haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering! 3rd May 2025

haikaiTALKS: Onomatopoeia | a saturday gathering under the banyan tree

host: Srinivasa Sambangi

3rd May 2025

haikaiTALKS: a saturday gathering under the banyan tree

Your host for haikaiTALKS: Srinivas Sambangi

haikaiTALKS 3rd May 2025

Onomatopoeia in haiku:

Merriam Webster defines onomatopoeia as the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (such as buzz, hiss).

Onomatopoetic words are those that imitate natural sounds. In Japanese, however, there are literally hundreds of such words, and they are used much more frequently than in English. Words that represent actual sounds (e.g., animal noises like buzz) are called giseigo, while words that refer specifically to actions (e.g., to drink with a gulp or to drink sip by sip) are called gitaigo. So, onomatopoeia can be used in haiku as a noun or as a verb.

Let’s see an example in each category.

Onamatopeia as an animal sound:

buzz in the ward

one more death

no one regrets

    --Srinivasa Rao Sambangi

In the above poem, who died is identified by the word buzz though the word mosquito is not mentioned

Onamatopoeia as a verb:

fluttering

more fluttering

cherry blossoms

    --Taro Aizu

R.H. Blyth discusses onomatopoeia in his book Haiku," Vol. 1, "Eastern Culture."  

According to him “of all languages, Japanese is by far the richest in onomatopoeic elements.

He identifies three types of onomatopoeia:

(a) The direct representation of the sounds of the outside world by the sound of the voice. ...(b) The representation of movement, or physical sensation other than that of sound. ...(c) The representation of soul states. ..."

He quotes the following examples under each category

a)Ochikochi ochikochi to utsu kinuta kana.Here and there,There and here,Beating fulling-blocks.Buson(b)Ishikawa wa kawarari inazuma sarari kana.The Stony River rippling,The lightningFlickering--Issa

(c)Hito chirari konoba mo chirari horari kana.

People are few, Leaves also fall Now and then. Issa

(My observation is, though I do not understand Japanese, English translations are not as onomatopoeic as their Japanese versions)

After giving these examples, Blyth goes on to say: "We should remind ourselves once more of Basho's advice to his disciples: 'Repeat (your verses) a thousand times on your lips.'Haiku, no less than waka, are songs; they are meant to be read aloud, and repeated aloud.

Onomatopoeia is not a matter of the eye, though it may help; the full and perfect meaning of a haiku is not realized until it is heard by the physical ear."

More examples:

pop-popping corn the distant sound of target practice

-- Seretta Martin, Haiku Dialogue, July 27, 2022

Who? queries the owl;

but I am still uncertain

and cannot answer.

               --Emily Romano, Modern Haiku 6:3 (1975)

Note: owl makes the sounds that sounds like who

Looking forward to reading your onomatopoeic haiku this week

Ref:

https://thehaikufoundation.org/haiku-dialogue-literary-devices-onomatopoeia/

Introducing Haiku Poets and Topics . . . . . WKD: Onomatopoetic Words - Repetition

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https://sedl.org/loteced/scenarios/japanese_onomatopoeia.html

Copy pasting this link: read only if you want to. Japanese Learning Scenario:Exploring Creative Uses of Japanese Onomatopoeia

Author: Chizuko Bolinger & Helen NakamotoLevel: Novice/Intermediate Low

In English as in Japanese, onomatopoetic words are those that imitate natural sounds. In Japanese, however, there are literally hundreds of such words, and they are used much more frequently than in English. Words that represent actual sounds (e.g., animal noises) are called giseigo, while words that refer specifically to actions (e.g., to drink with a gulp or to drink sip by sip) are called gitaigo.

In this scenario, students investigate the similarities and differences in Japanese and English onomatopoeia. They learn common examples of Japanese onomatopoeia and how to create and use their own original onomatopoeia effectively in sentences. They study the three main uses of onomatopoeia: to give a strong impression, to express things realistically, and to represent the rhythms of various activities. They also learn new vocabulary related to the Manga stories (comic books) chosen and in composing their creative works for a writing contest.

ACTIVITY SET 1: Creative Writing Contest:

As a background for the scenario, learners are given the following context: A major Japanese publishing company is hosting a creative writing contest for Manga stories, song lyrics, Haiku and Tanka (the oldest form of Japanese poetry), and other poetry. One requirement for the contest is that each entry must make effective use of either conventional or original onomatopoeia. Students may submit up to three entries.

Working in groups of four, class members begin by sharing what they know about onomatopoeia in general. They then divide into jigsaw groups. Each of these groups reads and discusses one of four texts listed in the webliography under Resources. They return to their original group and share what they’ve learned. For example, they note that Japanese onomatopoeia are repeated twice and appear to be used more frequently, etc. Based on the information that students gather from the jigsaw activity, the class creates a Venn diagram comparing Japanese and English onomatopoeia that is used throughout the lesson as additional information is gathered.

ACTIVITY SET 2: Comparing Japanese and English OnomatopoeiaTo familiarize themselves with the uses of onomatopoeia in English and Japanese, each group receives a list of English onomatopoetic words that they place into three categories: sound imitation (giseigo), condition or movement of things/people/animals (gitaigo), and “both.” Five words for each category are sufficient. The activity is repeated with a list of Japanese onomatopoeia with translations, e.g., bisho bisho (soaking wet), zaa zaa (rushing water such as a heavy downpour), kusu kusu (a feminine giggle or chuckle). Groups add new information to the Venn diagram as it is acquired (see webliography under Resources for lists). ACTIVITY SET 3: Onomatopoeia Games In this activity set, students use a variety of games to practice Japanese onomatopoetic words they have learned. To help students at the novice level, provide the list of Japanese words to be used in the following games. First, learners play Password with a partner, providing up to three “hints” (in Japanese or English at this level) each round. (For example, student may say “quiet” to elicit “shhh!”— the answer, of course must be in Japanese.) Partners switch roles every three minutes. Students continue with a pantomime guessing-game or similar games for vocabulary practice. Finally, the whole class is divided into two teams to play a Pictionary-style game. A volunteer from each team comes to the front of the room, and each is shown the same Japanese word or phrase. Then, using only their artistic ability and the chalkboard, they must make their team members say the word or phrase. No verbal clues may be given.

Following identification of the sound, a second member of the winning team makes a sentence using the onomatopoetic phrase. If the student is successful within the time limit, the team receives 5 points. If not, a second team member has an opportunity within the same time limit and, if successful, the team receives 3 points. Play continues until a designated time limit or point total is reached.

ACTIVITY SET 4: Creating Your Own Onomatopoeia The goal of the activities in this set is to provide learners opportunities to create their own onomatopoeia to use in their creative writings. In preparation for the first activity, the instructor prepares an audiotape containing various sounds such as a car, a train, hands clapping, a dog barking, etc. Each sounds lasts 10-15 seconds. In class, students listen to the sound-effects tape and are asked to create their own onomatopoeia for the sound they heard. The teacher plays one sound at a time, and students find an original way to communicate what they heard using the English alphabet first. They then transliterate that new “word” to Katakana, a Japanese alphabet often times used to express onomatopoetic sounds. Students trade lists with a classmate and check the Katakana transliterations for accuracy. They add new information to the Venn diagram as needed.

In the second activity in this set, students listen to a tape of Old McDonald Had A Farm and Hanako-san no makibade iya iya yo. Provide them the words to the Japanese version of the song. In groups, they compare and contrast the animal sounds in the two cultures and either choose the better-suited sound or create a new one for each animal. Finally, they recopy the song, substituting the new onomatopoeia and sing it to the class in Japanese. Students add new information to the Venn diagram as needed. ACTIVITY SET 5: Recognizing the Importance of Onomatopoeia

The following activities help learners recognize the importance of onomatopoeia and the effect it has on creative writing. Students work in groups on the first activity. Provide three pages of a Manga story (Japanese comic book) with all of the onomatopoeia removed (blacked out). Groups work to figure out the basic story line. Next, students are given a copy of the original story including the onomatopoeia. They discuss the function/effect of those onomatopoeia on the text and decide on why they believe the author used the particular sounds for the particular scenes. They write their reasons on a large piece of butcher paper, scene by scene, and present their explanation to the class. Students add new information to the Venn diagram as needed.

Students work in groups of four and in pairs within groups on the final activity that prepares them for their creative writing assignment. Each group of four students is given a poem in Japanese containing onomatopoeia. (See Materials for examples; any level-appropriate poems containing onomatopoeia may be used.) Pairs in each group practice reading the poem, alternating line by line, so that it flows smoothly and ultimately sounds as though one person were reading it. When they are ready, each pair records the poem on to an audiotape and submits it for grading. Finally, the group of four rewrites the onomatopoetic parts of the poem substituting an adjective, explanatory phrase, etc., to convey the same meaning. The convenience and effectiveness of onomatopoeia becomes salient as students do this task. Students add new information to the Venn diagram as needed.

ACTIVITY SET 6: Entering a Contest

Each student develops at least two creative works from the categories mentioned in the learning scenario to enter in the contest. Higher-level students are encouraged to write original ones. Novice-level students may use existing Manga pictures and write their own sentences and onomatopoeia. They may also use an existing poem but replace a stanza or two with one of their own. In every case, they are required to use onomatopoeia effectively. The student products may be presented in a variety of ways, e.g., orally through dramatic readings or acting and pantomime or through a published collection of student works. Contest award winners may be determined by student vote, by teacher selection, or by a panel of native speaker judges if available.

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KIGO WORDS

Shall we please try to include a kigo word in all the poems we share here?

Give the season and the word—under your poem. 

I'm quoting Lev Hart's request here: "This week’s goal is to compose two verses with toriawase, blending wabi, sabi, karumi, mono no aware, and/or yugen. Tell us which aesthetic concepts you mean to express in a line below the verse. Strive for originality. Avoid stock phrases and shopworn images."

For seasonal references, please check these lists:

“A Dictionary of Haiku Classified by Season Words with Traditional and Modern Methods,” by Jane Reichhold:

https://thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/files/original/7fb6654a1dfd1afef97369da920530f8.pdf

indian subcontinent SAIJIKI:

https://www.trivenihaikai.in/indian-saijiki

The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words:

http://www.2hweb.net/haikai/renku/500ESWd.html

The World Kigo Database:

https://wkdkigodatabase03.blogspot.com/

The Yuki Teikei Haiku Season Word List:

https://yths.org/season-word-list/

**

Thank you for this post, Srinivas.

I hope our poets take the challenge and create a haiku on these lines!

Dear Members,

Please give your feedback on others' commentary and poems too. _()_

We are continuing haikaiTALKS in a grand way!

Keep writing and commenting! _kala