The Disjunctive Dragonfly: A New Approach to English-Language Haiku

by Richard Gilbert

The Disjunctive Dragonfly is Richard Gilbert’s update of a portion of his seminal Poems of Consciousness (Red Moon Press, 2008), wherein he investigates how language experimentation in contemporary English-language haiku both connects and radically departs from 20th century conventions. Gilbert identifies 24 varieties of disjunction that haiku poets have at their disposal, with examples and explication. This volume is the most important theoretical study of English-language haiku in the new century, and will leave its imprint on the genre for generations.

Genres: Poetry

136 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2013

About the author

Richard Gilbert has always had a passionate interest in growing house plants and there can be few writers with greater experience. He is particularly interested in begonias, bromeliads and saintpaulias (African violets) but has grown virtually every house plant available at some time. A long standing member of the Royal Horticultural Society, he now sits on their committee responsible for greenhouse and house plants. This committee recommends suitable awards for exhibits of plants in its field of interest, including those at the Chelsea Flower Show. He has also been chairman of the British Saintpaulia and Houseplant Society since 1965.
Richard Gilbert has travelled throughout the world to study plants in their native habitats and the knowledge he imparts comes totally from first-hand experience.

Reviews

[Alex Fyffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

the deeper it goes
the m o r e
dis/
junct
-ive
i be combs

In The Disjunctive Dragonfly, Richard Gilbert has admirably identified a couple dozen distinct techniques that give haiku their oomph. He elaborates on these "disjunctive" techniques found in modern English-language haiku (ELH) and provides examples primarily taken from then very recent publications. Gilbert has filled the text with a mindboggling amount of mini-masterpieces that clearly illustrate his points. The book is short enough to read through in a day, but it is one of those books you know you'll be returning to from time to time for inspiration. However, the applications by Gilbert are so terrifyingly technical, you sometimes look up from the book and find yourself knee-deep in jargon so thick, it's hard to pull yourself back to dry land. The book's brevity, however, saves it from becoming too overwhelming, and, although the complexity can become a hindrance to reading pleasure, it is still a welcome academic look at this evolving art form and a useful guidebook for the haiku enthusiast.

reading Gilbert the bathwater cools

[Chris Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to think with.