then why not call it prose?

by kkizer

Posted to Haiku Board on 2003-07-06 15:41:00

Parent message is 480219
well, there has to be some unifying form otherwise it’s prose. what separates a novel from a short story? a poem from prose? the form. the FORM of haiku is three lines.

and as far as “purists” go, “purists” will tell you that all haiku require an identification of the season, be written about nature ONLY, and include a “cutting word” that stops the reader and focuses their attention on the next line.

if one were to study haiku–from ancient times to the present–one would discover that no haiku master has EVER adhered to a 5-7-5 style. even the ancient chinese poets made a point to dispel this idea, and that was over 800 years ago! none of them wrote in 5-7-5!

i would argue that those who still write in 5-7-5 are limiting themselves and their work.