Judith J. Katz
In this curriculum unit it is my objective to utilize several variations of the Japanese poetic form Haiku as a means of accomplishing three goals.
First I want to give my students a common vocabulary for discussing what does and does not work in Haiku. I will refer to this as the elements of a common vocabulary. There are many forms of Haiku, the standard Modern English form, the one line Haiku, and others. We will use the vocabulary introduced in this section as we read many forms of published Haiku, Haiku by prior writing students and Haiku produced by the class.
In addition to the ideas of container, content and concept I intend to introduce, define in detail, and use as a means of consistent discussion with my students, ten other critical ideas I will present here briefly and in more detail later in the paper.
Haiku is a form of poetry that, among other things, develops the students' observation skills. The classic forms of Haiku usually observe a moment in nature. As we will see later, modern English Haiku expands on the variety of moments that can be observed and written about. The key concept is observation.
One of my students' objectives in Haiku will be to describe the moment observed in simple, common language. Because Haiku is usually very short it is often written in a direct and descriptive manner.
There is no room in Haiku for extra words that do not serve a specific purpose. The Japanese word Hosimi means slenderness. The Haiku form is slender. Another of my students' objectives will be to write in a slender way.
My students' will also be working to paint a picture, with words, of the moment they observe: the here and now of their observation. I want them to use detail and their five senses to paint the picture so clearly for me that I am taken to the moment they observed, the Haiku moment.
They will most likely have their greatest success taking me to the Haiku moment if they rely on writing observations rather than statements, and write in the present tense.
In total this curriculum will focus on 13 concepts basic to writing a good Haiku: container, content, concept, observation, hosimi, painting a picture, detail, five senses, the Haiku moment, observation vs. statement and the present tense.
Later I will also discuss my intention to put into practice in my classroom the integrated use of task, process and repetition to create a progressive learning environment in which key concepts and skills build a sense of control over the material and a feeling of accomplishment in the student writer.
My objective is to model the use of these words and ideas whenever I talk to my students about Haiku. By showing my students how I use these ideas to judge, edit, sculpt, and criticize constructively the Haiku we will read and write together (I will write also) I hope to teach them to do the same.
I believe that once these words and ideas are part of the individual and collective consciousness of my class they will serve as the bedrock of constructive criticism for any poetic form we work with at a later date.
I also believe, for instance, that had my class possessed the elements of a common vocabulary at the beginning of working with poetic form, one of my students would not have said of another's work, "This poem is garbage." Perhaps instead he might have said, this poem does not paint a picture for me, it doesn't take me to the Haiku moment. It's clear to me which of these two statements would be most useful to a student writer.
