The Haiku Handbook

The Haiku Handbook is the first, last and pretty much only book about haiku that you'll ever need. Thorough and meticulously planned, this guide is simply indispensible to anyone who wishes to write, teach, share, research or simply appreciate haiku.

The Haiku Handbook begins with Japanese pronunciation, and quickly moves on to study the four Great Masters of Haiku (namely Matsuo Basho, Yosha Buson, Kobayashi Issa and Masaoka Shiki) and their contempories. This book is also great simply because it does not just follow Japanese haiku, it also contains modern poems by Western poets, presented in the language of the poet, including English, Spanish, French and German as well as five other world languages.

Having made an introduction of Haiku through the ages from around the world, this handbook looks at the Art of Haiku. It studies, in depth, haiku and its connection with the natural world, the form of haiku and crafting a haiku to perfection. It also touches on the subject to sharing haiku through groups and publishing (including contacts for those interested in being published).

Part three of The Haiku Handbook is about appreciating haiku, with references to teaching haiku in the classroom. It has ways of presenting the poems to children, and an in-depth lesson plan that works, developed by Penny Harter, a haiku poet and schoolteacher.

Part four of this compact yet informative book studies the history of haiku, and how the art form developed from the haikai-no-renga. It also looks at haiku's place in Japanese and Western poetry, and its significance to the literary world. It even goes into the subject of why a haiku is of use to the world!

The final section of The Haiku Handbook is an incredible resource. To begin with, there is a listing of the Japanese season-words used in haiku (about 600 words and phrases), and their translations, followed by a glossary of Japanese terms relating to the subject. For those interested, the next part of the section is simply resources - for everything related to haiku. Books on Japanese literature and culture, Eastern and Western haiku anthologies, critical works, authors, organisations, teaching and studying resources, study essays and translations of Japanese poetry (not just haiku, but also tanka, kyoka, renga, haibun, senryu and haiku sequences). To top it all off, William J. Higginson, the author, has given his contact details for those wanting more information on this fascinating subject!

The Haiku Handbook, for the haiku enthusiast (or want-to-be enthusiast), is well formatted and easy to understand. It details all aspects of haiku and haiku culture, and refers to the poems not just as Japanese, but as a art form of the world. Advice on how to write, share and teach haiku is balanced with hundreds of beautiful poems, history and anecdotes. The Haiku Handbook by William J. Higginson (poet and editor of haiku magazines) and his wife Penny Harter (poet and teacher) is simply indispensible, thoroughly readable... and highly reccommended!