The sun set behind
a traveling monk
tall in the withered field
Initially a prose writer, Masaoka Shiki is considered by many the first poet of modern haiku. He advocated realistic observation by “sketching” (shasei) poems and going out into nature with notebooks, thus abandoning the traditional subjects of haiku of the time. Shiki died of tuberculosis in 1902, at the age of 34.
Haiku by Masaoka Shiki
Picture by jötâkå
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: 11th March 2020