Webinars & Presentations
Asian Topic Discussions: Haiku and Haikai
Perhaps the most well-known form of Japanese poetry outside of Japan is the haiku, a deceptively simple three-line, 17-syllable form that usually focuses on themes in nature. This talk will survey the development of haiku, including what the form was originally meant to communicate and to what audience, from classical court poetry into the modern era. Particular attention is given to the poetic form haikai (comic, linked verse), which used collaborative social performance to comment on contemporary issues.