Is It a Haiku or Not?

Post date: Dec 22, 2018 8:44:59 PM

Perhaps one of the most famous—and contentious—poems in the history of English-language haiku is Cor van den Heuvel’s “tundra,” first published in 1963. I’ve written a short essay, “The Territory of Haiku,” about this poem and the notion of “space” in (not just around) haiku, with my assertion that this poem is indeed in the territory of haiku, even if on the border. This essay, now on the Essays page, was recently published in the British Haiku Society journal, Blithe Spirit. Meanwhile, I’ve also added a short new postscript to “Watch Your Its,” so check out that essay too.