|
William Hart's Global Haiku
ancient headstones
the names and numbers
worn to mutters
- Hart, Wildcat Road, p30
 William Hart is an exceptional author from Kansas whose works span across the field of haiku, prose, film, novels and poetry. Before finding his place as an accomplished writer he entertained every type of odd job imaginable from being a house painter, working on ranches, an aircraft burrer, and digging ditches. It was only after entertaining all of these jobs that he finally returned to school, found his place in the writing community, and began to teach courses in English throughout Los Angeles. It was there that he met his, wife Jayasri Majumdar, a PBS documentary producer. Together they joined forces to create some very compelling documentaries. Their most recent film Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change examines the life of white and an Afro-American nuns during the 1960’s who fought to improve equality rights in Alabama and within the Catholic church. William and Jayasri’s film aired nationally this year on PBS, and has already received lots of recognition. Hart continues to enrich his life as he and his wife travel around the world together and experience the many sides of life (http://home.earthlink.net/~hartsarts/index.html).
Whether it be the way Hart internalizes his unique experiences within his haiku, or his impeccable technique Hart brings a quality to his haiku that is absolutely compelling, Hart had my total attention with the first haiku I read, and I immediately knew that I had to bring this author to the attention of others. My author study focuses on three of Hart’s most successful collections of poetry: Paris, Monsoon, and Wildcat Road. Each of these books focuses on a different region of the world and illustrates the beauty of culture. Perhaps it was my equal love of travel that helped me to recognize Hart’s love and intrigue for cultures around the world, but with each book I read Hart opened my eyes to a new angle of some of the most beautiful places around the world.
Hart seemed to have a set trend that followed through all of his works. To begin with each collection focused on a specific place that was set up for the readers right away in the title of the book. In this way the reader is able to place themselves in the correct mood to thoroughly enjoy the book. Hart then narrows his choice of location down to a few specific aspects of the culture of the place. Generally he chooses to magnify the rather insignificant objects and habits that are often overshadowed by the mass stereotyping that others are drawn to. I first noticed his attention to detail in his book Paris.
on Tue Pigalle
the circonflexe moustache
clings to its niche
-Hart, Paris (p12)
This haiku is a perfect example of how Hart is able to focus his audience on a humorous image that they would generally never quite notice. It was just amusing the way Hart gave the moustache life by creating its assumed place on the human face into a chosen home. The moustache blossomed from an inadament object, into a furry little creature making its home on an unsuspecting man’s face. The fact that it’s clinging to its niche makes it seem as though it’s hanging on for dear life as though it is about to be shaved. It’s just such a silly, clever image.
behind locked steel gates
a shrieking game of tag
in the synagogue yard
-Hart, Paris (p4)
Another thing that I love about Hart, besides his beautiful use of imagery, is the unsuspected contrast within most of his haiku. The contrast is always very slight. The image of contrast that he uses is always introduced by a description that fits the theme of both. By doing this, a very irregular feeling occurs within the haiku, and the reader is very easily able to tell that something is being pointed out within the line. This is a very clever way of pointing the audience to where Hart wants them to focus. For example, in this haiku the synagogue is described as being very desolate and rigged. ‘Locked steel gates’ is a very cold, lifeless image, which is unusual to begin with seeing as a synagogue is meant to be a place of worship (normally that would imply a warm feeling). Contrasting to the image of cold steel is that of the game of tag carrying on within the walls. This section brings on the lighthearted, gleeful image of children running and playing. ‘Shrieking’ connects the two contrasting images together. When one thinks of shrieking and steel together the result is a chilling, awful noise. But, coupled with the game of tag it becomes the giddy laughter of children. In this way Hart no only creates a beautiful contrast, but fits them together with a single word.
a mademoiselle
face melted
by sorrow’s gravity
-Hart, Paris (p11)
This haiku made me think of a Van Gough painting. My mind went specifically to his painting “The Scream.” Between the colors swirling around the main subject of the painting, and the way that his face is elongated, I could envision the woman placing herself within the painting. Van Gough created “The Scream” returning from a trip with some friends. At one point during the outing he stopped at the side of a river. His friends continued on, but he stood there slowly feeling his world begin to contort and melt. Panic filled his body, until a sudden silent scream whipped through the air, sea, and finally through him. He returned home and painted “The Scream” as a depiction of that moment. I envision the woman in the haiku stopping in the street to look at a print of this painting, and becoming the man along the river. I then can feel the scream whip through the people surrounding her, through her, only visible in her eyes.
This is simply my version of the woman’s sorrow, but what’s so beautiful about this haiku is that it has the potential to change with every person that reads it. ‘Melted’ is such a powerful word, and leaves plenty of room for the reader to imagine what the woman has gone through that has made her so utterly dejected.
Next, we travel with hart to his wife’s place of birth during India’s monsoon season. What amazed me about this book was its attention to the simplicity of India’s culture that is often overlooked by those not familiar with India’s culture. India is such a beautiful culture full of colors, music, dance, and food, that it is very easy to become blinded and overlook the poverty that supports the beauty. In the book Monsoon Hart is able to successfully capture the majesty of India while still paying close attention to the poverty that is ingrained within it.
perfect foil
the pearl dealer’s
stained teeth
- Hart, Monsoon p22
There is such a dazzling contrast in this haiku. Hart sets up a spotless image of what the man is selling. Even the foil, which is usually easy to crinkle and bend, is mad out to be presented perfectly. The next line makes us think again of the purity of the white of the pearl. Then suddenly Hart flips the image to the stained teeth of the pearl dealer, completely contrasting the images of beauty. Although this image does not seem to fit with the others, it gives the haiku personality and life. I love how in this haiku the last line is what makes this image so entirely colorful and spirited.
blue sari turns
water jar balanced
all curves
- Hart, Monsoon p.34
This haiku is a perfect image of an Indian woman. In India skinny women are not glorified they way they are in America. Instead, a truly beautiful woman is meant to have curves. The way that a sari is designed, the woman’s mid section is usually revealed, thought to be one of the most sensual parts of the female body, to show off these impressive curves. Although Indian woman are curved and robust, they still hold the poise and grace of a swan. They way the water jar balances on the woman’s head as she turns is an indication of her mysterious grace and power over men. I love how this haiku takes place in mid action. The woman is in mid turn, and the reader is left to wonder what the next moment holds for the two characters. In this way the haiku sets a very mysterious tone that mimics the personality of an Indian woman.
Finally, Hart brings his audience close to home on Wildcat Road. Here the audience is given a glimpse at the places and objects of Hart’s home that he feels most close to. This book was the most intimate read for me because of the insight I was given about his life, thoughts, and attention to detail. Throughout this book Hart continues to refer back to the mass of butterflies that travel to his home every year. The butterflies seem to bring him comfort, and presented a nice through line to the book. In order to point out just how much the intimacy of his relationship to his home and the butterflies that travel there each year I chose to compare Hart’s haiku to another from an anthology we read earlier in the year.
Two enormous peaks
stand facing one another-
butterflies at noon
Ota A, Hidden Pond (p.59)
on a windy treetop
my butterfly stampede
just as always
William Hart, Wildcat Road (p.21)
Both of these haiku fit very nicely together. They both create the same tone through the use of butterflies. I really enjoyed how each of these haiku set the season without coming straight out and saying it, but instead using a very season specific creature. There is a feeling of warmth within both haiku because the use of butterflies suggest the time of spring. Both also have two very contrasting feelings within them. There is a very strong sense of lightness and spring represented by the butterflies, but at the same time there is the presence of power and strength. In the first example the strength is held in the peaks of the mountains the sit off in the distance that the mimic the shape the butterflies create. The second haiku keeps the tree light and moving like the butterflies and it is the description of the amount of butterflies that hold the weight of the haiku. ‘Stampede’ is not a word that one would normally choose to describe butterflies. It almost makes the haiku feel heavy with the weight of the hundreds and hundreds of butterflies. Finally, I liked how both haiku were presented from an onlooker’s point of view. The speaker seems to simply be laying back, taking in the sight, and enjoying its beauty.
In order to present an even clearer picture of the effect the intimacy of Hart’s haiku can have we must revisit his book Paris.
post-jet slumber
traffic in the rain
a disconsolate sax
-William Hart, p.1
listening to
his harmonica
my mood changes
-Alisha Goebel, Millikin student
Both these haiku clearly illustrate the powerful impact music can have on people. The harmonica as well as the saxophone both poses the ability to change one’s mood quite quickly. A saxophone may pipe in an upbeat quick tempo mimicking the quickness and lightheartedness of love. It can also produce a wailing, droning sound of pain and sorrow. The harmonica also possesses the same gift. Some may imagine the harmonica being played by a Louisiana man on his porch enjoying a barefoot walk down the sidewalk. Others hear the blues echoing from within a miniscule jail cell. Depending on the way the author molds the instrument within the haiku can set a very definite mood and tone. Within the first of these haiku the authors have chosen a darker, mellow, more depressing tone. The second haiku has the versatility to be interpreted either way, but coupled with Hart’s haiku it takes on the same mood as the first. I thought it was very interesting just how much impact the first haiku had on the second.
Hart is simply an amazing author who understands just how powerful the art of haiku can be. Through his work he takes his readers all around the world and successfully captures the detail and beauty of each culture.
‘Basho would have approved of Mr. Hart…’ —Kevin Bailey
Haiku Quarterly
There is no way to capture the well crafted imagery of Hart’s work. He builds images in a way that fills his readers with emotion, life, and beauty.
a hilltop city
shimmers under the stars
night train
- Hart, Monsoon p.17
• • •
Sources
Hart, William. Monsoon. Fulton, MO: Timberline Press, 1991.
Hart, William. Paris. Fulton, MO: Timberline Press, 1996.
Hart, William. Wildcat Road. Fulton, MO: Timberline Press, 2000.
“William Hart’s Poetry.” <http://home.earthlink.net/~hartsarts/id1.html>
|
