That‘s a priority worth remembering for all haiku, especially amid the growing influence of the gendai tradition—that we should balance any subjectivity with a preponderance of objective imagery, and avoid formula.
One additional thought is regarding this question of whether a writer can remain truly objective in any piece of writing. Well, yes and no. Yes, in the sense that the choice of words used can be objective if the poet wishes, and has the experience to control his or words as desired. But on the metalevel, perhaps all haiku are subjective, in that the poet chose to write about t This subjectivity shouldn‘t be confused with the reader‘s subjective inte reaio
h
israther thant a rp tt n, where the reader
brings his or her emotional context into play in the act of completing each poem. As Charles Olson famously said, ―the poem itself must, at all points, be a high energy-construct and, at all points, an energy discharge.‖ That energy, for haiku, centers on implied emotion, and it begins with the image. As I say in my workshops, don‘t write about your feelings in haiku. Instead, write about whatc your feelings. That makes all the difference.
ht.
asdue
It has often been said that photographs are ―objective,‖ but there again, which way is the camera pointing, and why? In haiku, choosing what to write about is where the voice of the poet, and what he or she thinks is worth writing about, begins to shine through. But in the poem itself, it‘s still useful to learn to control the subjective and objective.
Colin: Going back to Frost‘s ―Dust of Snow‖ and the inferences we may take from it, may I ask, in what way has poetry changed the wayy
o
uview the world; and do you think haiku, in particular, is
capable of changing the heart of even the most cynical critic by elevating ordinary moments from day-to-day life into something special?
Michael: I definitely feel more in touch with nature and the seasons—noticing more seasonal phenomena now than I used to before I wrote haiku. I can celebrate them more now, whether in haiku or just in personal awareness. So I‘m grateful to haiku for this improved discernment and mindfulness. Beyond that, sometimes I fear that the transcendent effect I get from reading some haiku has left me, or doesn‘t happen as often as it used to, but I still value—and seek—that feeling of having the top of your head blow off, or feeling cracked open. Haiku can do that. It has also helped me learn the difference between observation and inference, as well as the value of objectivity and subjectivity in poetry, and how to tell the difference—and to know when to use and appreciate touches of subjectivity in haiku.
Haiku has also changed the way I view the world by helping me notice not only its many details more closely, seasonal and otherwise, like when the first plum blossoms appear, but to notice myself more closely—to notice how I feel in reaction to something. In other words, haiku has helped me be not only more aware but more self-aware. I hope this is true for others, too. Often the juxtaposition in haiku can arise by paying close attention to one‘s feelings—not to report those feelings in haiku, but to celebrate or honour what c
asdthose feelings. We already know how haiku helps people ue
notice the world more closely, but the next step is also to notice yourself more closely. And to notice more closely how you and the world interact. I suppose for some people haiku makes them more environmental, and that‘s a noble cause, but this poetry hasn‘t turned me into a tree-hugger (I wish ski areas could expand and open more terrain for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy, for example, if done responsibly), but this poetry has turned me into more of a tree-lover. Not just trees, of course, but all of nature, and the human place as part of it.
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