Reviews from

On Enjoying Haiku

A Story/Lecture

43 total reviews 
Comment from R. K. Alan
Excellent
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Thank you, Alvin, for the delightful read about Japanese Haiku and the Japanese culture. They are very different from the Koreans and Chinese I have worked with. Of the three, though, the Japanese are the most professional and polite. Ray aka R. K. Alan

 Comment Written 10-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 19-Sep-2012
    Yes, I have found that to be true, too. Thanks for a good review.
Comment from mountainwriter49
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Well Teach,

This essay on haiku is perfect! I'm so glad you wrote it and I found it most instructive and helpful, not only to remember what you taught your first class, but also a great tool for me to continue learning in the haiku class.

I enjoyed your sense of humour and the tongue-in-cheek comment found throughout the essay.

Well done, TEACH-san.
-ray

 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 19-Sep-2012
    Thanks for the exceptional review, Ray. I hope to see you in the Imperial Court Tanka next month. I am looking forward to it.
Comment from teacherdub
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Alvin, this is so deep it causes pause. I know the depth of poetry reaches far and wide but I still struggle to grasp the depth of the haiku. Your humoristic approach explains the haiku well, deliberates on the purpose of it, and shows that it truly is difficult to write one well. Have a great day. td

 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 19-Sep-2012
    Thanks. Are you going to take the introductory course in haiku, senryu, and tanka callled "Shorter Poetic Forms" in October? Thanks for a great review.
Comment from c_lucas
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i enjoyed your subtle by play in this write. I found your post to be very informative and plan to practice by breathing before my next haiku

 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 19-Sep-2012
    Thanks. Are you going to take the introductory course in haiku, senryu, and tanka callled "Shorter Poetic Forms" in October? Thanks for a great review.
reply by c_lucas on 19-Sep-2012
    You're welcome, Alvin. I am facing surgeries. Do not have money for classes. Charlie
Comment from Gert sherwood
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Hello Alvin,
so you have told us how to breath when we are reciting a haiku
Good lesson , and I'sure you know Knoch.
I read his book how to teach children to write poetry, and he as an excellent section of how to write haiku
Thank you for sharing
Please take care.

Sincerely
Gert

 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 19-Sep-2012
    Thanks for a great review.
reply by Gert sherwood on 19-Sep-2012
    You are welcome Alvin
    Gert
Comment from Shirley B
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Dear Alvin, Thank you for sharing this essay with all of us. I think I try to write haiku with a 'feeling' also, instead of 'sight'. I should have been writing last night. I went through a tornado. The sirens were blaring. The hail was from a quarter to golf ball size. The winds were 95 mph. It was very scary, but very enchanting and mysterious too. I also hated it because I lost power for 17 hours. I bet I could write haiku with that subject matter. Thank you for sharing, Shirley

 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 19-Sep-2012
    Thanks for a great review. Any more thoughts on courses on tanka or haiku?
Comment from EXMAN. nffc
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junior high school English teacher
you are assuming most of us are American. We are not. How old are you at junior high?

Remember your seventh grade English teacher?
No.Are you perhaps refering to Forme 4?

Hi Alvin,
Well it was interesting and entertaining and perhaps I may have even learnt something about Haiku. I sure hope there wasn't a Bruce in any of your classes. I'd be interested to know how we translate the breathing to the 5-7-5 format we use in english.
Cheers mate
Laurence

 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 09-Apr-2011
    No, I don't assume most of us are Americans! It's only in America that this extremely long 5/7/5 English syllabic haiku developed, I think. Junior high is one's schooling right before gymnasium. Aussies have told me they use the term "high school"; I don't know about "junior high" nor New Zealand. Thanks for a great review.
reply by EXMAN. nffc on 10-Apr-2011
    Junior high is one's schooling right before gymnasium.
    That doesn't help. How about an age and we'll go from there. I do enjoy our discussions Alvin.
reply by the author on 10-Apr-2011
    Oh, I don't know! I was always ahead in school. I went to college when I was 17. I think's it's around 12/13 for most people. Pre-gymnasium would be how it would be referred to in Copenhagen, where I lived briefly.
reply by EXMAN. nffc on 10-Apr-2011
    We go to college at 13 here. You must be refering to University. But I get you now.
    This does raise an interesting side issue I've not considered before. NZ being a small country, we are wel aware of English, American, Australian and to a lesser degree Japanese culture. Far more so then those cultures are aware of ours.
    Did you know we are hosting the World Cup this year?
Comment from juliaSjames
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I love the way you wrote this, easy, light-hearted and imparting knowledge at the same time. Intriguing to take another step on the haiku journey. What I've taken away from this exercise is the breathing tip. Very useful for life, as well as for poetry.

I'm breaking all kinds of rules while writing a book of haikus on sacred sites, Alvin. But it's sooooo fun!

 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 09-Apr-2011
    Thanks. I wrote this for my Shorter Poetic Forms class. They're learning the rules before they break them! Smile. Thanks for a great review.
reply by juliaSjames on 09-Apr-2011

    :-))
Comment from StevenJosephBruening
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Alvin:

I found this very informative, and was quite amused by the clever presentation. Injecting a bit of humor and making it a psuedo-story, was absolute genius. Always an honor to read your works.

~ Steven

 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 09-Apr-2011
    Thanks for an exceptional review and that pretty gold plus sign. It's great to have you back. I wrote you a PM.
Comment from Judian James
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Very humorous AND educational Al!! I loved:
"bodacious brat
steals girl
empty room"

"Oh, that is so good, Alvin-san. You breath in on bodacious brat, out on steals girl and in on empty room. By the way, what does bodacious mean and how can someone steal a human being?" Hiromi asks naively." excellent (of course)


 Comment Written 09-Apr-2011


reply by the author on 09-Apr-2011
    Thanks for a great review!