triveni spotlight: 7th October 2023
- Vidya Shankar
- Oct 7, 2023
- 1 min read
triveni spotlight A FEATURE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY! hosts: Kala Ramesh and Vidya Shankar GUEST EDITOR: Keiko Izawa 7th October 2023
himawari no saka tachikogi no obōsan
sunflower hill
the monk stands
pedaling his bike
— Ike Koyama
from 365 Nichi Kigo Techō (365-Day Kigo Diary) 2023
During this month, I’d like to introduce contemporary Japanese haiku, including kigo, which are referred to as “yūki haiku(有季俳句)”. In yūki haiku, toriawase (matching kigo and the remaining phrases) is the key point, not to mention its creativity and originality. In my view, Japanese haiku are generally simple compared to English (language) haiku, but the subtle sensibility is embedded within as the synergies with the power of kigo. I hope you enjoy karumi (lightness) blended with seasonality in these haiku.
Keiko Izawa
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Thank you for being our next guest editor Keiko Izawa You are bringing something fresh and this is going to be a treat for all our members. _()_
I am enjoying your selections, Keiko. May I ask a question? At some point this month will you talk about kireji?
sunflower hill
the monk stands
pedaling his bike
Keiko,
I enjoy the subtleness and karumi of this haiku. I think of a monk as austere and otherworldly yet in this scene perhaps he is standing to get a better view of sunflower hill, which displays his/her interest in mundane beauty. A facebook page "Haiku University" is dedicated to two-line toriawase haiku. Thanks to your guidance here I understand this type of haiku.
The cyclist can stand whilst pedaling the cycle and this visual image is good. The vertical axis with that of the sunflowers and the monk is curious to look out for the smaller ones too. Not necessarily needed that the monk is climbing the hill. It can be as you pass by a hill.
First post:
The kigo, "sunflower," suggests late summer, hot weather for riding a cheap bike up a steep hill. We can infer that the bike has no gears and that the hill is a challenge, because the monk needs to stand upright on the pedals, using his full body weight to turn them. Perhaps we can just see his head and shoulders bobbing above the sunflowers, his vertical axis mirroring theirs.
Given the heat, the incline and the monk's clunky bicycle, why isn't he walking it uphill, or cycling on an easier road? The answer lies in the seasonal reference. Late summer is the time when nature's vitality and vigour are at their zenith. The reader can assume that the…
An intriguing ku! Would love a commentary on this Keiko.