Poetry

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Poets rejoice! Our collection of poetry offers a little of everything, from haiku to the Beats. Whether ancient or contemporary, spiritual or secular, these poems promise to inspire.

View of Drikung Lamayuru Monastery (Wikipedia)

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What The Water Knows by Sam Hamill

Find out more about Sam Hamill here.

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Reader's Guide

A Tour of our Haiku Books

Many know haiku as a three-line poem, the first and last lines five syllables long, and the second line, seven. But there is much more to what defines haiku, elements more subtle than prescribed syllable counts or line breaks. In fact, Japanese haiku are typically written in a single column, and many haiku deviate from the syllable count familiar to so many of us. So, what then, makes a haiku a haiku? Demonstrated throughout the haiku tradition is a close relationship to nature, and thus seasonal references are usually present. However, haiku also maintains a certain openness to interpretation, and this is the aspect of haiku with which many writers new to the tradition struggle. There is so much complexity to the seemingly simple art of haiku and its history, and the books in this guide, by translators and editors with a deep respect for the art, enlighten readers to a rich cultural tradition, leaving a delightful appreciation for the unique poetic form.

Featured Excerpt

Finding One’s Self in the Universe | An Excerpt from Song of Myself

What is commonest and cheapest and nearest and easiest is Me,
Me going in for my chances, spending for vast returns,
Adorning myself to bestow myself on the first that will take me,
Not asking the sky to come down to my goodwill, Scattering it freely forever.

Articles

Kazuaki Tanahashi: A Guide for Readers

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Happy Poetry Month 2023!

Happy National Poetry Month! From haiku to the poems of the Beats, from ancient translations to modern free verse, everyone can find a style to love in our poetry collection. Enter your email be...

Remembering Patricia Donegan

Patricia Donegan, the great poet, translator, and promoter of haiku, died on Tuesday, January 24th at 6:20pm CST. Her friend Elaine Martin shared the following: ...

Poetry Month 2022

Happy Poetry Month! From lyric to free verse, modern words to ancient translations, spiritual to artistic guidance—discover a new poem to love. Sign up below to receive a new p...

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