What do you think?
Rate this book
An Introduction to Haiku
The brevity and apparent simplicity of the seventeen syllable haiku contributes to its wide popularity in Japan, where great numbers are written each year, and to its growing influence on Western poetry.
In the hands of the great masters, as Mr. Henderson shows in this analytical anthology, the haiku is a very exacting form indeed, requiring compliance with the strictest aesthetic standards of correctness, objectivity, and suggestiveness. It is these qualities that attracted such Western writers as William Butler Yeats and Ezra Pound to the form and that accounts for its pervasive, if largely unproclaimed, influence on their poetry and that of their followers.
As this book demonstrates, a great haiku must be not only lucid but richly suggestive to the attentive reader. In this, haiku captures the essence of lyric poetry as it has been practiced through the ages. In its variety and richness it also reflects the chief characteristics of Japanese painting and religion.
In the hands of the great masters, as Mr. Henderson shows in this analytical anthology, the haiku is a very exacting form indeed, requiring compliance with the strictest aesthetic standards of correctness, objectivity, and suggestiveness. It is these qualities that attracted such Western writers as William Butler Yeats and Ezra Pound to the form and that accounts for its pervasive, if largely unproclaimed, influence on their poetry and that of their followers.
As this book demonstrates, a great haiku must be not only lucid but richly suggestive to the attentive reader. In this, haiku captures the essence of lyric poetry as it has been practiced through the ages. In its variety and richness it also reflects the chief characteristics of Japanese painting and religion.
190 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
29 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 5, 2021
Because of its brevity, haiku have to rely on the power of suggestion.
Haiku are not nature poems. They are concerned with human emotions more than human acts.
Here is my favorite story about Basho:
One of his students wrote this:
Red dragonflies!
Take off their wings,
and they are pepper pods!
Basho said NO! and corrected him this way:
Red pepper pods!
Add wings to them,
and they are dragonflies!
Here are a few of my favorite haiku:
Up the barley rows,
stitching, stitching them together,
a butterfly goes.
--Sora (1648 -1710)
On top of skeletons
they put a gala dress, and then--
the flower viewing!
--Onitsura (1660-1738)
Although I say,
"Come here! Come here!" the fireflies
keep flying away!
--Onitsura's first poem at age 8
They blossom, and then
we gaze, and then the blooms
scatter, and then . . .
--Onitsura
For me who go,
for you who stay--
two autumns.
Buson (1715-1783) One of the best poems about parting. Cf. Shakespeare's "sweet sorrow."
Perhaps the best loved of all the poets is Issa (1762-1826)
This Dewdrop World--
a dewdrop world it is, and still,
although it is . . .
--Issa
And this poem is known as Issa's "Death Poem" that perhaps best expresses his attitude toward life:
From washing bowl
to washing bowl my journey--
and just rigmarole!
--Issa
What a red moon!
And whose is it,
children?
--Issa
Haiku are not nature poems. They are concerned with human emotions more than human acts.
Here is my favorite story about Basho:
One of his students wrote this:
Red dragonflies!
Take off their wings,
and they are pepper pods!
Basho said NO! and corrected him this way:
Red pepper pods!
Add wings to them,
and they are dragonflies!
Here are a few of my favorite haiku:
Up the barley rows,
stitching, stitching them together,
a butterfly goes.
--Sora (1648 -1710)
On top of skeletons
they put a gala dress, and then--
the flower viewing!
--Onitsura (1660-1738)
Although I say,
"Come here! Come here!" the fireflies
keep flying away!
--Onitsura's first poem at age 8
They blossom, and then
we gaze, and then the blooms
scatter, and then . . .
--Onitsura
For me who go,
for you who stay--
two autumns.
Buson (1715-1783) One of the best poems about parting. Cf. Shakespeare's "sweet sorrow."
Perhaps the best loved of all the poets is Issa (1762-1826)
This Dewdrop World--
a dewdrop world it is, and still,
although it is . . .
--Issa
And this poem is known as Issa's "Death Poem" that perhaps best expresses his attitude toward life:
From washing bowl
to washing bowl my journey--
and just rigmarole!
--Issa
What a red moon!
And whose is it,
children?
--Issa
October 16, 2022
There are two things I didn't like in this book. First, the author always tries to rhyme almost all the poems, unsuccessful most of the times. Second, his personal views for some of the poets (e.g. "More space is given here to Kikaku than to any of the other pupils, not because of any considered judgment of his relative importance, but simply because I like him.")
It's not a bad introduction for someone who doesn't know what haiku poetry is. But it's not the best either. There is so many other haiku books out there to start with. For example, "The Classic Tradition of Haiku" or "The Penguin Book of Haiku".
It's not a bad introduction for someone who doesn't know what haiku poetry is. But it's not the best either. There is so many other haiku books out there to start with. For example, "The Classic Tradition of Haiku" or "The Penguin Book of Haiku".
November 4, 2010
Nice variety of haiku; lame commentary by Harold Gould Henderson. Find something else.
March 21, 2023
This is a great primary source regarding early 20th century translation conventions, the irresistable pull of rhyme in English, and American perceptions of Japan after WWII. Not recommended for an introduction to haiku.
It does have a good collection of poems from a variety of authors, with some nice historical background given. Not very good translations and explanations. The author is quite patronizing (very much a college professor) and insisted on rhyming many of the haiku translations. In his defense, he said it was to try and preserve the feel of the restrictions of the original form in Japanese, which just does not mesh with English, and it perhaps a better idea than trying to stick to a syllable count. I found it fascinating from a linguistic perspective, but also grating. I gave up and only read the Japanese footnotes for each haiku and had a great time.
Also, in tiny text inside my library's hardcover edition: "typography by Edward Gorey". Totally unrelated, but still interesting!
It does have a good collection of poems from a variety of authors, with some nice historical background given. Not very good translations and explanations. The author is quite patronizing (very much a college professor) and insisted on rhyming many of the haiku translations. In his defense, he said it was to try and preserve the feel of the restrictions of the original form in Japanese, which just does not mesh with English, and it perhaps a better idea than trying to stick to a syllable count. I found it fascinating from a linguistic perspective, but also grating. I gave up and only read the Japanese footnotes for each haiku and had a great time.
Also, in tiny text inside my library's hardcover edition: "typography by Edward Gorey". Totally unrelated, but still interesting!
December 24, 2017
This suffered a bit by comparison to The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa, by Robert Hass (Editor); particularly at the beginning I felt like the translations weren't great; but, as I read, I got more used to the translator's style -- I even came around to the use of rhyme. It was kind of interesting to see poems I was familiar with translated slightly differently. And I found some new favorites too. More poets are included here.
My favorite part of this book is the focus on language, every haiku has a note with the original Japanese and a literal translation, and sometimes a little information about the meaning or the connotation of certain words or phrases. Henderson also spends a little time talking about the structure and grammar of the Japanese language and what that means in reference to the poetry. I appreciated that a lot. I also enjoyed that Henderson focused somewhat on the structure of Haikus. This book was written in the 1950s and takes as it's starting point that the audience is completely unfamiliar with haikus and Japanese culture. I found that helpful, even though I already know some things.
I found the commentary on the poetry more concrete than some I have read. However, there still seemed to be a lot of cult of personality going on, as well as some vague undefined and fluctuating standard of what a good haiku is. I did actually like and appreciate the author introducing his personal enthusiasm at times.
So overall a little bit of a mixed bag, but lots of worthwhile stuff in here. Definitely worth a read. But if you are only going to read one haiku anthology then read The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa
by Robert Hass (Editor) instead.
My favorite part of this book is the focus on language, every haiku has a note with the original Japanese and a literal translation, and sometimes a little information about the meaning or the connotation of certain words or phrases. Henderson also spends a little time talking about the structure and grammar of the Japanese language and what that means in reference to the poetry. I appreciated that a lot. I also enjoyed that Henderson focused somewhat on the structure of Haikus. This book was written in the 1950s and takes as it's starting point that the audience is completely unfamiliar with haikus and Japanese culture. I found that helpful, even though I already know some things.
I found the commentary on the poetry more concrete than some I have read. However, there still seemed to be a lot of cult of personality going on, as well as some vague undefined and fluctuating standard of what a good haiku is. I did actually like and appreciate the author introducing his personal enthusiasm at times.
So overall a little bit of a mixed bag, but lots of worthwhile stuff in here. Definitely worth a read. But if you are only going to read one haiku anthology then read The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa
by Robert Hass (Editor) instead.
March 29, 2021
Covers Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki, and also briefly dips into their contemporaries and students. The preface is thoughtful, with Henderson explaining his intention only to translate those poems that could stand alone and had an impact on him, even as he addresses the reader as "he." This was published in 1958, but could the year also be responsible for the fact he adds rhymes to the majority of his translations? I have no answer for that, but it makes these short poems sing-songy and childish and sometimes has him obviously manipulating word choices and line breaks to force a rhyme.
He also adds a title to every haiku, whether they originally had one (most often from a headnote) or not. Few provided additional context. Some repeated a phrase from the poem itself. I skipped them.
Every poem has a romanization and literal translation at the bottom of the page, with the date composed—if known—and the occasional note on its translation or historical context. Contains an appendix with explanations of the various kireji and how they work to impart emotion or structure to haiku, and in his introduction Henderson also includes a basic guide on how to pronounce Japanese.
I very much appreciate his scholarship, interpretation, and analysis of the form and its practitioners, but not so much his translations.
Though, in the rare instances when he let go of the rhymes, his work could be lovely:
Leading me along
my shadow goes back home,
from looking at the moon.
—Sodō
He also adds a title to every haiku, whether they originally had one (most often from a headnote) or not. Few provided additional context. Some repeated a phrase from the poem itself. I skipped them.
Every poem has a romanization and literal translation at the bottom of the page, with the date composed—if known—and the occasional note on its translation or historical context. Contains an appendix with explanations of the various kireji and how they work to impart emotion or structure to haiku, and in his introduction Henderson also includes a basic guide on how to pronounce Japanese.
I very much appreciate his scholarship, interpretation, and analysis of the form and its practitioners, but not so much his translations.
Though, in the rare instances when he let go of the rhymes, his work could be lovely:
Leading me along
my shadow goes back home,
from looking at the moon.
—Sodō
February 21, 2015
I've been interested in the Haiku poetic form for a few years, now, but started reading the Beats before Basho, which is a bit backwards. Trolling through my favorite used bookstore in the Hadley-Amherst, MA area (Grey Matter Books - that store seriously rocks), I stumbled upon this lovely An Introduction to Haiku: An Anthology of Poets from Basho to Shiki.
What made this even more enjoyable than the Haiku, itself, was Henderson's knowledge of Japanese culture and language and his passionate attempt to try to communicate the subtleties of Japanese Haiku to the English reader. I really appreciated his notes and commentary, which gave the poems a dimension I probably would have missed. If you are new to Haiku, this book is a great place to start.
Here is a taste:
Clouds [Basho]
Clouds come from time to time -
and bring to men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon.
Winter [Basho's Pupil, Joso]
Mountains and plains,
all are captured by the snow -
nothing remains.
[Onitsura]
To get to know plum blossoms,
both one's own heart
and one's own nose.
[Buson]
As the spring rains fall,
soaking in them, on the roof,
is a child's rag ball.
[Issa - one of my favorite poets in this anthology]
There are thanks to be given:
this snow on the bed quilt -
it too is from Heaven.
What made this even more enjoyable than the Haiku, itself, was Henderson's knowledge of Japanese culture and language and his passionate attempt to try to communicate the subtleties of Japanese Haiku to the English reader. I really appreciated his notes and commentary, which gave the poems a dimension I probably would have missed. If you are new to Haiku, this book is a great place to start.
Here is a taste:
Clouds [Basho]
Clouds come from time to time -
and bring to men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon.
Winter [Basho's Pupil, Joso]
Mountains and plains,
all are captured by the snow -
nothing remains.
[Onitsura]
To get to know plum blossoms,
both one's own heart
and one's own nose.
[Buson]
As the spring rains fall,
soaking in them, on the roof,
is a child's rag ball.
[Issa - one of my favorite poets in this anthology]
There are thanks to be given:
this snow on the bed quilt -
it too is from Heaven.
December 14, 2010
I found this to be a scholarly yet refreshingly personal presentation of haiku and its old masters.
I love that Henderson gives not only all of the originals, but also direct translations of each word beneath the Japanese.
While the rhyming often takes away from the haiku, in certain instances it makes them more powerful. I think his argument in the preface that rhyming adds a sense of finality was good enough to justify that choice, even though he does have to really stretch it at times. Also, haiku contain wordplay such as alliteration and puns, and as these are largely untranslatable, some kind of poetic device as a substitute makes sense.
Some of his claims annoy me, but the overall tone of the book is congenial and somehow softens the sense of him being a know-it-all:
"The people? I can't say;
even an upright scarecrow
does not exist today.
is hardly poetry by any standards."
I'll tell you what standard it's poetry by, HENDERSON. The standard of provoking emotion and empathy, such as feeling sad for Issa who can barely notice anyone by his grief.
I love that Henderson gives not only all of the originals, but also direct translations of each word beneath the Japanese.
While the rhyming often takes away from the haiku, in certain instances it makes them more powerful. I think his argument in the preface that rhyming adds a sense of finality was good enough to justify that choice, even though he does have to really stretch it at times. Also, haiku contain wordplay such as alliteration and puns, and as these are largely untranslatable, some kind of poetic device as a substitute makes sense.
Some of his claims annoy me, but the overall tone of the book is congenial and somehow softens the sense of him being a know-it-all:
"The people? I can't say;
even an upright scarecrow
does not exist today.
is hardly poetry by any standards."
I'll tell you what standard it's poetry by, HENDERSON. The standard of provoking emotion and empathy, such as feeling sad for Issa who can barely notice anyone by his grief.
February 27, 2019
I’m fine with an occasional, intentional or unintentional, rhyme in haiku, but the forced rhyming in these translations really ruined this book for me. Most of the haiku used as examples in this book seemed like they had a word added to the end of the first or last line to complete the required rhyme. Although this book was published over 60 years ago (1958), I still feel that the author, with all his knowledge of Japanese culture and literature, should have known better. I had previously read Harold Henderson’s “Haiku in English” published 8 years later (1967), by this time he seems to have been moving away from the practice of rhyming translated haiku. In his “Suggestions for Beginners and Others," he even warns against “Rhyme and other poetic devices being so obvious that they detract from the content.”
I would recommend “The Essential Haiku” edited by Robert Haas, or even the little Dover “Classic Tradition of Haiku" as better introductions to haiku than this book.
I would recommend “The Essential Haiku” edited by Robert Haas, or even the little Dover “Classic Tradition of Haiku" as better introductions to haiku than this book.
March 16, 2021
I suppose this book is called an "introduction" to haiku, and I should have known what I was getting into reading a short book written by an American about the form...
I don't feel so much that I've learned anything about haiku, but rather that I've learned what Harold Gould Henderson really likes about haiku. His descriptions of even historical events and the real events in people's lives feel totally filtered through his own opinions and impressions. He would have us believe that he is presenting the people and places the way the Japanese understand them... but he only lived in Japan 3 years. He had a lot of experience in the US with "far eastern art", but I found as I read through that his highly emotionally charged language made me doubt his reporting.
I also took some issue with his translations. Perhaps that's presumptive of me. I don't know Japanese. But he provides the literal translation of the Japanese, and his translations go far afield.
For starters, he tries to make his first and third lines rhyme (which he does not do consistently). He says this is to capture some of the "sound" of the originals, but it makes his poetry sound like nursery rhymes. He says the Japanese do not "rhyme", totally ignoring internal assonance and other obvious rhyming structures in many of the poems. I didn't have to speak Japanese to pick up on it. They don't rhyme at the end of every line- it's even more complex than that. It's not a complexity he manages to preserve in his translations.
For seconds, he adds a lot of unnecessary verbiage. Perhaps he wrote this at a time when he was constricted by English poetry's grammar. It's not uncommon now to have a very simple poem of mostly nouns, but still have it speak volumes. No doubt this is due to the influence of forms like the haiku. A more sparse, and impactful, translation of nearly all the poems in this volume would be possible (and preferred).
It's an old book, so perhaps it has historical relevance as one of America's first introductions to haiku. That's mainly why I read it, because I wanted to see how things have changed. In my mind, it showed me more about how English poetry has changed, rather than showed me how Japanese poetry works.
Still, the book was very interesting, and since I knew very little of the topic beforehand, I loved getting this brief (possibly biased) introduction. I'm eager to read more about haiku. Next time, I'll try and pick a Japanese author.
I don't feel so much that I've learned anything about haiku, but rather that I've learned what Harold Gould Henderson really likes about haiku. His descriptions of even historical events and the real events in people's lives feel totally filtered through his own opinions and impressions. He would have us believe that he is presenting the people and places the way the Japanese understand them... but he only lived in Japan 3 years. He had a lot of experience in the US with "far eastern art", but I found as I read through that his highly emotionally charged language made me doubt his reporting.
I also took some issue with his translations. Perhaps that's presumptive of me. I don't know Japanese. But he provides the literal translation of the Japanese, and his translations go far afield.
For starters, he tries to make his first and third lines rhyme (which he does not do consistently). He says this is to capture some of the "sound" of the originals, but it makes his poetry sound like nursery rhymes. He says the Japanese do not "rhyme", totally ignoring internal assonance and other obvious rhyming structures in many of the poems. I didn't have to speak Japanese to pick up on it. They don't rhyme at the end of every line- it's even more complex than that. It's not a complexity he manages to preserve in his translations.
For seconds, he adds a lot of unnecessary verbiage. Perhaps he wrote this at a time when he was constricted by English poetry's grammar. It's not uncommon now to have a very simple poem of mostly nouns, but still have it speak volumes. No doubt this is due to the influence of forms like the haiku. A more sparse, and impactful, translation of nearly all the poems in this volume would be possible (and preferred).
It's an old book, so perhaps it has historical relevance as one of America's first introductions to haiku. That's mainly why I read it, because I wanted to see how things have changed. In my mind, it showed me more about how English poetry has changed, rather than showed me how Japanese poetry works.
Still, the book was very interesting, and since I knew very little of the topic beforehand, I loved getting this brief (possibly biased) introduction. I'm eager to read more about haiku. Next time, I'll try and pick a Japanese author.
May 12, 2024
Henderson's commentary is personal and learned and worth every minute of your time. His preferences and idiosyncracies make the commentary more valuable, not less. However, his decision to render nearly all of his translations in rhyme is super disappointing. I understand that he wants to emphasize the formality of the haiku "frame," but rhyme does not achieve that effect in English. It's just too striking, and calls attention to itself every time, distracting from the haiku experience. It is strange that he rightly sees haiku as being a form that sets off trains of thoughts, but insists on snapping each haiku shut with a sonic trick. He thus closes what should be open. Additionally, rhyme requires reaching for words whose valances of meaning in English make them poor translation choices. Far better to choose for alliteration, assonance, or slant rhyme within the haiku itself if one wants the pleasure of similar sounds. Overall, not a good introductory book.
July 9, 2021
Picking this up in hopes to better my personal haiku writing, I wasn't expecting such a history lesson. This book was certainly thorough in its history recounting, and the narration had a bit of personality and preference despite the dry material it covers. I'm not giving this an official rating as it's more historical, facts, and interpretations than a story of any sort so it's hard to be entertaining over insightful.
February 9, 2025
The prose in this book remains interesting and informative, but the translations are now woefully outdated because Henderson insists on making them rhyme, which they do not in the original Japanese. So anyone interested in learning how to write haiku must read other books first.
July 25, 2019
I'm not a fan of Henderson's haiku translations (added titles, extra words, and forced rhymes). Shiki's brief haiku writing advice is worth 5 stars though.
April 19, 2020
Must be lucid and suggestive -- and these are wonderful.
June 22, 2021
Enjoyed the haiku obv, not so much the commentary.
October 11, 2023
Basho to Shiki,
Henderson parades their stuff --
Issa is my man!
Henderson parades their stuff --
Issa is my man!
May 17, 2009
Do you like Haiku? I sure do. I've even composed scores of (mostly bad) Haiku. This volume is a nice introduction to the genre. Just 3 lines and a few syllables per line.
This book begins with a narrative that lays out the nature and background of this genre of verse (Japanese). But, for me, the highlight is the poetry itself.
My favorite (showing that I am hardly a rebel) is Basho.
Some of his verse:
Spring sarts:
New start; old rice,
Five quarts.
Or:
The first day of the year:
thoughts come--and there is loneliness;
the autumn dusk is here.
Or:
"Hawk-eyes too will fail
now that the darkness comes"--
so chirp the quail.
Other poets included are Buson, Issa, Shiki, and others as well.
A nice introduction to this mode of poetry.
This book begins with a narrative that lays out the nature and background of this genre of verse (Japanese). But, for me, the highlight is the poetry itself.
My favorite (showing that I am hardly a rebel) is Basho.
Some of his verse:
Spring sarts:
New start; old rice,
Five quarts.
Or:
The first day of the year:
thoughts come--and there is loneliness;
the autumn dusk is here.
Or:
"Hawk-eyes too will fail
now that the darkness comes"--
so chirp the quail.
Other poets included are Buson, Issa, Shiki, and others as well.
A nice introduction to this mode of poetry.
January 12, 2009
I found it really helpful to compare the direct word-for-word, English-Japanese translations, however ungrammatical it read. Often, the haiku made a bit more sense. Also, having the Japanese version at hand, helped with onomatopoeic haiku, and Henderson's explanations were invaluable, as many haiku require some knowledge of Japanese history, culture, and religion. Contains many worthwhile haiku, so even if the reader lacks interest in the poets' histories, one will find a broad and well-organized selection of haiku to thumb through.
January 23, 2011
A great introduction. I had been writing some haiku for a while, just to have something to write. He made me fall in love with the form. His translations of the poetry are amazing, especially those of Issa. I also enjoy how he gave background into the authors' lives and then gave examples from their poetry. I will be coming back to this for years to come, whenever I need to remember the world is beautiful.
February 12, 2016
Published in 1958, Henderson helped to bring an understanding of Japanese haiku to English speakers with his collection of translated poems and background information. He often makes rhyme between the first and third stanza, perhaps to make haiku more like western poetry, but this weakens the translation for modern readers who don't have such expectations. Over all a decent introduction though not the most compelling for me.
September 5, 2007
This is an enjoyable overview of the works of some of the most famous haiku authors. Each haiku has an English translation, and phonetic Japanese with word for word literal English translation. I prefer other translations I've read for a number of the most famous poems. I think maybe the author tends to focus too much on making rhymes, but I know no Japanese, so what do I know?
September 5, 2007
great poems selected, fine commentary - but did he have to rhyme so many of his translations? arg.
April 13, 2009
Great introduction to Haiku
June 11, 2013
I very much enjoyed reading his commentary about how he translated the classic haiku poets work into English. I learned a great deal about how to write haiku in English from those explanations.
August 29, 2014
Nice, short and very brief intro to the start of haiku, a Japanese poetry form and how it came into it's own with Basho, Buson, Issa and other early haiku poets.
December 2, 2019
The selection of haiku was very hit and miss for me.
Read
April 17, 2013Ah...another soul find. peaceful teachings
August 11, 2013
"blossoms" in haiku are cherry blossoms always
-Harold Henderson, An Introduction to Haiku
-Harold Henderson, An Introduction to Haiku
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews