Haiku Sticky #36

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

Poetry Friday--Almost Spring

I periodically spend several hours at a stretch looking through the Library of Congress's online collection of ukiyo-e woodcut prints. There are some delightful depictions of old Japan to be found amongst the thousands of pictures. The collection is a true treasure and one that can provide inspiration for a writer.

Here's the definition and etymology of ukiyo-e from Dictionary.com:

–noun
a genre style of painting and printmaking developed in Japan from the 17th to the 19th centuries and marked by the depiction of the leisure activities of ordinary people.

Origin:
1895–1900; < Japn, equiv. to uki-yo transitory world (uki float + yo world) + (w)e picture (perh. < MChin; cf. Chin huà)

"Transitory world"--an interesting phrase. It's ironic that the art has preserved the transitory for generations, and possibly forever!

The spring-like weather we had earlier in the week has been replaced by cold and rain. In other words, a gloominess has settled back over New Hampshire. The wait for spring is sometimes difficult, yet being creative takes some of the edge off of it.

The print below is entitled Yanagi ni karasu--"crow on a willow branch." It's from an illustrated book produced between 1868 and 1900. With its blacks and grays, it captures the feeling of today's New Hampshire weather. The unopened willow buds suggest the setting is the early spring, yet, the crow looks quite content. I combined the picture with a haiku to create this haiga.


© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

Stop by Becky's Book Reviews for this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Goodbye, Granny...

Haiku Sticky #35

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

A Truly Interesting Article

Is "A Lament for the Bookshelf," by British writer, Russell Smith. Check it out for tidbits such as

People come to see my minuscule new living room and say, hmm, you could have another foot and a half without that wall of bookshelves. True, but then you would never be able to distract yourself, while waiting for me to dress, by pulling down, at random, Weapons of World War II and 100 Erotic Drawings.

Smith challenges us to think about a home without physical books, and how much we would be missing!

Poetry Friday--Poetry Through the Ages

Do you know about the Poetry Through the Ages website? I stumbled upon it and was pleasantly surprised by what's available-- explanations of poetic forms, a history of poetry, information on "how to read" a poem, and a list of recommended books. It is worth spending a little time here, especially with National Poetry Month on the horizon. An overview states,

Poetry Through the Ages is one of several exhibits in the WebExhibits online museum, all of which promote discovery through multidisciplinary approaches that support all learning styles. WebExhibits is a public service of the Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement (IDEA).

If you teach, this site has scads of information for you to use in your classroom.

The section of recommended books also lists websites, but several of the links don't work, and, the list is missing the Poetry Foundation site! The Poetry Foundation is the poetry website I consult most often--it's my favorite!

Poetry Through the Ages appears to be pushing something called "nodes," and a particular tool called Spicy Nodes. I don't understand the benefit of having information in bubbles, but it must have something to do with people who are visual learners. I find it cluttered and distracting.

All in all, though, I'm impressed by the information that is presented, and hope to spend more time delving into forms, something my poetry education, which stressed the study of themes, is lacking.

This week head over to TeachingBooks.net for the Poetry Friday Round-Up.

Haiku Sticky #34

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved