Kigo

Kigo

A Lesson by Dinesh Sairam
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The Seasonal Word

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                 Kigo (The seasonal word) is considered the very essence of classic Japanese Haikus. A seasonal word might be anything (Flowers, Animals, Temperature) than denotes the existence of a specific season.

     However, since Seasons and the whole surrounding changes from place to place, Kigo also varies widely (Two great links for Kigo in different regions are given below). A Kigo should be as subtle as possible or it will become a mere cliche. And to avoid redundancy, there should be only one Kigo in a Haiku.

       For example, a water lily might evoke the feel of summer in a Japanese/Japan-related Haiku, but in Hot places like India, lilies are very common so that they may not point to a specific season at all. So it is with utter care that the Kigo should be chosen.



                 


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Posted 11 Years Ago


Thanks I've been on a Haiku Kick and working on staying true even though I tend to push boundaries!
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Added on November 22, 2011
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Author

Dinesh Sairam
Dinesh Sairam

Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India



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Follow @DineshThePoet An aspiring poet from the shady regions of Southern India. Inspired by the capital-G Great poets like William Shakespeare, Matuso Basho, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Willia..
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