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| Unknown Artist - 'Ehagaki', or 'Picture Postcard' (c.1908) |
400 Leaves:
Style and Structure, including a brief note on 5-7-5
Now that my "400 Leaves" project on Shinobazu Pond 俳句 has been up and running for several months, I should probably add a footnote to explain its morphology for those who might be curious.
Each blog post or ‘Leaf’ is posted daily (21 April 2025-25 May 2026). They are numbered chronologically, i.e. – simply as they are posted. The numbering acts purely as an easy means of reference for me as the author. However, after this number, each Leaf is given a brief thematic description. Some of these, such as ‘Remembrance’ will hopefully be fairly self-explanatory. Others may benefit from a little further elucidation here. The majority are described as either ‘Looking Back’ or ‘Reflections.’ The difference between the two is quite subtle and there is a large degree of overlap, but essentially the difference is this: ‘Looking Back’ are poems which are based on, or refer to, a specific memory of time or place which is fairly concrete. ‘Reflections’ tend to be more abstract or more fluid, and so could apply to any time or place found in general. But hopefully this distinction won’t bother the reader too much because, as I say, the difference is fairly arbitrary and probably only really matters to me as the author.
‘Art Inspired’ are poems which reflect on, or were inspired by someone else’s artwork. These other artworks could be a poem or another form of writing, such as a short story or a novel, or it could be a piece of music or a musical performance, or a photograph, or, in the majority of instances, it’s most likely to be a painting.
‘Homeward Bound’ is something of a pun, in that these poems are primarily concerned with my hometown, or the other places where I have subsequently lived but since moved on from. In this sense, they are about making a return journey of some sort (mostly in mind and memory, but also about making a physical return journey too on some occasions). Yet they are also a reflection upon how a part of ourselves remains forever tied to those places which mean something special to us. Hence the double meaning of ‘bound.’
Another category perhaps worth highlighting here is described as ‘Essays on Haiku.’ There aren’t many of these, and, as I said above, I’m not overly concerned with dogma and didactic rules. A syllable count of 5-7-5 when writing in English is not necessarily the norm, and most of my haiku are ‘free form’ in this regard. Clarity and concision are generally regarded by most established haiku magazines and anthologies (both in print and on-line) as more important than syllable count. Particularly because the phonology of English means that a blind adherence to the 5-7-5 rule usually results in poems which are overly wordy in comparison to their Japanese counterparts, and so they all too easily lose something vital in both cadence and ethos in this regard. That said though, sometimes 5-7-5 does work well, and I have certainly written a few in my time – so I am not wholly averse to them. It’s much harder to write proper 5-7-5 haiku in Japanese though. And, as this blog already amply attests, I have attempted to do this myself and will continue to do so too. Hopefully, one day my Japanese will be good enough for me to write decent haiku in Japanese. Until then though, I will continue to study and continue to persevere – がんばりましょう!
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| R.H. Blyth in Seoul, 1938 |
Likewise, I should probably add a note about my use of the term ‘senryu’ – which is perhaps a little at odds with its common usage by the majority of today’s haiku poets writing in English. Most poets seem to use the term indiscriminately to refer to any kind of human foible or perspective. However, I tend to prefer R.H. Blyth’s definition of senryu as being haiku-like poems which are more focussed upon being playful and humorous in intention. To my mind, poems which aim at something more profound or moving in terms of their subject or sentiment are proper haiku – regardless as to whether they are concerned purely with people or the natural world, so there shouldn’t really be a distinction.
Another way in which I buck the prevailing modern trend is in my use of capitalisation and punctuation. I use capitals, commas, dashes and full stops purely and simply because I personally prefer the old, Blyth-like style of presentation. However, I will happily adapt to “house rules” whenever my poems are published in poetry magazines, because – to be honest – it’s not something I am overly precious about.
Generally, I find it quite hard to categorise the great majority of my poems specifically because I always seem to find there is a grey area where themes, sentiments, ideas and metaphors tend to overlap or impinge upon one another. Hence, I am also very aware that it’s not always easy to identify a concrete kigo or ‘season marker’ in my poems. In terms of craft, this is very much something which I need to study and think about more consciously when I am writing. There is always room for improvement, as I am sure any haiku master from the time of Bashō right up to today would agree. And that is my main purpose in writing and publishing this blog – as a means of growing through practice, hopefully sparking inspiration and sharing insights learned along the way.
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| Statue of Matsuo Bashō, Soka Mastubara |
400 Leaves - NB: poems posted daily, links will be added after posting.
1. On Haiku [essay]
2. Plein Air Poems [haikai]
3. Definitive Definitions [essay]
4. Black Cats [haiga]
5. Westminster Bridge [haikai]
6. Grey Seals [haiga]
7. Lotus Blooms [haiku]
8. Sparrow Chatter [haibun]
9. Woodland Pool [haiku]
10. The Spire [haikai]
11. Roma [tanka]
12. Wentworth Place [haikai]
13. Tokyo Train [haiku]
14. Ebisu Evening [haiku]
15. Old Hotel [haibun]
16. Squid Boats [haiku]
17. Ship's Bows [haiku]
18. Liberation [haiga]
19. Wintry Mudbank [haiku]
20. Distant Places [haiku]
21. Kobe, 1995 [haiku]
22. Mejiro [haiku]
23. Pianissimo [haiku]
24. Evening Guests [haibun]
25. Hotel, Midnight [haibun]
26. Sycamore Seeds [haibun]
27. Silver Birch [haiku]
28. Heian Roots [haiku / in japanese]
29. Timpani [haiku]
30. Floating Downriver [haiku]
31. Traffic Weaving [senryu]
32. Old Routemaster Magic [tanka]
33. The Fly [essay]
34. Ieyasu's Tomb [haiku]
35. White Mist [haiku]
36. Lonely Wing [haiku]
37. Criticism [essay]
38. Tummy Rumbles [senryu / in japanese]
39. Columbo [haibun / senryu]
40. Autumn in Mitake Gorge [haikai]
41. Yellow Flowers [haiku]
42. Azaleas at Nezu-jinja [haiku]
43. Leaping Fish [haibun]
44. Uneasy Dreams [haibun]
45. Tank Man [haiku]
46. In the B+B [senryu]
47. Gembun & Cherita [gembun & cherita]
48. First Glimpse of Fuji [haibun]
49. Ghost Trees [haiku]
50. Sultry Eyes [senryu]
51. Intercity 125 [senryu]
52. Skylark's Song [haibun]
53. Green Woodpecker [haikai]
54. Hot Air Balloons [haikai / linked verse]
55. The Horse Trainer [haiku]
56. Talking to the Birds [haiku]
57. The Swan [haikai]
58. Jingshan Park [prose poem]
59. Peace & Quiet [senryu / in japanese]
60. The Thames at Night [haikai]
61. Under the Tree [haikai]
62. Tōkaidō [haiku]
63. Hakone Sekisho [senryu]
64. Red Bricks [tanka]
65. Sekikan [tanka]
66. White Sandals [tanka]
67. People's Square [tanka]
68. Baiyun Guan [tanka / kyoka]
69. Kusamakura [haiku]
70. Above the Clouds [haiku]
71. Mrs Emma Peel [senryu / linked verse]
72. Bats and Black Silk [haiku]
73. Poems Come and Go [senryu]
74. Book Sale [senryu]
75. Todai-ji, Nara [senryu]
76. Simple Souvenirs [haikai]
77. 36,000 Feet [haiku]
78. Haeundae, Busan [haiku]
79. Tanabata [haiku]
80. Wind-battered Straw Hat [senryu]
81. Rembrandt's Scholar [tanka]
82. Rainbow [haiku]
83. The Viewpoint [tanka]
84. Nembutsu [haiku]
85. Hot Pursuit [senryu]
86. Poems Evolve [essay]
87. Book Leaves [haiku]
88. Evening Waltz [haiku]
89. Heron [haiku]
90. A Failed First Attempt [haiku / senryu]
91. Bow Cat [haiku / linked verse]
92. One Small Step [haiku / tanka]
93. Rock of Ages [haiku]
94. Family Album [haiku]
95. The Balloon [tanka]
96. High Speed Rail [haikai]
97. Past Midnight [haiku]
98. Zigzagging [haikai]
99. Bachelor Pad [haiku]
100. Just Married [tanka]
101. Beneath the Bridge [haibun]
102. Old Soap [tanka]
103. Old Edo East Sea Road [haibun / in japanese]
104. A Hot Soak [senryu]
105. Shape of Maple & Spruce [haikai]
106. Postcards [senryu]
107. Grey Drizzle [senryu]
108. Koishikawa Korakuen #1 [haiku]
109. Koishikawa Korakuen #2 [senryu]
110. Koishikawa Korakuen #3 [haiku]
111. Moonquake [tanka]
112. Building A Fire [tanka]
113. The Silent Battlefield [haiku]
114. Big Time Sensuality [haibun / senryu]
115. Empty Wharf [haiku]
116. Last Drops [haiku]
117. Five O'Clock Chimes [senryu]
118. In Memoriam - Redux [haiku]
119. Alhambra [tanka]
120. Lake Bled Quartet [haiku]
121. Morning Haze [haiku]
122. Poems in Process [essay]
123. High Jinks [haiku]
124. The Leap [haiku]
125. Mont Ventoux [tanka]
126. Losing the Fight [haiku]
127. Weltschmerz [linked verse]
128. Windjammer [tanka]
129. Tokyo Rainbows [haiga]
130. Unable to Sleep [haiku / in japanese]
131. Wooden Tennis Racquet [haiku]
132. Morning and Afternoon Post [tanka]
133. Night Rain [tanka]
134. Is he the greatest? [gembun]
135. Linear Mandala [haiku]
136. Sunflowers [haiku]
137. Starry Sky [haiku]
138. Empty Lighthouses [haiku / linked verse]
139. Silver Tops [haiku / senryu]
140. Cut Grass [haiku]
141. Koishikawa Korakuen #4 & #5 [gembun & haiku]
142. Uncertainty [haiku / in japanese]
143. Grand Opening [senryu]
144. Seven Pips [senryu]
145. Two Candles [haiku]
146. Windswept Pine [haiku]
147. Beeswax [haiku]
148. Alone, In Company [haiku]
149. Autumn Pavilion [haiku]
150. The Egg [haikai]
151. Remembrance of Things Past [haiku]
152. Still Waters [linked verse]
153. Autumn Song [haiku]
154. Rice Bin [haikai]
155. Moon Silvered Wheat [haiku]
156. In Search of the Saxons [haikai]
157. Orange Peel [haiku]
158. Runnels & Rivulets [haiku]
159. Bligh's Bounty [haikai]
160. Light & Leaves [haiku]
161. Gallery Goers [senryu]
162. In the Olive Grove [tanka]
163. Bell on the Buoy [haiku]
164. Rosy-Fingered Dawn [haiku]
165. A Stopped Clock [haiku]
166. Me Time [senryu]
167. Candyfloss Clouds [haiku]
168. Three Copper Pennies [senryu]
169. Pine Cones from Kew [haiku]
170. The Rose Bush [tanka]
171. The Wren [haiku]
172. Eating Toast with Tori [tanka]
173. Beneath Shimmering Waters [haiku]
174. Gnomon [haiku]
175. Orange & Blue [haiku]
176. Cherry Reds [haibun]
177. Lunar Line [haiku]
178. Scent of a Rose [haiku]
179. Rose Head [senryu]
180. Memento Mori [haiku]
181. Shattered Celadon [haiku]
182. Pulp Fictions [tanka]
183. Day Moon [haibun]
184. Penny Arcade Lights [haiku]
185. Bamboo Rule [haiku]
186. Small Boats [haiku / linked verse]
187. Temple Bell [haibun]
188. The Old Shed [haiku]
189. Blue Period [senryu]
190. Afterlife in Amber [senryu]
191. India Ink [haiku]
192. Sea & Sky [haiku]
193. Last Sunset [haiku]
194. Cicadas! [haiku]
195. Happy Halloween [senryu]
196. Early Morning [haiku]
197. White Cottage [tanka]
198. Village Fete [senryu]
199. Petal Heads [haiku]
200. Bright Sparkles [haiku / senryu]
201. Saturn's Rings [haiku]
202. New Morning [haiku]
203. In Her Clutch [senryu]
204. Remembrance Sunday [haiku]
205. Busy Bee [haiku]
206. Poppy Petals [haiku]
207. Duckweed [haiku]
208. Hanami [haiku]
209. Global Hypercolor [senryu]
210. Silent Focus [haiku]
211. Last Autumn [haiku / linked verse]
212. Together [haiku / tanka / linked verse]
213. Chatter of Pebbles [haiku / linked verse]
214. Dried Cherry Stones [haibun]
215. Waking Up [haiku]
216. Palace Pond [senryu]
217. Old Maps [haiku]
218. A Blur [haiku]
219. The Sandbar [haiku / linked verse]
220. Driftwood [haiku]
221. Autumn Leaves [haiku / renku]
222. The Pheasant [senryu]
223. Our Boomerang [haiku / senryu]
224. The ISS [haiku]
225. Murmuration [haiku]
226. Cormorant [senryu]
227. Summer Solstice [haiku & senryu]
228. Cri de Coeur [haiku]
229. Sultry Summer [haiku]
230. Serengeti Picnic [senryu]
231. Scribing the Sky [haiku]
232. New Moon [haiku / linked verse]
233. An Empty Ruin [haiku]
234. Old Oaks [haiku]
235. Amber Moon [haiku]
236. Bus Shelter [haiku]
237. Pine Shade [haiku]
238. Marking Time [haiku]
239. Sunflower Seeds [haiku]
240. Snow Overnight [haiku]
241. Toffee Apples [haiku]
242. Beachcombing [haiku]
243. Bamboo Steamers [haiku]
244. Yellow Paper Moon [haiku]
245. Dandelions [haiku]
246. Forget-Me-Nots [haiku]
247. Change in the Wind [haiku]
248. Tom Bawcock's Eve [haiku]
249. Moonbathing [senryu]
250. Sea Shell [summer]
251. Drifting Between [haiku]
252. High Notes [haiku]
253. Something To Do [tanka]
254. Unmoved [haiku]
255. Grumbles of Thunder [haiku]
256. Weeping Willow [haiku]
257. Half Moon [haiku]
258. New Year [haiku]
259. Following Clouds [haiku]
260. Rotemburo [haiku]
261. Paths Untaken [haiku]
262. London Underground [haiku]
263. A Walk in the Woods [haiku]
264. Winter Midnight [haiku]
265. Freshly Turned [haiku]
266. Far End of the Field [haiku]
267. Cutting the Mist [haiku]
268. Careful Paws [haiku]
269. Mutiny! [haiku]
270. Pot Plants [haiku / senryu]
271. Watching a Warbler [tanka]
272. Petrified [haiku]
273. Wandering Anywhere [haiku]
274. Making A Day Of It [linked verse]
275. Savouring Samsara [haiku / senryu]
276. Evening Light [haiku]
277. Haiku Moment [senryu]
278. Empty Mansion [senryu]
279. More Tired [haiku / senryu]
280. First Date [cherita / haibun]
281. Primping the Pooch [senryu]
282. Handy Pine [haiku / senryu]
283. Time's River [haiku]
284. Harvest Fiesta [haiku]
285. Coming of Age [gembun / linked verse]
286. Long Fronds [haiku]
287. Fallen Log [haiku]
288. Turkish Tea [haiku]
289. Rio, Dalston [haiku]
290. Clissold Park [haiku]
291. Walthamstow Marshes [haikai]
292. Full English [senryu]
293. Moonless Tide [haiku]
294. Terminates Here [linked verse]
295. After Midnight [haiku]
296. Before Sunrise, 1995 [gembun]
297. Question Unanswered [tanka]
298. Homeward, Harrow [gembun]
299. Kitchen Window [haiku]
300. In Clover [haiku]
301. Autumn Smiles [haiku]
302. Wild Flowers [haiku]
303. Standing Stone [haiku]
304. Her High Heels [senryu]
305. Happy Hour Again [senryu]
306. Autumn Sour [haiku]
307. Water Drops [haiku]
308. A Lost Glove [haiku]
309. Wild Rose [haiku]
310. Like A Lemon [haiku]
311. Shared Landscapes [gembun]
312. Mist at Miyajima [haiku]
313. Botallack Mine [haiku]
314. After Rain [haiku]
315. Silver Flashes [haiku]
316. Spiral Galaxies [haiku]
317. So Far [haiku]
318. Long Shadows [haiku]
319. Soka Matsubara [haiku / linked verse]
320. Iridescence [haiku]
321. Persimmons [haiku]
322. False Futures [haiku / senryu]
323. Sheltering from the Sun [haiku]
324. Reading the Future [senryu]
325. Picture Spot [haiku / senryu]
326. Book Browsing [haiku]
327. Westminster Chimes [haiku]
328. Ordnance Survey [linked verse]
329. All These Worlds [haiku / senryu]
330. Constructing the Quays [haiku]
331. Paint Pots [haiku]
332. Soba and Tatami [haiku]
333. Standing on Ceremony [haiku / senryu]
334. Free Rain [senryu]
335. Night Cycle [senryu]
336. Saint Cuthbert [gembun]
337. Concentric Circles [haiku]
338. Warmth of the Pine [haiku]
339. Earth and Sky [haiku]
340. The Copse [haiku]
341. London Lights [haiku]
342. Osaka Castle [gembun]
343. Tea or Coffee? [haiku]
344. Cushioned in Dream [haiku]
345. Toy Boats [haiku]
346. Harold Lloyd in Japan [haiku]
347. First Sign of Spring [haiku]
348. Go! Nana! Go! [senryu]
349. Comet Hale-Bopp, 1997 [haiku]
350. Umbrellas Emerging [haiku]
351. Sun-Dappled Stones [essay]
352. Mountain Temple [haiku]
353. First Frost [haiku]
354. Last Lights [haiku / linked verse]
355. Red Planet Rescue [haiku / linked verse]
356. Hospital Horrorfest [haiku / senryu / linked verse]
357. Starry Night [haiku]
358. Amber [haiku / haibun]
359. Skywards [haiku]
360. Jet Trails [haikai]
361. Inner Sanctum [haiku]
362. River Twilight [haiku]
363. Feathered Flotilla [haiku]
364. Living Room [haiku]
365. Red Summer Sun [haiku]
366. Rhyming Haiku? [gembun / senryu]
367. Fresh Tea [haiku]
368. My Last Coin [haiku / senryu]
369. Cannon Beach [haiku]
370. Winter Moon [haiku]
371. Crushed Lavender [haiku]
372. Summer Rain [haiku]
373. Goldfinches [haiku]
374. Open Curtains [haiku / in german]
375. Rainbow Puddled [haiku]
376. Silver Strand [haiku]
377. Carbon Copy [haiku]
378. Kurashiki's Canal [haiku]
379. Broken Shoji [haiku]
380. Cutting the Clouds [haiku]
381. The Hush [haiku]
382. Nightingale [haiku / linked verse]
383. Summer Haze [haiku]
384. Robinson Crusoe [haiku]
385. Evening Air [haiku]
386. Above the Rooftops [haiku]
387. Salt & Iron [haiku]
388. Rainless Night [haiku]
389. English Riviera [haiku]
390. Mountain Rain [haiku]
391. Cool Spoons [haiku / tanka / linked verse]
392. Out of this World [haiku]
393. Empty Road [haiku]
394. Her Mirror [haiku]
395. Sound of Leaves [haiku]
396. Ripples [haiku]
397. Dust Bathing [haiku]
398. Whorl [haiku]
399. Sound of Cicadas [haiku]
400. Last Lamp [haiku]
