One Hundred Wandering Haiku

About the Book

In ONE HUNDRED WANDERING HAIKU the poets have explored three traditional Japanese poetic forms, HAIKU, TANKA and RENGA. The first chapter offers basic HAIKU, three lines, (5-7-5 ) in seventeen syllables. In the second chapter the TANKA expands upon the Haiku to thirty-one syllables, 5-7-5-7-7.

A traditional RENGA is a linked verse form, usually beginning with a Haiku and then a response with two lines of seven syllables. In their MONET RENGA, (a variation upon this tradition), a simple HAIKU of 5-7-5 alternates between the two poets. The RIVER RENGA presents the true TANKA form: Hokku (starting verse of 5-7-5 syllables) from the initiator followed by a Haikai response of two lines (7-7 syllables).

With a deep exploration of these Japanese poetic structures, the poets opened up a world of keen observation and expressive language never known to them before. To distinguish each poet’s work two different fonts are used.