Haiku, Senryu, and Zappai
the challenge of classifying Japanese-inspired micro poetry
Jose Rizal M. Reyes ☆ world’s lone sonnet grandmaster ☆ May 21, 2017
The verses you will read below — or the ideas contained therein — are fast becoming outdated by the time I publish this article although only a few days elapsed since they were composed. My meditations about micropoetry have advanced tremendously during the last few days that many ideas in the verses here, although new or advanced by the standard of the outside world, have become old and stale to me. So let me begin to present these verses to you before they get older and colder.
Haiku is haiku.
Senryu and doggerel.
The damned scornful view.
This is the view of the Haiku Society of America per their published definitions of terms about 12 years ago. Under this elitist perspective, haiku is placed on a pedestal, senryu serves as a sort of maid-in-waiting, while all the rest (including zappai) are condemned as doggerel without artistic merit. In the word of HSA itself:
Many so-called “haiku” in English are really senryû. Others, such as “Spam-ku” and “headline haiku”, seem like recent additions to an old Japanese category, zappai, miscellaneous amusements in doggerel verse (usually written in 5–7–5) with little or no literary value. Some call the products of these recent fads “pseudohaiku” to make clear that they are not haiku at all.
So far, I haven’t got any news that HSA has already changed its perspective and position on this matter.
Haiku, senryu.
All others are doggerel.
The less scornful view.
Over the years, senryu has earned recognition and respectability as a genre of its own.
Haiku and zappai.
Senryu is zappai type.
Alternative view.
Some experts in Japanese poetry, both Japanese and Westerners alike, regard both haiku and zappai as legitimate poetic forms that can trace their ancestry to haikai no renga, a type of linked verses collaboratively composed in Japan in olden days. Haiku originated from haikai’s opening verse called hokku while zappai originated from haikai’s succeeding verses. The said experts regard senryu as a variety of zappai.
They are all haiku
be branded or generic.
An inclusive view.
During my second expedition into Japanese poetry, which I began just recently and is still ongoing, I put forward my view that the word “haiku” has developed at least two meanings in the English language per common usage, namely:
(1) Branded haiku — By this, we mean a kind of haiku that tries to follow the Japanese rules as much as possible. And
(2) Generic haiku — By this, we mean that by popular usage, the word haiku has evolved to cover all Japan-descended 3-line poems written in 17 syllables or less.
Haiku, senryu.
Everything else is zappai.
The best view in sight.
The foregoing view regards haiku, senryu and zappai as equally legitimate and respectable poetic forms that all descended from the haikai no renga of Japan. When I wrote this verse a few days ago, it was the best view I could think of. Can there be a better view than this? It was a tall challenge to find one, nudging me to foray deep into the history of Japanese poetry. Should I devote a huge chunk of time to dig deeper into this matter in the coming days and months? Mercifully, I concluded that I didn’t have to do that. But I had to decide whether an all-inclusive term should be an old Japanese word … or whether it is best to coin a new all-inclusive term.
Where to, senryu?
A genre in its own right.
A right it has earned.
In their valiant or perhaps desperate attempt to uphold the dignity and legitimacy of zappai, some zappai defenders have tried to capitalize on senryu’s rising reputation by pointing out that senryu may be regarded as a kind of zappai. While there may be truth to this assertion, I believe that senryu should be allowed its independent existence.
Brilliance of zappai.
It should be propagated
for the sake of Art.
This alludes to the robust defense of zappai put together by Richard Gilbert and Shinjuku Rollingstone in an article they jointly wrote titled “The Distinct Brilliance of Zappai: and the Need to Reconsider its HSA Definition”. This article has been mirrored or reproduced in a number of sites indicating a sizable support to the views the two authors espoused.
The zappai concept
provides a fine solution
to haiku disputes.
The zappai concept
legitimizes poets
and labours of love.
The two preceding verses as well as the two succeeding ones are all supportive of the introduction and acceptance of zappai in the English-speaking world. This is because what cannot be regarded as haiku or senryu can be moved over to the broad and inclusive category of zappai, thus upholding the honor of the poets and the artistic legitimacy of their poems.
With zappai in sight,
micro poets can pursue
specialization.
With zappai in sight,
branded haiku can be wrought
in all its glory.
Haiku is haiku
and zappai is zappai too.
That’s how it should be.
Senryu as well
can be crafted merrily
under its own rules.
Once zappai is given broad recognition as a legitimate category for 5-7-5 types of Japanese-descended poetry — that is, in addition to haiku and senryu — then the three categories can be crafted under their own respective sets of rules. The next two verses harp on this same theme.
With zappai in sight,
micro bards need not conform
to haiku principles.
With zappai in sight,
micro poets can compose
with greater freedom.
Then as Lord Paramount of Sonneteering and rightful Lord of All Poesy, I issued an edict ex cathedra:
Those who scorn zappai
are dark foes of Poetry.
I declare it so.
In the next verse, I expressed my view that the introduction of the zappai concept and category is a big boost, a big reinforcement to micropoetry, particularly those of the 5–7–5 kind.
The zappai concept
strengthens micro poetry.
Huge reinforcement.
I will not discuss the meaning of the next verse. There will be other occasions when we could examine the matter at length. Suffice to say that this article focuses only on the 5–7–5 kind of micropoetry.
Not all zappai though
marches to 5–7–5.
Another story.
The next seven verses further discuss the merits of zappai and the future of subtypes under it.
Zappai being broad
may accommodate subtypes
within its compound.
Some zappai subtypes
in Japan or somewhere else
may strike on its own.
Some zappai subtypes
anywhere in the planet
my someday run free.
A zappai subtype
may follow senryu’s path
to independence.
To stand by itself,
a zappai subtype must show
enough distinctness.
To be on its own,
a zappai subtype should have
a large following.
For zappai subtypes:
distinctness and following.
Two lanes to freedom.
It is well known that the 5 and 7 ohn counts are natural rhythms of the Japanese language both inside and outside poetry. What is unusual is the way I spelled the Japanese word “on” in the next verse. I inserted letter “h” so as not to confuse it with the other meanings of “on” in the English language.
In the other verse, I put forward my view that zappai and the subtypes under it can trace their roots not only from haikai renga but also from the general tradition of Japanese poetry and culture. This decisive move, aside from shedding light on Japanese poetry and culture, would diminish the power of haiku honchos to lord it over the happy scribbling activities of micro poets.
5 and 7 ohn
are both natural rhythms
of Japanese tongue.
Zappai’s two roots:
from general tradition
and haikai renga.
Zappai has several regional variants with their own respective traditions, sets of rules, and periodic competitions. Then there are new variants that might appear in English and other languages. Our last verse holds out the possibility that someday some zappai variants — as well as other poetic forms hiding under the huge umbrella of zappai — might garner enough strength and self-identity as to make a dash for freedom.
Zappai has subtypes
that might yearn for liberty.
Holding area.
There. I’m glad I can now publish these verses. There is one more article I must publish — to be titled “Defense Against Haikuness Attack” featuring five verses, much fewer this time — before I can present my latest meditations on Japanese-descended micropoetry, especially with regards to the pesky problem of nomenclature. Hope you can somehow catch what I am saying here and there, thank you.
(The micro poems in this article are given the following code numbers in consecutive order: jrmrB330-B347 written May 17, 2017; jrmrB353-B361 written May 18, 2017 and jrmrB362 written May 19, 2017. This article has been slightly updated on May 22, one day after its publication.)
#Triku #Haiku #Senryu #Zappai
#HaikuHoopla #HaikuBuko #HaikuAvenue #HaikuMania
#Poetry #JapanesePoetry #Literature #MicroPoetry
