Tuesday, June 9, 2009

On a roll?

Dear readers,

I am humbled by your support. On your advice, Paige (see my followed blogs), I will undertake to challenge you with a poem type per week, should you choose to accept it. Feel free to read and not take up the gauntlet as well. Hopefully those sessions will prove enlightening for all involved. I will not pick a "winner," we are writing purely for enjoyment here.

I am struggling to move past a small roadblock encountered at the end of my MA program. I received the lowest grade of the entire program on my thesis, which I feel is unfair since I did not receive any feedback from my advisor between the penultimate and final drafts. However, it will not prevent me from graduating or even lower my GPA significantly; it's just the principle of the thing. I put an email to him tonight, we shall see if he actually answers it this time. Sigh...

Anyway, on to my first Poetry Challenge!
HAIKU
Really, what else would I start with?
Haiku had its origins in Japan. It is traditionally a three-line, seventeen-syllable poem, able to be recited in one breath. It generally depicts images from nature, and because of its brevity, it emphasizes simplicity and intensity. Haiku was traditionally written in the present tense and valued the associations between images. 
Ezra Pound was famously inspired by the haiku form, writing his poem "In a Station of the Metro" in nearly-haiku form:
The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough. 
You can see many example-haiku here and here

Here is an attempt from me.

Thunder rolling, wind
sweeps through tree branches outside.
Summer crackles, live.

What've you got? I want to read it!

Haiku News

13 years later,
Unabomber fights auction.
Victims deserve cash.

Adam Lambert's gay.
In other news, the sky is 
blue, and we breathe air.

Awesome, that show makes me laugh
more than "Simpsons" does.

Fallon tries to stage
"Saved By the Bell" reunion;
Screech the holdout--why???



11 comments:

Mimi said...

I am sure you didn't receive the lowest grade of anyone in the program! As always, you are harder on yourself than anyone else would be. Perfectionist, thy name is Minerva! Congratulations on a job very well done.

paige said...

Bright red strawberries
Sweet juice drips down dolly's face
warm baby giggles

Minerva said...

Beautiful, Paige! Who says you're not a poet? Certainly not I! :)

Alicia said...

Vibrant purple rose
Sway so freely in the wind
Sweet smell surrounding

Minerva said...

Alicia--I love purple roses. Nice use of imagery. :)

Anonymous said...

Von Brunn will not die,
But will face hate crime charges.
Why such a black heart?

Minerva said...

An excellent topical Haiku. I almost did my own version of that story yesterday; well done!

Stephanie said...

I stare at the screen
although I should be cleaning
housework is no fun.

Little Bees Mommy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Little Bees Mommy said...

Pipe dreams vs. Goals

Sights on grass greener...
Insatiable idealist?
Wanting what I've not.

-valerie

Minerva said...

Valerie--I have often found poetry to be a good starting point in thinking about big decisions. I hope it helps you too!