Japanese tradition says that folding 1000 cranes will grant you a special wish. Happymess kids are wishing for greater understanding amongst differing cultures, with the belief that understanding can conquer fear (of the unknown).
Happymess kids have made a goal of folding 1000 cranes. There are currently about 2/3 of the way and still folding. They are using their cranes in many creative ways.
In this picture they have created a paper kimono consisting entirely of cranes. Gold cranes make a belt design. Not pictured: a pair of dangling crane earrings.
While folding cranes they are studying Haiku, the Japanese form of poetry that involves writing a very short poem. These poems are typically 3 lines, with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. The word haiku comes from the word “cut” and thus these poems cut to the essence of the subject matter.
Basho Matsuo (1644 ~ 1694) is known as the first great poet in the history of haikai (and haiku)
Spring departs.
Birds cry
Fishes’ eyes are filled with tears
Bush clover in blossom waves
Without spilling
A drop of dew
These poems are often about nature and reveal man’s connection with nature through imagery, juxtaposition and a surprise conclusion. Our team tried writing several haikus and then visited a Japanese teacher who helped them translate their English haikus into the Japanese language.
I have reprinted here an informative instructional piece to inspire your students as they attempt this deceptively simple style of poetry. The original can be found at this link http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem
What you feel should be in a haiku. When you see or notice something that makes you want to say to others -“Hey, look at that!”-include that in a haiku. Many people go for walks just to find new inspiration for their poetry.
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Many haiku seem to focus on nature, but what they are really focusing on is a seasonal reference (not all of which are necessarily about nature). Japanese poets use a “saijiki” or season word almanac to check the seasonal association for key words that they might use in a haiku (thus the haiku is a seasonal poem, and often about nature. But it does not have to be about nature if the seasonal reference is about a human activity). The season is important for coming up with words to use in a haiku, because the poem has so few words, simple phrases such as “cherry blossoms” or “falling leaves” can create lush scenes, yet still reflect the feeling of the verse. Moreover, season words also invoke other poems that use the same season word, making the poem part of a rich historical tapestry through allusive variation. In Japanese, the “kigo” or season word was generally understood; “autumn breeze” might be known to express loneliness and the coming of the dark winter season.
- Winter usually makes us think of burden, cold, sadness, hunger, tranquility, death or peace. Ideas about winter can be invited with words like “snow,” “ice,” “dead tree,” “leafless,” etc.
- Summer brings about feelings of warmth, vibrancy, love, anger, vigor, lightness, action. General summer phrases include references to the sky, beaches, heat, and romance.
- Autumn brings to mind a very wide range of ideas: decay, belief in the supernatural, jealousy, saying goodbye, loss, regret, and mystery to name a few. Falling leaves, shadows, and autumn colors are common implementations.
- Spring, like summer, can make one think of beauty, but it is usually more a sense of infatuation. Also common are themes like innocence, youth, passion, and fickleness. Blossoms, new plants, or warm rains can imply spring. For more information on seasons, go to the link listed below.Seasonal references can also include human activities, and Japanese saijikis contain many such listings. Be aware that some references to human activities, such as Christmas, are effective season words, but require a geographical limitation; while Christmas is a winter season word in the northern hemisphere, it’s a summer reference in the southern hemisphere.
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Add a contrast or comparison. Reading most haiku, you’ll notice they either present one idea for the first two lines and then switch quickly to something else or do the same with the first line and last two. A Japanese haiku achieves this shift with what is called a “kireji” or cutting word, which cuts the poem into two parts. In English, it is essential for nearly every haiku to have this two-part juxtapositional structure. The idea is to create a leap between the two parts, and to create an intuitive realization from what has been called an “internal comparison.” two parts sometimes create a contrast, sometime a comparison. Creating this two-part structure effectively can be the hardest part of writing a haiku, because it can be very difficult to avoid too obvious a connection between the two parts, yet also avoid too great a distance between them that , although this is not necessary provided that the grammar clearly indicates that a shift has occurred.
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Use primarily objective sensory description. Haiku are based on the five senses. They are about things you can experience, not your interpretation or analysis of those things. To do this effectively, it is good to rely on sensory description, and to use mostly objective rather than subjective words.
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Like any other art, haiku takes practice. Basho said that each haiku should be a thousand times on the tongue. It is important to distinguish between pseudo-haiku that says whatever the author thinks in a 5-7-5 syllable pattern and literary haiku that adheres to the use of season words, a two-part juxtapositional structure, and primarily objective sensory imagery.
We have found that studying and writing haiku style poetry is a great linguistic exercise. The poems are short and the attributes quite specific, thus making the haiku less intimidating for the young student.
Worksheet for Creating Your Own Haiku
Click to access howto_haiku.pdf
Girl folds for world peace
Kimono of 1000 cranes
Dressed for tolerance
Let Me Count the Days: Homeschooling is a haiku of global learning.
Filed under: Art, Community Service, Current Events, History, Humanities, Literature, World Awareness, Writing | Tagged: 1000 cranes, education, homeschool, homeschooling, inspiration, kids write haiku, literature, origami cranes, poetry, writing |
Homeschool Happymess: A Naturally Inspiring Approach to Education 
It is fun following your blog, it is like being in elementary school again, what fun, and your kids are so cute too, your daughter looks adorable in that crane dress 🙂 love it!
Thanks for your interest and support. It’s fun to able to reach out and connect with others and to share our daily endeavors with an audience beyond our home.
Allia
What amazing kids to have that love and perception. May all there wises be granted.
If we work together we can hopefully reduce intolerance and increase capacity for world peace.
Allia
Such a cool idea!! 🙂
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