Tag: Luca’s Lily Pad

Pubblicato il

The Solitude of Night

Commenting on a haiku by Hassane Zemmouri, published on Luca’s Lily Pad #48 on December 23, 2019.

moon
no one to discuss with

A two-line ku with 7 syllables only that is capable of evoking –thanks to its brevity– an indefinite series of suggestions in the reader’s mind.

The ‘rough’ and solitary atmosphere clearly refers to the aesthetics of kōko 考古 and wabi 侘. The fact that the poet is alone, however, doesn’t have to be read in a negative way; it is rather an opportunity to look at himself and to enter into a sincere dialogue with his deepest fears, desires and aspirations.

In Japan, the term ‘moon’ (tsuki 月) –unless otherwise specified– is usually referred to autumn (aki 秋), which in literature means ‘change’ and ‘maturity’. Leggi tutto “The Solitude of Night”

Pubblicato il

A Timeless Burden

Commenting on a haiku by Réka Nyitrai, published on Luca’s Lily Pad #16 (myhaikupond.com) on March 4, 2019.

they too
are gaining weight…
ice covered trees

This haiku by Réka Nyitrai is a valuable and highly evocative piece of work set in a winter environment (fuyu 冬) that appears to be desolate (kareta 枯れた) and melancholic (according to the aesthetics of wabi-sabi 侘寂), revealing instead an strong connection between the author and the surrounding nature.

In fact, while the ‘icy trees’ in line 2 –deprived of their foliage– do not really change their real weight, the poet seems to feel an intimate burden that keeps growing and reverberating its effects outside her physical sphere. This is made particularly clear by the presence of the ‘too’ adverb (mo も) in the first line, which serves as a pivoting word in the overall economy of the poem. Leggi tutto “A Timeless Burden”