A TUESDAY FEATURE
host: Muskaan Ahuja
guest editor: Susan Beth Furst
THE PAINTER
“O my Luve is like a red, red rose”
--- Robert Burns
As I think about the art of reading and writing haiku, I think about color. The poet’s use of color, either stated or implied, can set a scene, evoke an emotion, and create a mood. It can make the poem more beautiful and effective.
One of my favorite poets, Yosa Buson, who was also an accomplished painter, is often referred
to as the “painterly poet,” because of his rich use of imagery and color. Reading his haiku is like taking part in the painting of a masterpiece, fully revealed as you finish the last line.
Lighting the lantern—
the yellow chrysanthemums
lose their color
--- Buson
As I read “Lighting the lantern,” my eyes are drawn to the words, yellow chrysanthemums. Can
you see the yellow glow as the lantern is lit and the chrysanthemums “lose their color?” A
beautiful breathtaking moment!
The mason’s finger
bleeds
near azaleas
--- Buson
In “The mason’s finger,” color is not specifically stated. And yet I see red suggested by the
bleeding finger. Perhaps the mason cut his finger while pruning an azalea bush. Can you feel it? And what about the color of the azalea blossoms? I see white stained with red or maybe a light pink. What do you see?
Green plum—
it draws her eyebrows
together
--- Buson
Can you taste the sour in “Green plum?” Do you think that the haiku would have the same
effect without Buson’s use of the word green?
Can you write a “painterly haiku?” You can post your poems and comments below.
*Verse translations by Robert Hass