Haiku & Senryu
by Pam Crane
Haiku and Senryu are both tiny seventeen-syllable poems that paint a word picture of a moment in time and space. This Japanese form has been a favourite with Pam Crane for many years, building up into a verse journal - and often replacing a forgotten camera!Haiku and Senryu are both tiny seventeen-syllable poems that paint a word picture of a moment in time and space. This Japanese form has been a favourite with Pam Crane for many years, building up into a verse journal - and often replacing a forgotten camera! Haiku are strictly concerned with seasons and the natural environment; Senryu can express anything - a mood, an event, an idea, even a joke. They have become so popular in the West that both versions are now erroneously called Haiku in the media, and questions on BBC TV's 'Pointless' quiz are often framed as 'Haiku' (though this makes them very difficult to read!)