Whittled Words – Haiku Sonnet
Welcome to the weekly series, Whittled Words. A series highlighting the innumerable types and styles of poetry to challenge any creative wordsmith. This week’s selection:
HAIKU SONNET
The basic premise of the haiku sonnet is simple: 4 3-liner haiku plus a couplet of either 5 or 7 syllables adds up to 14 lines, the same number of lines found in a sonnet. However, unlike a sonnet, there is no structured rhyme scheme.
To write a haiku sonnet, you really need to know how to write haiku. A verse of haiku is three lines, with five syllables, seven syllables, and five syllables respectively. The stricter rules of traditional Japanese haiku we will save for another entry in this series. Modern Japanese haiku varies from the tradition of 17 syllables or taking nature as their subject. But the use of juxtaposition continues to be honored in both traditional and modern haiku.
Examples of Haiku Sonnet:
North and Sedgewick
By David Marshall
They wait at the signs
telling them it’s a bus stop,
trying not to see
each other, the sky,
anything close to here. Some
have papers or books
to take them away,
but they stare too. The bus is
more reliable.
The middle distance
promises some salvation,
a sweep of motion
that, across the street, appears
to make them vanish.
Harlequin Friend
By Brad Osborne
(edited from the original)
Ne’er on my shoulder
Need wrap insincere your arm
Vaudevillian hook
Scant words hold tenor
Thoughts of hate bellowed off key
Untuned piano
Breath falling like leaves
Lies leaping from crooked tree
Exhausted blue smoke
What need be for you
Cunning mask never broken
A harlequined friend
Hiding fangs behind your lips
Even with bows teasing low
I hope you have enjoyed this entry to the series, Whittled Words. I look forward to your comments, and if you dare, maybe share your own Haiku Sonnet. Thanks for reading!
Comments
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[…] forms in one. Both a Haiku Sonnet and an acrostic poem. And again, written for Eugi’s dancing […]
commonsensiblyspeaking 
Not as talented as u to even dare to attempt writing it but loved reading it.
I would argue that you are certainly talented enough. I have seen your writing and poetry grow of the recent months. You have found a tone and style that is uniquely yours and I encourage you to continue your writing journey. But to think that any of the styles I cover are beyond your abilities is sheer nonsense. You cannot be limited for there are no boundaries for you and your talent!
U know what Brad I have immense respect for your talent and a compliment from u means a lot to me..thanks a lot dear😊
Better tone surrounded by enemies who atleast keep you alert than being with masked friends..loved reading this one..
I was only familiar with the basic three0line haiku – thanks for broadening y horizons!
Love yours but I may be biased 💋
I love your bias! 🖤💋
So interesting, I think I may want to write my next in this form.