Sunday, January 17, 2021

 






re:Virals 208

·         August 30, 2019

 ·         Clayton Beach

 ·         re:Virals

 

·         6 Comments

Welcome to re:Virals, The Haiku Foundation’s weekly poem commentary feature on some of the finest haiku ever written in English. This week’s poem was:

 

old map

the whole country

one color

      — Jim Kacian, Cranach City Anthology; Border Lands (2007)

 Pravat Kumar Padhy admires the simplicity and elegance:

The haiku by Jim has a total of 10 syllables manifested in the schematic pattern of 2-5-3. It contains two images, the “fragment” (old map) and the “phrase” (the whole country/ one color) with a gentle pause in between (cutting). The juxtaposition explores the poetic imagination in universality and brotherhood  through the image of ‘color’. The poet expresses his self-realization by embellishing the belief of oneness through the creative use of ‘color’.
 
The monochromatic color of ‘old map’ in the top line is skillfully juxtaposed with zen-feeling of oneness as implied in the middle line and lower line. Interestingly, the vertical axis of the haiku extends to a different dimension in time implying the prevalence of harmony among the people of the country. The haiku finally culminates with an aesthetic expression of cohesion. Interestingly, the poet has not used any verb in the haiku and thus it renders a placid articulation.

Jim has artfully used assonance as a literary element. Here the vowel “o” sound repeats between syllables of the ku and crafts a subtle resonance. The haiku, in its simplicity, expresses the compassionate feeling of togetherness using ‘color’ as an element with poetic elegance.

 

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