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VI. "Surprised by Nature -- Gary Warner
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Of the many haiku that I have enjoyed, I find myself particularly
drawn to haiku with a dramatic conclusion.  Often this is a haiku
which when read has a clear pause just before the final phrase,
which gives the "explanation" needed to make the previous phrases
meaningful:
 
         Too curious flowers
      Watching us pass, met death...
         Our hungry donkey
                             -- Basho
 
 
But another type of drama in haiku is what I like to call
"Surprised by Nature" haiku.  I have selected four haiku which
illustrate this point taken from across the history of haiku.
When people are trying to find a subject for a haiku, I would
encourage you to look for these surprises of nature.
 
From among the oldest haiku, we begin with Matsuo Basho, who is
credited as the first great master of haiku.  Here are two examples
of surprises he found.  The first is taken from a journey he
made through the Yamato province, when he was stopping for
the evening in the town of Tamba-ichi:
 
 
 
Kutabire-te                  I came weary,
  Yado karu koro ya          seeking an inn--when lo!
     Fuji-no-hana            Wistaria flowers
 
 
 
Part of what made Basho such a great poet was his keen observation.
Those of us who struggle to find a subject are perhaps going about
things the wrong way.  Basho merely wrote about the things he
experienced, although he took time to put himself in situations to
experience nature.  Here Basho is taken by surprise by the beautiful
Wisteria, which have the lovely name "flowers of Mt. fuji" in his
original poem.
 
The second was composed at the village of Saga, near Kyoto.
 
 
 
Hototogisu                  A cuckoo has cried
O-takeyabu wo             Lo!  the moon gleams through
Moru tsukiyo                a great grove of bamboos
 
 
Although I do not know the details of its composition, my imagination
suggests that perhaps the cuckoo has awakened the master, and being
so aroused, he looks out his window, and observes the moon shining
through the silhouetted bamboo.  Even if he was out walking when this
happened, do you see the surprise?  He hears the cuckoo, and upon
looking for it, he finds the beauty of the moon beams.
(Both of the above translations are from the incomparable work of
Asataro Miyamori).
 
Takahama Kyoshi can also be observed to use such a technique in the
poem below.  Kyoshi was a favored disciple of Shiki, considered also
one of the four great masters, living from 1874-1959.  He is most
noted for his founding of the magazine Hototogisu, which was founded
under Shiki's tutelage, where he served as editor for many years.
(Translation taken from _The Haiku Handbook_ by William Higginson)
 
 
ame harete               rain cleared --
shibaraku bara no        for a while, the wild rose's
nioi kana                fragrance
 
 
 
There are many opportunities for nature's surprises in change.  When
there is a change in the weather, as illustrated above, or when there
is a change of lighting, as illustrated by James Hackett below, in
this poem taken from _The Way of Haiku_.
 
 
                  The sunset fading
           I turn around toward home. . .
                 a huge, saffron moon!
 
 
What a wondrous treat!  To be sitting, observing the sunset, and
just when you feel that nature has completed its show for your
pleasure, to turn and discover that the second act has just begun!
 
 

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