Introduction
Thank you, Luanne, for hosting me on Day #7 of my blog tour for Simple Pleasures: Haiku from the Place Just Right! For this tour stop, I’m going to say a few words about my philosophy of haiku to give readers a sense of what to expect from Simple Pleasures.
I think it’s important for me as a writer of poetry and fiction to understand the literary context in which I’m writing–both the current context of what writers in a particular genre are creating and the literary tradition which brought the genre to this point.
When I first became interested in haiku as syllabic poetry, I was surprised to learn that haiku in English is a very slippery beast to pin down. There are purists who adhere to the 5-7-5 syllable count, the season word (kigo) and the pause that cuts the haiku into two parts (kireji). The Haiku Society of America, on the other hand, espouses the spirit of the Japanese form without trying to replicate the Japanese language-based form in English. (https://www.hsa-haiku.org/hsa-definitions.html)
Then there’s this guy, Vermont poet Geof Hewitt, who decides to make his own rules. (Geof is a performance poet whom I met when he visited my tenth-grade English class in 1971. Then, in the early 2,000s, I took a performance poetry workshop with him, which was great fun. I even got a new poem out of it!)
https://vimeo.com/991080595/fe5211dfc3
Excerpted from: https://www.vermonthumanities.org/words-in-woods-hewitt/
So where does this leave me? I think I’m safe in saying that I follow the Haiku Society of America’s definition of haiku: “A haiku is a short poem that uses imagistic language to convey the essence of an experience of nature or the season intuitively linked to the human condition.”
I adhere to the 5-7-5 syllabic structure because it serves me well as the means by which I discover and express that essence. Any exception I may make to the syllable count is minor, when the poem just doesn’t scan right. Most of my haiku include a kigo, although my interpretation of season may extend to seasons of life.
The simple pleasures of our favorite places in nature are gifts of the spirit to be shared with others. In this collection of 53 haiku, each paired with a photograph, poet Liz Gauffreau invites readers to come with her to some of her favorite places in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Some places are long-time favorites going back years; others have become favorites by virtue of inspiring poetry.
Author Biography
Elizabeth Gauffreau writes fiction and poetry with a strong connection to family and place. Her work has been widely published in literary magazines, as well as several themed anthologies. Her short story “Henrietta’s Saving Grace” was awarded the 2022 Ben Nyberg prize for fiction by Choeofpleirn Press.
She has published a novel, Telling Sonny, and a collection of photopoetry, Grief Songs: Poems of Love & Remembrance. She is currently working on a novel, The Weight of Snow and Regret, based on the closing of the last poor farm in Vermont in 1968.
Liz’s professional background is in nontraditional higher education, including academic advising, classroom and online teaching, curriculum development, and program administration. She received the Granite State College Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2018. Liz lives in Nottingham, New Hampshire with her husband. Find her online at https://lizgauffreau.com.
Book2Read Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/SimplePleasures
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BookFunnel PDF Purchase Link: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/gef1ili6qd
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Blog Tour Host Links: https://lizgauffreau.com/simple-pleasures-blog-tour-links/
Landing here lightly
Sharing your wordsmithery
Serendipity 🙂
Thank you Elizabeth and Luane!
You’re welcome, Kate!
Thanks, Kate! Love your comment!
Good morning, Luanne! Thank you very much for hosting me today.
I’m thrilled!!!! to host the one and only LIz Gauffreau!
Oh, goodness, you’re making me blush!
Hehe. So deserved.
Liz, I love your interpretation of the haiku. I like the short, long, short syllable structure and believe the kigo is what sets the form apart from other forms of micro poetry. The kireji is something I like to use, but it’s not always necessary, especially when you use a kigo word. Yet, when sharing how to write haiku with others, I like to include the “purist” rules because it gives the poet a platform from which to grow their own style… just like you! 💖 Thanks so much to Luanne for hosting.
Thanks, Colleen, love your comment!!!!
LOL! Thanks, Luanne. 💖
Thank you, Colleen! Very well-said.
Haiku is slippery indeed. Another interesting stop on your tour, Liz!
Thanks for stopping by, Merril!
You’re welcome!
Thank you for stopping by, Merril! I’ve also been experimenting with other formal poetry, prompted by what you’ve posted on your site, including the golden shovevl and the puente.
You’re welcome, Liz. I do like golden shovels, but I don’t write much form poetry. There will be a new one coming up later this month though.
I look forward to it!
Very happy to see Liz being hosted by shuch lovely bloggers. Shared both posts on Twitter, Luanne. Shared both posts on Twitter.
Best wishes, Pete.
Apologies for the duplication, my ‘delete’ failed!
Thank you so much Pete!!!!
Thank you for sharing, Pete!
Wonderful to see Liz featured on your site, Luanne. Thank you for showcasing her beautiful collection.
Hi Gwen, thank you so much for stopping to see “us”!!!
Thank you, Gwen!
I particularly enjoyed Geof’s first rendering of the Haiku, which amused me. I’ve never been able to master the form, but must try harder to do so.
I find haiku to be quite difficult. The smaller the form, the harder it is for me.
I’m so glad you got a kick out of Geof’s haiku lesson. He’s quite a character!
Thanks for sharing, Liz’s wonderful new book, Luanne. All amazing and this is no exception!💓
I so agree. Liz is such a talented writer, in so many genres.
Indeed and you were great to share it, Luanne! 🩷
Aw thanks, Cindy!
Thank you very much, Cindy!
You’re most welcome, Liz!
🩷
Liz, thank you for the interesting and informative thoughts on the haiku form featured on this blog of another talented poet (Luanne). 🙂
Thank you, Dave. I loved featuring Liz on here!
My pleasure, Dave! Thank you for stopping by.
Is great to see Liz with you today Luanne. Looking at the classic description of Haiku I do subscribe tp the 5-7-5 and the two part structure. I just don’t stick to the nature part and so mine are called JohnKu’s. 😊 Thanks Luanne and Liz.
I knew that you call them JohnKu, but I still find it hilarious! I supposed you can write sonnets, too, but you do it your way and call them Johnnets ;).
Ha ha ha, good one, Luanne. I do believe Luanne has thrown down the gauntlet, John, and is challenging you to a Johnnet.
I like the idea of a Johnnet. Might give that a try.
My pleasure, John! Adjusting a particular poetry form to align more closely to what you want to express is a good thing!
😊
Thank you for giving our mutual friend such a wonderful review, Luanne.
Thank you, GP, so nice to “see” you!
Thank you, GP!
Always a pleasure, Liz.
How interesting that you met Geof Hewitt in 10th grade, Liz! It seems like he had a great influence on you in poetry. I vaguely remember you wrote poems corresponding to each each other. I love writing haiku and learned to use kigo words.
Thank you for hosting the big tour, Luanne. 💕
You’re welcome, Miriam! Thanks for stopping by to check out Liz’s gorgeous new book!
As a matter of fact, Miriam, I wrote “Return to Beaver Brook Falls” in a poetry slam workshop he gave. When he had visited my 10th-grade English class many years before, my teacher was trying very hard to impress an apathetic class with a “real, live, living, breathing poet in the flesh.” My classmates failed to be impressed. Their responses were pretty much along the lines of “huh?” and “whatever.”
Thank you for all the interesting information about Haiku and about you. The story about meeting the poet Geof Hewitt in 10th grade and then later taking a workshop with him was an interesting anecdote. The book tour is going great.
Thank you very much, Thomas! (I’m sorry I missed your comment before.)
That’s a great video. It does make you think about both structure and meaning. I agree that the spirit is more important than any rules in writing haiku. Which is why it’s so hard to do well–I’m still working on it.
I do like structure in poems because it helps me focus, makes me choose carefully each word, and edits my verbosity, but I agree that you can get so caught up in it that you lose the essence of your thought. I find some forms more amenable to the rhythms of my language than others.
Thanks for sharing both the video and your own thoughts about writing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the video, Kerfe. You make an excellent point here: “I find some forms more amenable to the rhythms of my language than others.”
Kerfe, thanks so much for stopping by!
He’s pleased to find that “Return to Beaver Brook Falls” is in your poetry collection, Liz. Poetry is not easy to appreciate. I got your email and look forward to your visit. I’ll schedule the post tomorrow and let you know if I have any questions.
Thank you, Miriam!
I am learning so much about Haiku – it sure is an interesting and beautiful form of writing poetry. Thank you!
Thank you, Therese! (I’m sorry I missed your comment before.)