Sunday 10 September 2017

Haiku

Tiger Tanaka, Head of the Japanese Secret Service, introduces James Bond to Basho and haiku. Bond/Fleming writes a haiku beginning, "You only live twice..." Thus, this phrase is:

the title of a novel;
the title of a nominally related film;
the title and opening line of the theme song of the film;
the opening line of an imperfect haiku.

I maintain that Poul Anderson wrote a perfect haiku: see here and here.

6 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Amusing, to think of James Bond as being a poet, of all things! Rather like the Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem quoted by Aycharaych in A KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS. And Pan teaching a man how to be a poet (while the "true gods" mourned for the agony Pan inflicted on a reed).

Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Haiku may translate better than most poetry.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Dear Mr. Stirling,

Because of its brevity and apparent simplicity?

Sean

David Birr said...

Sean:
I think not being required to RHYME may help, too.

S.M. Stirling said...

Haiku are a rather cerebral form of poetry; they rhyme, in a way, but it's the rhyme of concepts and images. Or possibly more like alliteration.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, DAVID and Mr. Stirling,

You both made good points. Rhyme of concepts and images? Makes sense to me. Thanks!

Sean