Korean haiku

Among haiku poets, the art of haiku is treasured in Korea, otherwise, it is probably the least popular and least appreciated form of poetry in the country. And why is that? Because of Japanese colonial rule, and that ended over 60 years ago.

A recent article in The New York Times (March 27, 2008) highlighted the controversy over haiku in Korea. Apparently, Korean haiku poets either keep low profiles, or endure public disapproval, disregard, and sometimes ridicule.

During the occupation, Korean schoolchildren learned Japanese customs, including the art of haiku. So haiku became tainted in many minds. It became a symbol of Japan's repression of Korean culture. Although Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) ended when the Japanese withdrew from WWII, resentment did not.

The anti-colonial feeling is so strong that the traditional arts, such as haiku, still bear a stigma, even as Japan's pop culture catches on.

Yet, poetry lovers do not give up easily. The Seoul Haiku Club has 20 members and they meet twice a month.

This makes me wonder why I don't know of any haiku clubs in the USA.

Is it because I don't live in a large city? Or because there is nothing clandestine and rebellious, nothing dangerous, about haiku here? Is it because haiku is not known for its adrenaline rush?

For me, haiku is valuable because it is none of those things. The value of haiku lies in the present moment, crystallized on the page. The value lies in the serenity of nature, and the sudden insight that we can draw from simple things.

The value of haiku lies not in speed, but in its ability to slow us down—not in the newness of pop culture, but in the reflection of nature, which is timeless.

My name is Rae Hallstrom, and Ameriku is my art and my business and my brand.

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