The Haiku Anthology

The Haiku Anthology

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4.19 of 5 stars 4.19  ·  rating details  ·  166 ratings  ·  27 reviews
Originally a Japanese form that flourished in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, haiku has recently experienced tremendous growth in popularity in the English language. The Haiku Anthology, first published in 1974, is a landmark work in modern haiku, honoring a genre of poetry that celebrates simplicity, emotion, and imagery—in which only a few words convey worlds o...more
Paperback, 432 pages
Published November 17th 2000 by W. W. Norton & Company (first published 1974)
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Melissa  Jeanette
I was surprised when I read through half this anthology in one sitting. I had intended to savor it slowly over the summer, but I couldn't help reading one more, and then one more poem. I've loved writing haiku's since I was introduced to them in a high school creative writing class. Since, for me, writing poetry has always been a secretive and cathartic form of self expression, I was never bothered by the fact that I hadn't read any haiku's beyond those first few. This summer, I decided to remed...more
Bryson
I believe that the pictured edition is the second edition; I have the third addition, which is hardback.

The book just came to me this weekend while I was on a haiku retreat in Seabeck, WA., and it's awesome. In all seriousness, this book may be the only case in which I read the introduction before I actually started reading the rest of it. And I actually enjoyed it. Cor van den Heuvel is easily one of the most brilliant poets of the age, and his Foreward to the Third Edition is helpful for under...more
Bill
Feb 01, 2009 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Poetry lover
Shelves: poetry
Here is a good collection of English language haiku and senryu brought together by Cor van den Heuvel. The introduction provides some attitude in the discussion of what haiku is and is not. That aside, the collection is valuable and has some gems buried within it. However, there were many that seemed to be almost formulaic and perhaps could have been left out. However, it is an anthology. There is also an interesting bibliography and biographical notes section for anyone interested in looking de...more
LeAnn
Apr 01, 2010 LeAnn rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone
Caveat: I didn't finish this anthology. However, despite my unstated personal standard of only reviewing books that I've finished, I've decided to make an exception for Van Den Heuvel's haiku collection.

Many of the western haiku in this collection are written more in keeping with the spirit of the Japanese poetry that inspired them than in the form taught traditionally in the West. In my previous reading of the art form, I learned that the Japanese haiku are written using seventeen word sounds w...more
Yei Ling
This book is loaded with many, many, beautiful haiku. At first, I was confused at the way it was formatted. Then I began to comprehend the way the book was arranged. It's composed of haiku from different poets-creating one long, flowing poem from the beginning of the book to the end. The haiku are so descriptive and beautiful, it's as if I were there visioning the different scenes. What makes it even better is that there isn't one particular theme, so it's assembled in a very unique way.
Ian
Jun 02, 2010 Ian added it
Shelves: 9th-grade-books
We've studied Haikus in Global Literature class before, so when I read this, I was able to understand the haikus, and somewhat enjoy them. It was interesting to read all the poems, because they showed different people's perspectives on life really well. The best haiku writers were chosen to get their haikus put in this book obviously, and it was really evident. I liked reading this book.
Sara
These are great----succinct glimpses of life in just 3 lines such as "After being chosen last, he raced to outer field" and "When the neighbor children left, the cat slipped out of the hall closet". You know that the boy was still excited to play ball and how the cat didn't like the neighbor children. With so many authors, the subject matters vary but the intensity remains.
Marianna Monaco
I have a deep appreciation for all 3 editions of this anthology of haiku in English.
I found the first edition, published in 1974, in a used book store 1989. This little book started me on my haiku journey.
Emma
A great, great, great book to reread again and again. There's a lot of selection when it comes to emotion, and the best thing about haiku is that, in its brevity, it's open to interpretation. This means that each time you read it, you experience it in a new way. I first read this when I was sixteen, and now, at twenty-one, I still finger through this little gem over and over.
Bart Mallio
Wonderful volume of American haiku, which starts to demonstrate an American English spin on the Japanese form. A cool demonstration of a tree taking hold in foreign soil.
Brianna
Grade Levels: 3-5
* Can be used to introduce older grade levels to a traditional Japanese form of poetry, haiku, and can also be used to explain patterns with the 5-7-5 form
John Pappas
Absolutely essential, vital and dynamic poetry from haiku poets writing in English. So good...
Jessica Rackley
Not the most helpful, but it gave me a different perspective on this type of poetry. :)
George
A wide collection of Haiku in some of it's varied formats. Glad I bought the book.
Wolf
This was really beautiful poetry, and maybe I only think so because I rarely read poetry, but I love it anyways. Haiku poems are just so pretty and visual, even without a lot of fancy drawings, that this book left me thinking of it for awhile after I read it. This is something I'd like to own.
Sodhi Paminder
Nice book..
Laredo
Wonderful!
Meghan Pinson
Eh. It's okay. I like mine & Lindsay's better.
Janice
I discovered through this book that I am not a haiku fan. Thought I would enjoy it, but the poems are much too short. It's like getting a text when you were expecting a short story or novella. I'm sure that these poets are talented, but just as I would get into the words, the poem was done.
Kara
Feb 16, 2009 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: poetry
This is a *beautiful* and, judging by its size, very thorough, collection of original english haiku. The number of poems is daunting so (even though they're tiny) I think it's best to read and absorb the haiku in small increments.
Michelle
Very much enjoyed learning about haiku and its forms, really preferring the original Japanese form to the Americanized form. I should pull this book out again to seek inspiration in writing haiku myself more regularly.
Harley
There are multiple editions of this book. The one on my bookshelf was published 1986. If you want to read the best of American haiku this is the book to start with and it does not matter which edition.
Amethyst
I didn't really read the whole thing. The intro really helped me understand haiku written in English for the first time, though. Awesome collection.
Amanda Patchin
A great introduction to the art of Haiku. Highly recommended.
Suzanne
fun and peaceful and awakening
Dana M.
Reread. Loved it even more!
Marc
Jun 08, 2013 Marc added it
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The Haiku Anthology (Hardcover)
The Haiku Anthology: Haiku and Senryu in English (Paperback)
The Haiku Anthology (Unknown Binding)
The Haiku Anthology: Haiku And Senryu In English (Paperback)
The Haiku Anthology (ebook)

123843
I discoverd haiku in 1958 in San Francisco and have concentrated my writing on that kind of poetry and its related genres (senryu, haibun, haiga, etc.) ever since. I grew up in Maine and New Hampshire. Between my freshman and sophomore years at the University of New Hampshire, I served three years in the U.S. Air Force. At that time I was interested in the poetry of John Keats and the science fic...more
More about Cor van den Heuvel...
Baseball Haiku: American and Japanese Haiku and Senryu on Baseball A Boy's Seasons: Haibun Memoirs Now That the Night Ends: The Tanka of Gerard John Conforti

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