Information Scotland

The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland

February 2004 Volume 2 (1)

Endpiece

Patterns in poetry

Japanese forms of poetry seem to appeal to young Scottish writers, says Colin Will, explaining all.

Inspired by a recent trip to Japan, and noting Ken Cockburn’s mention of haiku in the last issue of Information Scotland, I thought I’d say something about Japanese literature this time.

In the late 8th century the first anthology of tanka poetry appeared. Tanka are written in five lines containing a total of 31 syllables arranged in a 5 7 5 7 7 pattern. (Actually, the Japanese onji is a sound symbol rather than a syllable, but let’s not quibble.)

The world’s first novel was written around the end of the 10th century. It’s The Tale of Genji, and it was written by a lady of the Japanese court, Murasaki Shikibu (surname first). It was closely followed by another novel, The Pillow Book, written by a rival lady-in-waiting, Sei Shonagon.

In the 12th century a new form of poetry called renga – linked verse – emerged. A group of poets would get together to compose the poem, each writing a verse from which one would be selected to form the next link in the chain, until 20, 36 or 100 verses had been written. The verses alternate between three- and two-line forms, taking their shape from the tanka so that the syllable pattern is 5 7 5 followed by 7 7. The subjects of verses were varied – nature, the seasons, the moon, flowers and love. The first verse of the renga, the hokku, gave rise in the 15th century to the haiku, an independent poem, and to the haikai, a humorous poem.

Haiku has a long and distinguished pedigree, and in the hands of the great masters of the form – Bashō, Buson, Issa and Shiki – it produces some very beautiful poetry. The classical Japanese haiku always contains a season word and a ‘cutting word’, or caesura, which changes the direction of the verse. It’s amazing that so much can be conveyed in three lines and 17 syllables.

Bashō was also a master of the haibun, a narrative written in very poetic prose, liberally sprinkled with haiku. His Narrow Roads of the Deep North is a record of his journey through the relatively underdeveloped north-eastern region of Honshu.

In the West, enthusiasm for some of these forms is a later phenomenon, owing much to the efforts of R.H. Blyth in the 1950s, which in turn inspired some of the ‘Beat’ writers of America and Europe. Western haiku often ignore the strict syllable count, but generally preserve the use of season words. Norman McCaig used to say that such poems “are not haiku – they’re just wee poems”, and there’s a fine tradition of Scottish poets writing “wee poems”. Taking haiku writing into Scottish schools is always a rewarding and surprising experience. I’m often staggered by the quality of imagination shown by the pupils. The form seems to appeal in a very direct way to them, and their responses are sometimes truly inspirational. Many Scottish poets have written haiku, or the related senryu (which are usually about human subjects rather than nature), and there are even haiku written in Scots and Gaelic. Few Western poets have attempted haibun writing – it’s a difficult form, and it’s even more difficult to find a publisher (if you want to publish mine please get in touch!).

Renga too is something which goes on today in Scotland. Alec Finlay, Gerry Loose, Ken Cockburn, Valerie Gillies and myself are among the modern Scottish renga revivalists. Its collective approach to literary composition is something unique, in my experience, and the renga sessions are usually open to all, so if there’s one in your area feel free to drop in. There’s a website devoted to these renga events (www.renga-platform.co.uk). And if you want to read modern Scottish haiku by a master of the art, check out the work of Alan Spence.

I’ve recently decided to retire from indexing (due to pressure of leisure), and that has prompted me to look again at indexing. Too many books disappoint and let down readers through not having an index. It’s astonishing how many ‘reputable’ publishers cut costs in this way. Too many other books are harmed by having indexes prepared by amateurs – authors and their families often make spectacularly bad indexers. Membership of the Society of Indexers guarantees that indexes will be prepared by professionals who have reached a high standard in their work. Passing the Society’s coursework leads to Accreditation, ensuring that members have a thorough knowledge of indexing theory and practice. After this, members may submit an index they have prepared for rigorous examination by a panel of senior professionals, leading to Registration. Thus Registered Indexers prove that they can apply their theoretical studies in the real world of book publishing, and this gives publishers confidence in their work. The Society maintains a database of ‘Indexers Available’, and can help publishers make contact with indexers. Many Society members are also librarians or ex-librarians, and there is obviously an overlap of interest here. To find out more, please visit the website at www.indexers.org.uk.

Colin Will

Information Scotland Vol. 2 (1) February 2004

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Last updated: 9 March 2004