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Haiku Moment: An Anthology of Contemporary North American Haiku
Haiku Moment is the most comprehensive volume of contemporary North American haiku written in English.
It contains over 800 haiku by 185 poets. Most of the haiku in this collection are nature poems, some of these merely nature sketches overlaid with recognizable human emotion. In general, these haiku are meant to reflect either the style of the Basho School of haiku with its emphasis on the preservation of temporal loneliness and emotional objectivity or the haiku of Issa with their joyful evocations of the liveliness and empathic resonance found in the natural world.
Noteworthy haiku poets
It contains over 800 haiku by 185 poets. Most of the haiku in this collection are nature poems, some of these merely nature sketches overlaid with recognizable human emotion. In general, these haiku are meant to reflect either the style of the Basho School of haiku with its emphasis on the preservation of temporal loneliness and emotional objectivity or the haiku of Issa with their joyful evocations of the liveliness and empathic resonance found in the natural world.
Noteworthy haiku poets
- GenresPoetry
331 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 13, 2015
Let’s face it. If you are not “into” writing and reading Haiku then you might find the some 800 odd poems in this anthology a bit thin. I think in most cases Haiku can be a bit of an acquired taste (though a relatively easily acquired one). But I really did enjoy it.
Now it’s touted as contemporary, but the selections were made from poems published in the decade 1982 to 1992, making it 20-30 years out of date. As an indicator of what’s going on in English rendering of Japanese form poetry currently, it possibly has less value. It does bring together a good slice of North American poetry of that period, minus some noted poets.
There’s a succinct(okay it’s 30 pages but there’s a lot of info squeezed in) introduction to the collection that covers what elements make up Haiku, both in traditional Japanese and English language Haiku, the four masters Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki are covered and the intersection with the Imagists Ezra Pound, Amy Lowell and later the Beat Poets.
The introduction should prepare you well enough to enjoy most of the works that follow - I come to it as a practitioner of the form so its hard for me to tell. Being Haiku, the majority of the poems a nature/ observation based. A note on the poems splits them roughly into two types:
…. these haiku are meant to reflect either the style of the Basho School of haiku with its emphasis on the presentation of temporal loneliness and emotional objectivity in the treatment of nature subjects (and occasionally, as in later Basho, an elevated warm-heartedness found in one's relation to commonplace things) or the haiku of Issa with their joyful evocations of the liveliness and empathic resonance found in the natural world. All of the haiku in this anthology, moreover, should convey a moment of insight experienced by a poet in real time through real beings and objects, a moment that the reader may enter and share.
Some of the difficulties I experience in finding good Haiku to read and learn from, is discerning good sources (this is becoming easier as a grow as a poet). Anybody can attempt a Haiku (and many do) though I am not sure how many see it as anything other than writing something poetic in 17 syllables. A search for Haiku on Kobo will give you hundreds of books of whose quality it can be had to determine. Haiku Moment addresses that problem to some extent. It gives you a sense of what one well known gatekeeper thinks is quality Haiku and you can then attempt to track down works of the poets contained therein.
Here are three haiku to give a general idea. Mind you there’s 800 to choose from.
Summer is over.
A horse walks its reflection
along the lake's edge
Ann Atwood
The way silence waits
and waits ... for the next
cry of the loon
Beatrice Brissman
migrating geese
one falls farther and farther
behind
Charles Dickson
You could jump straight into the work having never read Haiku before, but the real value I have found is as a source for good examples of the continued lineage of the form.
Now it’s touted as contemporary, but the selections were made from poems published in the decade 1982 to 1992, making it 20-30 years out of date. As an indicator of what’s going on in English rendering of Japanese form poetry currently, it possibly has less value. It does bring together a good slice of North American poetry of that period, minus some noted poets.
There’s a succinct(okay it’s 30 pages but there’s a lot of info squeezed in) introduction to the collection that covers what elements make up Haiku, both in traditional Japanese and English language Haiku, the four masters Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki are covered and the intersection with the Imagists Ezra Pound, Amy Lowell and later the Beat Poets.
The introduction should prepare you well enough to enjoy most of the works that follow - I come to it as a practitioner of the form so its hard for me to tell. Being Haiku, the majority of the poems a nature/ observation based. A note on the poems splits them roughly into two types:
…. these haiku are meant to reflect either the style of the Basho School of haiku with its emphasis on the presentation of temporal loneliness and emotional objectivity in the treatment of nature subjects (and occasionally, as in later Basho, an elevated warm-heartedness found in one's relation to commonplace things) or the haiku of Issa with their joyful evocations of the liveliness and empathic resonance found in the natural world. All of the haiku in this anthology, moreover, should convey a moment of insight experienced by a poet in real time through real beings and objects, a moment that the reader may enter and share.
Some of the difficulties I experience in finding good Haiku to read and learn from, is discerning good sources (this is becoming easier as a grow as a poet). Anybody can attempt a Haiku (and many do) though I am not sure how many see it as anything other than writing something poetic in 17 syllables. A search for Haiku on Kobo will give you hundreds of books of whose quality it can be had to determine. Haiku Moment addresses that problem to some extent. It gives you a sense of what one well known gatekeeper thinks is quality Haiku and you can then attempt to track down works of the poets contained therein.
Here are three haiku to give a general idea. Mind you there’s 800 to choose from.
Summer is over.
A horse walks its reflection
along the lake's edge
Ann Atwood
The way silence waits
and waits ... for the next
cry of the loon
Beatrice Brissman
migrating geese
one falls farther and farther
behind
Charles Dickson
You could jump straight into the work having never read Haiku before, but the real value I have found is as a source for good examples of the continued lineage of the form.
June 30, 2023
migrating monarchs
cluster along the shoreline
thousands of wet stones
sunrise
blooms in the purple
of a wild iris
by firelight
listening to the silence
of things we cannot see
the bright silence of sun in a clay pot
snow dusted branches
sparrow footprints
lead into the air
such red tulips
not minding the rain at all
desert
quietly composing
silence
only the stone-smell
tells of it . . .
summer rain
after the foghorn
silence
drifts toward shore
wind chill minus five
the piercing whistles
of the starlings
deserted beach—
the hollow sound of waves
collapsing
no two falling
the same way
cherry petals
a car
at the cliff’s edge—
the Milky Way
cluster along the shoreline
thousands of wet stones
sunrise
blooms in the purple
of a wild iris
by firelight
listening to the silence
of things we cannot see
the bright silence of sun in a clay pot
snow dusted branches
sparrow footprints
lead into the air
such red tulips
not minding the rain at all
desert
quietly composing
silence
only the stone-smell
tells of it . . .
summer rain
after the foghorn
silence
drifts toward shore
wind chill minus five
the piercing whistles
of the starlings
deserted beach—
the hollow sound of waves
collapsing
no two falling
the same way
cherry petals
a car
at the cliff’s edge—
the Milky Way
April 18, 2021
a pretty good collection. the introductory essay gives a good rundown of classic concepts like mono no aware and sabi. it does lack some of the classic names it mentions though, like Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro.” a lotta good ones in here nonetheless. here’s a few:
“the telephone
rings only once
autumn rain”
“locking the door
shutting my eyes
the wind still inside my head”
“Without a thought,
the neighbor’s backyard
turns green.”
“such a storm!
falling on the roof
all the stars”
“daybreak frost
the sound of leaves falling
through leaves”
“the telephone
rings only once
autumn rain”
“locking the door
shutting my eyes
the wind still inside my head”
“Without a thought,
the neighbor’s backyard
turns green.”
“such a storm!
falling on the roof
all the stars”
“daybreak frost
the sound of leaves falling
through leaves”
June 2, 2022
Impossible to pick a few best; too many example are great.
After having studied and read fine literature for decades, I’m finally retired and now able to seriously submerge into poetry, especially Haiku. Fluent in three languages, I find Haiku universal, so adaptable to any language. I’m studying the form and writing Haiku also. Consequently, this book has been a great kick start by showing me superb examples in English. I highly recommend this book. I will return to read it many times, enjoying it immensely but also taking notes and learning from it.
After having studied and read fine literature for decades, I’m finally retired and now able to seriously submerge into poetry, especially Haiku. Fluent in three languages, I find Haiku universal, so adaptable to any language. I’m studying the form and writing Haiku also. Consequently, this book has been a great kick start by showing me superb examples in English. I highly recommend this book. I will return to read it many times, enjoying it immensely but also taking notes and learning from it.
December 27, 2020
3.5 stars. I don't typically read poetry, but was curious about this collection of haiku. Most of the poems do not conform to the 5-7-5 pattern of my grade school experience, but they effectively crystallize moments in nature. I especially liked the haikus of Kenneth Tanemura. In sum, reading this collection reminds me to stop every once in a while and simply be.
August 26, 2023
A seminal collection, inclusive and artfully curated, laid out carefully with a tremendously informative and thought provoking introduction which will prove riveting to the scholar and historian, invaluable for practicing poets. Highly recommended!!
December 12, 2023
Loved this collection so much. Filled with beautiful poems. An easy and enjoyable read.
May 26, 2024
Superb collection of contemporary haiku. And Bruce Ross' introductory essay is gold.
November 5, 2024
Wonderfully assembled anthology. However, it does give one the idea that the only people allowed to write haiku are well-off white folks living off the grid.
November 21, 2025
My favorite haiku anthology thus far! Extremely good.
July 3, 2013
A very solid book that delivered exactly what I was looking for: Haiku by a variety of North American authors to introduce me to the form. It also provided a detailed discussion on what haiku is. Some of the pieces I liked, some I didn't, just like with any art; I would certainly recommend this book if you are trying to broaden your understanding in the form.
January 20, 2009
If you love haiku, you'll love this book. it's an anthology, which really shows the different ways that haiku can be written. You'd think they'd all kinda be the same, but they're nOt! If you love poetry, this is a great book to pick up time and again, simply for leisure or inspiration!
August 17, 2011
A really well done collection. Most contemporary haiku disregards the 5-7-5 rule and sticks more or less to three short lines that try to capture a moment involving nature. The poets in this anthology really live up to that spirit of haiku. (November 2008)
March 23, 2015
Phenomenal collection of contemporary haiku. This comprehensive anthology is prefaced by a meticulous analysis of the roots of haiku and the continuous evolution of the form in the english language. A must read for haiku enthusiasts!
March 30, 2011
Haiku is addicting!!!
September 25, 2012
I have read this book several times through and am continuously struck by something new each time. It's a must have for any serious haiku poet or anyone with an interest in the form.
November 27, 2013
A book of substance.
March 12, 2016
A fine collection of English language haiku written in the 1980s to early 90s.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews