
across the lake
BIRD CALLS DEMONSTRATION
BY KIRAN PURANDARE
Report Written by Harish Suryanarayanan
On DEMONSTRATION: The bird calls conducted by Kiran Purandare on 25 February 2008
This fascinating session was a most impressive and
realistic introduction to numerous sounds and calls of birds in India. Kiran Purandare amazed the audience with his vast repertoire of bird calls, some of which took him years to perfect. This extremely enjoyable interactive session, apart from being informative, also made us aware of and tuned to the songs of numerous birds around us. So much so that though we may not remember the names of the birds accurately we will surely be reminded of this birdman's incredible performance at the World Haiku Festival 2008.
OMKAR LECTURE
BY DR. JAYANT KARANDIKAR
Report Written by Vidur Jyoti
On the lecture: omkar - an inward flowering! delivered by Dr. Jayant Karandikar on 23 February 2008
Dr. Jayant Karandikar, a practicing cardiologist from Ahmednagar, presented his experience with the chanting of ‘omkar’ on various systems of human body and mind. His work spans more than a decade of concerted and continuing research. He has demonstrated a conclusive clinical correlation between the correct method of ‘aum’ chanting and its beneficial effects on various somatic disorders.
Dr. Karandikar opined that our speech results from an order from mind and a following action of breathing. He elaborated that omkar is a primordial and the purest sound as it is the result of only breath being used to produce sound without the involvement of any of the anatomical mechanisms of speech like tongue, palate, teeth, lips etc. In his view, therefore, a correct pronunciation of ‘aum’ or ‘omkar’ can help us in developing mental poise and concentration so essential for the appreciation of nature and other life's phenomena.
Thus it can help us in our study and writing of haiku poetry. He has identified 63 different methods of chanting ‘aum’ and 18 different methods of ‘pranayam’ – an exercise for controlling breathing and channeling energy from respiratory excursions. He also demonstrated a correct way of breathing before and during chanting of ‘aum’.
It was an interesting extrapolation by Dr. Karnadikar when he drew an etymological parallel between ‘aum’ and writing of haiku poetry. He told the captivated audience that like the haiku poems ‘aum’ was an abridged or condensed version of the three pricincipal life phenomena, namely, creation, sustenance and annihilation.
The audience was enlightened by Dr. Karandikar’s conclusions. The resolve to pursue his suggestion did take roots in the minds of a large section of the attending hajjins.
BOOK LAUNCH
K. RAMESH’S soap bubbles
on 24th Feb
K. Ramesh, a member of WHCindia is one of our well-known haijin at home and abroad and it was therefore our pleasure to be given the opportunity to launch his book during World Haiku Festival 2008 in India.
This little book of haiku poems, entitled soap bubbles, is a new addition to the book collection of anyone who loves the genre and always are on the lookout for a good haiku book. It introduces ninety-three haiku poems which Ramesh has published in leading online and print magazines from around the world.
Those who know his poems will agree that these haiku poems are simply admirable in their naturalness and unassuming characteristics. I would go so far as to say that these haiku stand as good examples for what a haiku is and should be.
At the book launch ceremony Prof. N.K. Singh spoke highly of Ramesh’s poetry and read out a few which he thought especially commendable from the book.
alone tonight
light on my bedroom wall
from the neighbour's house
a surprise-
the little girl
opens her hand...a shell
abandoned dog...
looking at the face of
every pedestrian
Stanford M. Forrester was asked to speak about K. Ramesh in general and about soap bubbles in particular. He spoke highly of Ramesh’s haiku poems and said he was most happy to publish his poems in Bottle Rockets which he edited. Forrester read out:
fading evening light-
small glow of a lamp
up in the mountain
starlit sky...
I touch a turtle
before it enters the sea
For details of the Book;
soap bubbles by K. Ramesh
Enquiry to Red Moon Press
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