Description

This book is devoted to the exploration of the Japanese poetic form ‘Haiku’ as it is practised using the English language. I see Haiku poems as the exploration of a moment in time, rather like a photograph; hence the use of the word ‘snapshot’ in the title of the book. For each of the themes explored within the book I offer three Haiku variations of the subject all of which are relevant and true to the emotion felt whilst observing the subject at that time. Each ‘Haiku’ about the subject can be seen as a series of photographs, taken in sequence, immediately, one after the other. The illustrations, all in colour, are simple but full of meaning as is Haiku with its form of using syllables in the 3 line formation of 5, 7, 5 syllables but by the same token traversing complex ideas and emotions. The illustrations show the subject with little distraction for the reader although one or two are amusing. Haiku, whilst short poems, are succinct and to the point and have much human emotion contained within them when dealing with the natural world as you shall see. Most of the subjects in the book I have encountered personally but for others, of which I have no experience, I have lived vicariously through YouTube.