Presentation
In formal Japanese, an haiku is written in one line, from top to bottom.Classically, an haiku can be written, in a Latin alphabet, in only one line, divided into three parts by the use of colon.
If
each part is separated by a pause, it is more practical to write the haiku
in three lines.
Typography
There are three kind of typography.Not one of them is supported by the Japanese prototype..
1. "The classical form"
The haiku necessarily has a ceasura; it cannot be composed with a single phrase folded in three parts. That caesura separetes generally different images.
The classical form introduced by Blyth places an uppercase at the beginning of each part (beginning of line 1 and 2 or 3 depending on the position of the caesura). The caesura is marked by a semi-colon.
2. An uppercase at the beginning, an internal and final punctuation.
3. An uppercase at the beginning, and a final punctuation.
4. Lack of uppercase but internal punctuation
5.
Lack of uppercase and punctuation. A minimalist presentation, which de-emphasizes
apparence to the advantage of the content. It leaves the reader to reconstruct
the author's pathway, generating multiple readings (a technique use
by the T'ang Chinese poetry).
Internal punctuation
It is found classically :
: et . stop
; a pause, the caesura
... suggesting lack of completion
-- saying the same thing in other words
The blank
Unlike in the Western poetry, the haiku accepts a blank as one beat. It is classically noted with a "~" and is generally placed at the end of the third line.A blank can also be placed at the end of the first part.
In
Japanese, one or two beats make a unit of pronunciation. For example, Bashô's
frog haiku is pronounced:
furu(2)
ike(2) ya(1) < blanc>
kawa(2)
zu(2) tobi(2) komu(2)
mizu(2)
no(1) oto(2) <blanc>
This haiku consists of 5-7-5 syllables or beats, and 4-4-4- feet. The four feet are repeated three times, this structure stabilizing the haiku, while the 2 blanks function to put in some movement. This rhythmical secret was discovered hardly fifty years ago.
In the tanka (5-7-5-7-7-7) the four feet are repeated 5 times.
yume(2)
kayo(2) u(1) <blanc>
michi(2)
saë(2) tae(2) nu(1)
kure(2)
take(2) no(1) <blanc>
fushi(2)
mino(2) sato(2) no (1)
yuki(2)
no(1) shita(2) ore(2)
Ariie Fujiwara
The pronunciation does not follow the cutting of the words. For example, fushimi no (cut at the level of words) is pronounced fushi mino.
The
interval between the feet is not written, but it is sensed subconsciously.