Daily Archives: June 23, 2010

IT WAS THE THIRD OF JUNE…

Posted on June 23, 2010 by

Today I am going to combine some things I have talked about lately: First is the “Question” hokku, the whole point of which is to ask a question — or raise a question — that remains unanswered. Shiki wrote a … Continue reading →

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BEYOND THE HILLS: MORE PRACTICE IN CHINESE-STYLE VERSE

Posted on June 23, 2010 by

Here is some more on writing five-word Chinese-style quatrains.  For this exercise I have chosen a verse by Li Pin, called “Crossing the Han River.”  I have adjusted the five words of each line to fit English better, but the … Continue reading →

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ONE BIG, LAZY CAT IS ALL OF SUMMER

Posted on June 23, 2010 by

Issa wrote this summer hokku: The big cat – Flopped down on the fan Asleep. It is rather typical Issa, with his connection to animals and his kind of humor. The point of the verse is that it is summer, … Continue reading →

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POEMS SPOKEN, POEMS SUNG

Posted on June 23, 2010 by

We should not forget that both in the West and in parts of the East (as in China), poetry was originally sung — so when we think of song lyrics, we are really thinking about poetry. I have already said … Continue reading →

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