Diction & HaikuWriting Workshop #3
The Sun by Mary OliverO Have you ever seen
anything in your life more wonderful
than the way the sun, every evening, relaxed and easy, floats toward the horizon
and into the clouds or the hills, or the rumpled sea, and is gone-- and how it slides again
out of the blackness, every morning, on the other side of the world, like a red flower
streaming upward on its heavenly oils, say, on a morning in early summer,
at its perfect imperial distance-- and have you ever felt for anything such wild love-- do you think there is anywhere, in any language, a word billowing enough for the pleasure
that fills you, as the sun reaches out, as it warms you
as you stand there, empty-handed-- or have you too turned from this world--
or have you too gone crazy for power, for things?
Poetry ReponseO Did you like or dislike the poem?
Why?
O What part(s) stood out to you?
O What does this poem mean to you?
Word PoolO Diction: Word ChoiceO Haiku: an unrhymed poem of
Japanese originO Syllable: a unit of spoken language
O (The word syll-a-ble has 3. How many does your name have?)
O Insight: the power or act of seeing into a situation
Writing Warm UpO Zen Meditation O Image CardsO Stream of Consciousness free write
Contemporary HaikuO Use of three (or fewer) lines of 17 or
fewer syllables. Maybe 5-7-5, maybe not.O Use of imagery (like a season word)O Contrast and compare two events, images
or situationsO Traditional Japanese haiku focuses on
nature and the place of humans in it. Modern haiku poets, both in Japan and the West, consider a broader range of subject matter suitable, including urban contexts.
Seasonal ImageryO Winter = burden, cold, sadness, hunger,
tranquility or peace. Use words like "snow," "ice," "dead tree," "leafless," etc.
O Summer = feelings of warmth, vibrancy, love, anger, temptation, etc. Use imagery of the sky, beaches, heat, or romance.
O Autumn = decay, belief in the supernatural, jealousy, saying goodbye, loss, regret. Use images like falling leaves, shadows and autumn colors.
O Spring =innocence, youth, passion and fickleness. Anything with blossoms, new plants and warm rains can imply spring.
ExamplesO spring fever
the blue sky tugsat my kite
by Beverly A. Tift
O snorkelinga chasm as deepas fear
by George Swede
ExamplesO It’s cold—and I waitO For someone to shelter meO And take me from here.-Anonymous
Nature WalkO Guidelines for Walking Meditation
O Walk alone and in silence.O We will wander and wonder for 15
minutes.O Bring your notebook and pen with
you!O Write down words or phrases that
could be used in your haiku.O When you hear the chime, walk to Ms.
Fajkus so we can go back inside.
HomeworkO Write and illustrate one (1) haiku. O Take your time; choose your words
carefully. O Write or type it neatly on a half-sheet
of blank white paper. O Turn it in at the beginning of the next
workshop.O The best ones will go up on the wall
for all to see.