Jisei contest (haiku)
Poetry Contest
Japan has a long history of jisei, or death poems. Jisei is the "farewell poem to life." These poems were written by literate people just before their death.
Jisei was written in kanshi, waka, and haiku. Not all death poems are haiku. However, they are all in the short poem style (tanka). Kanshi is the Japanese word for Chinese poetry. Waka is a poem written in Japanese (as opposed to a kanshi). Finally a haiku is a poem that relies on two images divided by a kireji, or cutting word. Haiku consist of 17 on, which are different from our English syllables.
Jisei Examples
Like most haiku, jisei seeks to transcend thought and create an "Ah, now I see!" moment. Jisei strives to connect the reader with the poet's mind just as they are poised at the end. Haiku tries to remove our dualistic ways of thinking, the division between beauty and ugliness, life and death, future and present.
For this contest, you are asked to write a Jisei, or death haiku.
It must be written in seventeen syllables, OR LESS.
It must pertain to the topic of death, in any of its many forms.
You MAY USE music, sounds, additional pictures, and animated gifs. Or, you may choose to use no pictures at all.
It need not have a seasonal reference. Death itself is the kigo.
Above all else, have fun with it!
The contest winner will win half of the prize pool of 90.00 member dollars. In this contest at least 2 submissions must be made for the vote to begin.
Deadline: Contest is closed. Deadline was Monday, March 13, 2017.
Full Contest Listing
Jisei was written in kanshi, waka, and haiku. Not all death poems are haiku. However, they are all in the short poem style (tanka). Kanshi is the Japanese word for Chinese poetry. Waka is a poem written in Japanese (as opposed to a kanshi). Finally a haiku is a poem that relies on two images divided by a kireji, or cutting word. Haiku consist of 17 on, which are different from our English syllables.
Jisei Examples
Like most haiku, jisei seeks to transcend thought and create an "Ah, now I see!" moment. Jisei strives to connect the reader with the poet's mind just as they are poised at the end. Haiku tries to remove our dualistic ways of thinking, the division between beauty and ugliness, life and death, future and present.
For this contest, you are asked to write a Jisei, or death haiku.
It must be written in seventeen syllables, OR LESS.
It must pertain to the topic of death, in any of its many forms.
You MAY USE music, sounds, additional pictures, and animated gifs. Or, you may choose to use no pictures at all.
It need not have a seasonal reference. Death itself is the kigo.
Above all else, have fun with it!
The contest winner will win half of the prize pool of 90.00 member dollars. In this contest at least 2 submissions must be made for the vote to begin.
Deadline: Contest is closed. Deadline was Monday, March 13, 2017.
