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Three Breaths
"Three Breaths" is poet Nancy Brady's latest foray into the intriguing world of haiku. In this volume she experiments with a form she calls "haiku reduction". A short poem is restated several times, each repetition being a shorter breath of a central idea which forms the heart of the verse.
Nancy Brady is a pharmacist by profession and a poet by nature. A native Ohioan, she draws inspiration from the beauty of her surroundings, and captures moments in haiku and other short poetry forms. In this volume, she experiments with a new poetry form she calls haiku reduction by taking verse in the traditional form and sifting it through stages to its essential single breath.
Nancy Brady is a pharmacist by profession and a poet by nature. A native Ohioan, she draws inspiration from the beauty of her surroundings, and captures moments in haiku and other short poetry forms. In this volume, she experiments with a new poetry form she calls haiku reduction by taking verse in the traditional form and sifting it through stages to its essential single breath.
- GenresPoetry
76 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2013
491 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 15, 2016
I use to play around writing haiku with my friends when I was in High School -- but I never thought about purpose or inspiration--
Nancy draws her inspiration from the beauty of her surroundings.
Look how gorgeous the book cover is?/!
In this collection - Nancy "experiments with haiku reduction by taking verse in the traditional form and sifting it through stages to its essential single breath"
Many lovely haiku's:
"Japanese maples
their leaves a fiery red
against ice blue sky"
"Cirque Soleil...
the squirrels acrobatics
on the feeder"
"a dusting of snow
peeping through, purple
pansies
still in bloom"
"puffball
explodes
seeds"
"Three Breaths", by Nancy Brady.... is really beautiful. Such a nice way to wake up in the morning! A type of meditation in a way!!
Peaceful reading!!!
Nancy draws her inspiration from the beauty of her surroundings.
Look how gorgeous the book cover is?/!
In this collection - Nancy "experiments with haiku reduction by taking verse in the traditional form and sifting it through stages to its essential single breath"
Many lovely haiku's:
"Japanese maples
their leaves a fiery red
against ice blue sky"
"Cirque Soleil...
the squirrels acrobatics
on the feeder"
"a dusting of snow
peeping through, purple
pansies
still in bloom"
"puffball
explodes
seeds"
"Three Breaths", by Nancy Brady.... is really beautiful. Such a nice way to wake up in the morning! A type of meditation in a way!!
Peaceful reading!!!
December 23, 2013
Nancy Brady gives another beautiful rendition of poetry in her book, Three Breaths. Haiku being her style of choice, in this book, Brady uses the term "Haiku Reduction" to explain an idea for a type of poetry that incorporates haiku into it. She begins with the traditional five-seven-five lines, then "reduces over three repetitions" until her third and final form is a single word representing each line of the original haiku. She opens by explaining the history of haiku and how she came about it.
I really enjoyed this style of writing. I found it unique, and refreshing, the "reduction" simplifying the prose and in the end clarifying it into one single thought that encompasses so much more. By the time you get to the final line, the ideas and thoughts left by the single words are much fuller than they appear, having just read a more complete thought, with descriptives that are tight enough to form a single image, yet open enough to allow the reader to expand on the ideas both visually and emotionally. It really was a very distinctive and pulchritudinous way of writing haiku.
Brady also adds some traditional haiku poetry as well as poetry styles popular in other cultures. Some of these are Tanka and Haibun which are traditional Japanese styles, Elfje which is based on the Dutch word for elf, and some free verse. Much like Ohayo Haiku, one of the other books on poetry she has written, Brady revisits some of her favorite themes such as cats and weather. And once again I am struck by how much I am touched by the ones about weather. Autumn and winter are my favorite and Brady does Ohio proud with her beautiful poetry. She also touches upon other themes such as recycling and Japan. My particular favorite from this volume is the one entitled "Dictionary Elles", which tugs at my heartstrings and my propensity for verbosity.
Again, her poetry is not something to be gulped down but savored and digested slowly. Overall, I found Brady enjoyable and original.
ClassicsDefined.com
I really enjoyed this style of writing. I found it unique, and refreshing, the "reduction" simplifying the prose and in the end clarifying it into one single thought that encompasses so much more. By the time you get to the final line, the ideas and thoughts left by the single words are much fuller than they appear, having just read a more complete thought, with descriptives that are tight enough to form a single image, yet open enough to allow the reader to expand on the ideas both visually and emotionally. It really was a very distinctive and pulchritudinous way of writing haiku.
Brady also adds some traditional haiku poetry as well as poetry styles popular in other cultures. Some of these are Tanka and Haibun which are traditional Japanese styles, Elfje which is based on the Dutch word for elf, and some free verse. Much like Ohayo Haiku, one of the other books on poetry she has written, Brady revisits some of her favorite themes such as cats and weather. And once again I am struck by how much I am touched by the ones about weather. Autumn and winter are my favorite and Brady does Ohio proud with her beautiful poetry. She also touches upon other themes such as recycling and Japan. My particular favorite from this volume is the one entitled "Dictionary Elles", which tugs at my heartstrings and my propensity for verbosity.
Again, her poetry is not something to be gulped down but savored and digested slowly. Overall, I found Brady enjoyable and original.
ClassicsDefined.com
November 14, 2013
GENTLE. NOSTALGIC. ENTERTAINING.
"spring melancholy
rock 'n roll hits of youth
now classic songs"—464/748
By all that is even a little bit reasonable, I am probably the least qualified person I know to offer comments on a book of poetry—of any stripe; much less one one with Haiku proclivities. But, then, when have I ever let not knowing what I'm talking about slow me down?
Poetess, Nancy Brady is my very good, 'goodreads.com' friend, and when she recently published her latest book of poems,THREE BREATHS, I was strongly tempted to dabble. I'm glad I did.
Many more 'huh?' than 'ah-ha!' synapses were firing as I read—especially early on, while reading in the Haiku Reduction section. I'm still grappling with the 'three breaths,' 'one breath' idea. Then, somewhere, about mid-point, things (and style) seemed to change, and more 'ah-ha!' moments had me reaching for the highlighter, more and more often. (Speaking metaphorically, of course, since 'highlighting' on an iPad involves tap/hold/slide your finger across a touch screen.)
Recommendation: Reading should be interesting, enlightening and entertaining…. THREE BREATHS is all three. Do dabble.
"We believed our teachers,
The ones who said,
'If you use a word ten times,
The word is yours forever.' "—683/748
Kindle edition, 748 locations(?)
"spring melancholy
rock 'n roll hits of youth
now classic songs"—464/748
By all that is even a little bit reasonable, I am probably the least qualified person I know to offer comments on a book of poetry—of any stripe; much less one one with Haiku proclivities. But, then, when have I ever let not knowing what I'm talking about slow me down?
Poetess, Nancy Brady is my very good, 'goodreads.com' friend, and when she recently published her latest book of poems,THREE BREATHS, I was strongly tempted to dabble. I'm glad I did.
Many more 'huh?' than 'ah-ha!' synapses were firing as I read—especially early on, while reading in the Haiku Reduction section. I'm still grappling with the 'three breaths,' 'one breath' idea. Then, somewhere, about mid-point, things (and style) seemed to change, and more 'ah-ha!' moments had me reaching for the highlighter, more and more often. (Speaking metaphorically, of course, since 'highlighting' on an iPad involves tap/hold/slide your finger across a touch screen.)
Recommendation: Reading should be interesting, enlightening and entertaining…. THREE BREATHS is all three. Do dabble.
"We believed our teachers,
The ones who said,
'If you use a word ten times,
The word is yours forever.' "—683/748
Kindle edition, 748 locations(?)
August 31, 2013
A book, primarily, of an experimental form of haiku called haiku reduction. There is also a section of traditional haiku as well as a section of other short poetry forms and free verse. I may be prejudiced as I am the author.
August 22, 2013
I especially like the concept of haiku reduction. Reading them aloud is like a guided meditation.
January 6, 2018
3 3/4 stars won on Goodreads. The first set of poems seems to be a new twist on haiku I like most of those poems. Some, maybe from the way I read them, I didn't think work well in this new form. The second part I like the best. The last part not so much. Although some I did like. I even read the last part 2-3 times, but it seemed it wasn't my cup of tea.
November 22, 2023
I regret not discovering and reading this sooner, was so excited and grateful to find it in the Haiku Foundation's amazing digital library. Nancy Brady has for some time been one of the most talented and creative haikuists publishing in English today, and this glimpse into her process and thoughtful selection of work of highest caliber is a delight to read not to mention of the utmost help for poets new and experienced (and translators) for better grasping, applying concision, and deciding upon how much to say and omit, finding the appropriate measure of yûgen and dreaming room to include in each piece. Besides the profound reduction exemplifying body of collection additional haiku, tanka and (wish were more! <3) haibun included are simply stunning, senryu side-splitting in occasional appearances! This is a collection the entire writing community with our shared mission and interests of achieving brevity and punchiness can benefit and learn from, it's wonderful and generous of poet and foundation to allow opportunity to appreciate and admire, read or download at no cost. Highly encourage all to take advantage and enjoy this seminal collection!!
October 28, 2018
Wow! Such wonderful haikus and poems!
Some of my favorites and others of note:
I enjoyed how the reduction from the original haikus went in two stages to a final 'boiled-down' haiku of 2-3 words.
Kind of like the literary journal the author mentions in the Intro, some reduced haikus are understood better by reading the original haiku. Others, like page 9 about milkweeds transform into something completely new.
Love it!
Others, like Page 16, made me stop and take time to see what I would have come up with if I'd reduced the original haiku.
Then there were others that made me laugh! Page 38 about the blue jays and Page 50 with the ringing cell phone!
The Ginko poem on Page 59 was like a puzzle; uncovered a little by each line.
And I enjoyed the poem Dictionary Elles! A great peek into the author's life!
Some of my favorites and others of note:
I enjoyed how the reduction from the original haikus went in two stages to a final 'boiled-down' haiku of 2-3 words.
Kind of like the literary journal the author mentions in the Intro, some reduced haikus are understood better by reading the original haiku. Others, like page 9 about milkweeds transform into something completely new.
wind
scatters
life
Love it!
Others, like Page 16, made me stop and take time to see what I would have come up with if I'd reduced the original haiku.
sky
silhouettes
deepen
Then there were others that made me laugh! Page 38 about the blue jays and Page 50 with the ringing cell phone!
The Ginko poem on Page 59 was like a puzzle; uncovered a little by each line.
And I enjoyed the poem Dictionary Elles! A great peek into the author's life!
October 10, 2013
I rather enjoyed reading the haiku reductions! It really did feel like a form of meditation.. like counting backwards, except with the number of syllables.
Although I giggled when I read the following: and thought that it should have ended with
;)
Although I giggled when I read the following: and thought that it should have ended with
;)
August 8, 2014
I won this from a goodreads giveaway and I absolutely loved it. It's exactly the kind of book I'm interested in!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews