The Road Haikus 1957

The jazz trombone,
The moving curtain,
—Spring rain

Greyhound bus,
flowing all night,
Virginia

My flashlight,
where I put it this afternoon
Twisted away in sleep

The book
stands all by itself
on the shelf

Book of Haikus contains some very good haiku and many that are more average than good, but all reveal much about Jack Kerouac. He doesn't restrict himself to the traditional 5/7/5 syllable count, believing that it didn't fit English as well as it did Japanese. Many of the poems do not abide by other haiku norms, but Kerouac was trying to create his own, American or Western version of the art form. It's clear though, that he was a serious student of haiku and understood the form (a minute to learn, a lifetime to understand). Occasionally they are a bit more earthy than one usually sees. Much like Issa we see much of the author here, and I believe it was Issa who advised rewriting a haiku to find the one that works best, and at times we see Kerouac doing that here, reworking a poem in variations to see what comes through. In addition to the biographical nature of the haiku (recommended for all Kerouac fans), his experiments make this volume especially intriguing.

I'd recommend this to folks interested in the Japanese Haiku and Senryu forms versus Kerouac's American "Pops" Haiku.
And as with all poetry, some pieces may resonate more with a particular reader than others.
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Collection of short poems Kerouac wrote over several years. Most of them are three lines, a few are two liners. He doesn't build the poem on the 17 syllable construction, so I would call them micro poems rather than haiku. They were written at a time when he was taking a look at Buddhism. Most of them have the flavor of traditional Japanese haiku with reference to nature with reference to the moon and all that, but my favorites are a little more unique. The one about the fly in the medicine cabinet who died of old age and the one about the rain puddle cleaning the soles of his shoes were memorable. Kerouac was a hard core artist, who else would write little poems?

If you're interested in learning more about Kerouac, this little book is worth checking out of the library.

Haiku mě baví, i když mě jen málokterá vysloveně zaujmou. Vybírám jedno jako ukázku.

V klidu si odpoledne
nalívám kafe,
ryzí potěšení!

For a guy who didn’t realize “haiku” was singulare tantum (like “deer,” having only a singular form,) Kerouac crafted poignant and evocative haiku. This Beat writer, best known for his semi-autobiographical novels (e.g. “On the Road” and “The Dharma Bums”) sought to create a sub-form that he called “American Haiku.” Like many English language haiku poets, Kerouac abandoned the 5-7-5 syllable format, but where others traded in the rule for a more English-friendly one (e.g. 2-3-2 stressed beats,) his American haiku used three simple lines and no strict counts. [Note: The relatively long syllables of English can cause the stark, sparse feel of Japanese language haiku to be lost.]

tLest one think this Beat poet jettisoned all the rules, he’s truer to the rules of content than to those of form. He uses season words widely in evoking a state of mind. Also, he sticks to pure observation to a surprising degree. [Traditionally, haiku merely suggested imagery, letting readers reach cognitive and emotional insights on their own.] There are some poems that are actually senryū [a poetic style that is the same as haiku in form, but which deals in humor and human foibles,] but not as many as I expected. Kerouac deals much less in political rage and shocking content than his Beat contemporary, Allen Ginsberg.

To give a taste of his haiku, here are a couple fine examples:

One flower
on the cliffside
Nodding at the canyon

Birds singing
in the dark
In the rainy dawn

I delighted in this collection. It reflects Kerouac’s Buddhist insights, plays off the work of Japanese haiku masters, and blends classic haiku with rare touches of uniquely American irreverence. I’d highly recommend it for poetry readers.

Kerouac’s “haikus” are delightfully playful and evocative, yet occasionally troubling. The introduction and contextual notes enriched my experience, offering insightful guidance without feeling heavy handed. However, some haikus referencing women, especially girls, made me physically cringe and grimace. These instances felt objectifying at best and disturbingly inappropriately pervy at worst. There are plenty of laughs and reflective moments throughout the collection and a fun read perfect for the beach/bar/bus etc.

الهايكو لا يُترجم

Kerouac's haikus aren't doing anything for me.

Amazing - how I wish he could have stayed with us longer for purely selfish reasons. Jack Kerouac is truly a 'beat bodhisattva' - someone who stayed with us even as he was aware that there was really no place where he could find peace. This book is a very good example of his often overlooked poetic talent and ability to see past illusions.

Very light and easy read. Haiku done well can leave you with a series of images, that when read in quick succession, can serve as the individual frames of a film. Perfect to read when you want something light but still thought provoking.

Side note: new life goal unlocked- retreat to a mountain called desolation peak as a buddhist hermit and write a classic collection of poetry.

Hoje é o centenário do Jack Kerouac, estava guardando o Livro de Haicais, edição bilíngue que saiu pela L&PM com tradução do grande Claudio Willer, para essa ocasião.
Tudo que Proust me influenciou no início dos meus vinte anos nos 2000, Kerouac fez o mesmo a partir de meados da mesma década, The Dharma Bums foi uma virada no meu modo de pensar a vida e a partir daí comecei a me interessar por budismo.
Os koans zen tem muita influência na escrita de Kerouac, mas é sobretudo nos haicais clássicos e nos senryu que o autor tira sua energia poética seja nas poesias propriamente ditas seja na sua prosa a partir das experiências narradas no Vagabundos do Dharma.
Aparentemente essa edição não comporta os rascunhos mais ruinzinhos de sua coleção de haicais, o que torna o livro bom de cabo a rabo, mas que empobrece nossa visão da evolução poética de Kerouac.
Mas o que importa mesmo é a grande quantidade de haicais sobre gatos, nenhum grande ailurófilo estaria completo sem odes poéticas aos bichanos.