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The History of Australian Haiku and the Emergence of a Local Accent

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The History of Australian Haiku and the Emergence of a Local Accent The History of Australian Haiku and the Emergence of a Local Accent Author: Rob Scott, B.A. Dip Ed. College of the Arts, Writing, Communication and Culture Discipline Group, Victoria University Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Masters by Research March, 2014. Table of Contents The History of Australian Haiku and the Emergence of a Local Accent ....................................................... i Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................................... ii Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................................... v Student Declaration .........................................................................................................................................................vi Prologue to Thesis ............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Australia’s First Haiku? ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 – Introduction to Thesis ............................................................................................................................. 3 Lost in Translation ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Haiku vs. Haiku ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 So, what is Haiku? ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 The Problem of Definition ......................................................................................................................................... 9 The Problem of Kigo .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Shasei and The ‘Haiku Moment’............................................................................................................................ 13 Outline of Thesis ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 2 – Key Moments in the Birth and Early Development of Australian Haiku Movement .. 18 The Beginning .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 The Problem of Translation ................................................................................................................................... 21 The Problem of Syllable Counting ....................................................................................................................... 28 The Bostok Years ........................................................................................................................................................ 30 Bostok as a Role Model ............................................................................................................................................ 32 A Turning Point ........................................................................................................................................................... 38 Bostok and the formation of The Australian Haiku Society...................................................................... 46 Online Presence .......................................................................................................................................................... 46 Haiku Groups and other Publishers of Haiku ................................................................................................. 47 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48 Chapter 3 – What is Australian Haiku? .................................................................................................................. 50 The Question of Definition ..................................................................................................................................... 52 Normative Practices .................................................................................................................................................. 53 How Much Haiku can be Found in Haiku?........................................................................................................ 54 The Question of Kigo. ................................................................................................................................................ 56 Swedish Haiku ............................................................................................................................................................. 62 Dutch Haiku .................................................................................................................................................................. 65 The Australian Experience of Kigo ...................................................................................................................... 69 ii Australian Idiomatic and Aboriginal Language. ............................................................................................ 72 Australian Migration and Other Tensions........................................................................................................ 76 One-line Haiku ............................................................................................................................................................. 85 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................................... 87 Chapter 4 – Australian Haiku in the Global Context ......................................................................................... 90 Globalisation and Homogenisation in Haiku .................................................................................................. 99 The Rise of Non-Australian and Australian Haiku ..................................................................................... 117 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................. 144 Chapter 5 – Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 146 References ....................................................................................................................................................................... 154 iii Abstract Since haiku first crossed Australian borders more than one hundred years ago, it has undergone a process of translation, interpretation and transformation. This study examines aspects of haiku’s cultural transmission and evolution in Australia from a genre oriented to the early Japanese models, to one which is informed by a growing international haiku community and an emerging local sensibility. This study will examine the origins of Australian haiku by evaluating the contribution of some of its most important translators and educators and assess the legacy of Australia’s early haiku education on current haiku practices. Haiku is still best known as a three-line poem of seventeen syllables broken into lines of 5-7-5, however, contemporary haiku largely eschews this classicist approach and is characterised by a blend of emulation and experimentation. This study presents and discusses a variety of approaches to writing haiku that have emerged in Australia over the course of its development. One of the strengths of Japanese haiku has been its ability to reflect its own culture through the use of kigo. This study includes a detailed discussion of the two main conceptualisations of kigo (season and culture) and potential sources of kigo, or kigo alternatives (keywords) in Australia are identified in the context of the depth and resonance they could bring to Australian haiku. Australian haiku is not occurring in isolation and this study puts the development of Australian haiku in a global context. A number of Australian poets have been active in international English-language haiku, and this study aims to assess the effects of their engagement. Some have pointed to a growing homogenisation of haiku as a direct consequence of globalisation. This study will present a range of haiku being accepted for publication in international haiku journals and make some observations about global haiku practices and the extent to which they have contributed to a perceived loss of Australian identity in Australian haiku. iv Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge
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