The Art of Haiku: First Steps
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Haiku (the word for both singular and plural) has become popular because it
communicates deep feeling in subtle ways. I also think haiku poetry is popular
because, to quote poet Roberta Beary in Haiku: The Art of the Short Poem, “everybody
is capable of writing haiku.”
Most children are taught in school that haiku is a poem about nature consisting of three
lines with a 5-7-5 syllable count. Although some traditional poets continue to write in
this form, many no longer count syllables or confine themselves to three lines. Haiku
should still be brief, but other aspects are more important, as below:
Contra Costa Marketplace Magazine is excited to introduce
a new column, written by Robert Epstein, featuring English-language
haiku. Haiku is a brief form of poetry that originated in Japan in the
1600s, but has since become popular throughout the world, especially
in America.
We are hosting a haiku contest to be judged by Robert.
The winning poems will be announced in the June issue,
and winners will be awarded gift certificates to local
restaurants. There are no contest entry fees, but please read
the submission guidelines below:
• Adults over the age of 18 who are residents of the
San Francisco Bay Area are eligible to submit two
(2) unpublished haiku per contest.
• Submissions should include in the body of an
email (no attachments) your two poems; your
name and full mailing address. Please put Haiku
Contest in the subjectline.
• All decisions are final.
• The deadline for the first haiku contest is: 5/1/20.
• Send your email submission to:
marketplacehaiku@gmail.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Epstein has been writing and editing haiku for
nearly 30 years. He is a member of Haiku Poets of Northern
California as well as the Haiku Society of America. His most
recent book of haiku is Turning the Page to Old: Haiku &
Senryu.
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