Nightfall
boy smashing dandelions
with a stick
Like other “Beat Poets”, Jack Kerouac was attracted to Oriental modes of perception and of poetry: together with Ginsberg and Whalen, he helped “Americanise” the haiku form and introduce it to a wider audience.
“The American Haiku is not exactly the Japanese
Haiku. The Japanese Haiku is strictly disciplined
to seventeen syllables but since the language
structure is different I don’t think American
Haikus (short three-line poems intended to be
completely packed with Void of Whole) should worry
about syllables because American speech is
something again…bursting to pop.
Above all, a Haiku must be very simple and free
of all poetic trickery and make a little picture
and yet be as airy and graceful as a Vivaldi
Pastorella.”
(Kerouac)
Haiku by Jack Kerouac
Picture by Linford Miles
This haiku poem is part of the Naviar haiku music challenge, where artists are invited to make music in response to a weekly assigned haiku poem. Participation is free and there are no limitations in the songs’ length or genre.
You have seven days from the posting of this haiku to submit your track. For information on how to make a submission, visit the Naviar Haiku Music Challenge page.
Submission deadline: 22nd August 2018
a little winter haiku:
‘spuma di neve / nel bagaglio leggero / strana euforia’
make music about!