Global
Haiku Tradition
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Dee Evetts first captured my attention after a person in my Global Haiku Tradition class picked one of his haiku in The Haiku Anthology for class discussion. This particular haiku spurred quite a debate over whether or not it was a moment worthy of a haiku, or simply sensationalist. The poem is as follows:
Many students felt that this moment was disgusting due to its setting in the bathroom, and felt that this haiku conflicted with the ideals of serenity and natural beauty. To many, this poem was too hard, and too manmade. However, after an initially negative reaction to the use of the toilet as a setting, I realized that I really appreciated this haiku. It describes a touching and true moment in the human mind, and shows how, with human beings, love can be found in the most trivial and sometimes even unpleasant settings. After reading more of his haiku in the anthology, I wanted to learn more about this haiku writer himself. What moments are significant for Evetts, and what does he hope to convey with his haiku? I noticed that they all seem to focus on people, and the emotions and reactions they have in various situations. Also, almost every poem I read was funny, so I noted that Evetts works primarily in senryu. However, after interviewing Evetts and reading his entire collection, endgrain, I found more patterns among his work and have developed a more specific statement about his work. Evetts is a senryu writer, who uses humor and images involving people to convey the ironies and complexities of human nature. Though he sometimes incorporates nature itself, the nature of traditional haiku is secondary to human nature in his haiku. He also tends to use narrative links, content about the way various objects feel to touch, and a sarcastic, yet empathetic, voice in his haiku. Finally, moments of significance for him include any moment that reveals something about human psychology.
However, in the late 1980s, Evetts began finding more examples of senryu that he found compelling. He said he especially found such examples among work being written and published in the United States and Canada. He cited George Swede, author of Almost Unseen, as one of his early influences in senryu. Since that time, Evetts said he has garnered "a reputation for being primarily a senryu poet, [which] is justified in so far as probably seventy percent or more of the work that I have published during this time has been towards the senryu end of the spectrum" (email 4/10/02). Evetts went on to say that because of this, he is often extremely happy when he actually produces a haiku that is traditional and not a senryu. In his career as a haiku writer, Evetts has also founded several major haiku organizations and movements, including the British Haiku Society, the Spring Street Haiku Group in New York, and the Haiku on 42nd Street Project in New York as well. He currently resides in New York City, but said he visits Europe frequently. He also supports himself and his wife as a carpenter and cabinetmaker. Overall, he said publishes from six to ten new haiku or senryu a year, and said his total published work is no more than 200 to 250 poems. This biographical information speaks worlds about the content and style of Evetts’ haiku. First of all, he is attracted to the brevity and simplicity of haiku, as he was attracted to his initial Japanese translations. His senryu, much like Swede’s, incorporate insignificant moments that are funny in the irony of the moment or in the truism about human nature that is presented. His residences in London and New York City explain why much of the nature he writes about is human nature, for most of the natural images he sees must be of the human variety. Finally, his work as carpenter and cabinetmaker explains why so much of his haiku includes images of touching or tactile images. Perhaps the best way to illustrate my findings from my readings of his work and my conclusions from his biography is to examine some of the haiku themselves and show how they follow these specific patterns. I have chosen seven haiku that illustrate the major elements of his work. Some of them were chosen for their fame or accolades, while others were simply chosen because I liked them or Evetts indicated they were a favorite of his own. To begin, however, I will discuss the poem that caused so much controversy in our class, which is as follows:
My imagined response to this poem is that a man, waking up upon hearing his wife return from the bathroom at approximately three in the morning, realizes that he must use the bathroom as well. He gets out of bed and is shivering because it is one of those cold, winter nights when a person wants to crawl in bed and never leave. Naturally, he is extremely frustrated and annoyed that he has to leave the warmth of the covers, but he makes it to the bathroom. Sitting down on the seat, the one warm thing about the night is the heat left by his wife. It is a pleasant surprise, and it makes him realize how happy he is to have a companion. The whole sensory experience changes his mood entirely from annoyed to calm. First of all, this poem shows Evetts interest in people. In an email interview, Evetts stated that he tends to write and enjoy reading poems "in which people appear, whether obviously or in a more subtle way, by implication" (Email 4/12/02). In this poem, the human is implied as the speaker, who experiences the moment. Evetts also said that the person in his poems can be the poet or someone the poet observes. In this poem, I believe it can be assumed that the poet is the speaker, as I cannot imagine Evetts observed someone using the restroom, or would do so and then be able to describe so aptly the warmth the person felt. Second, the poem shows Evetts’ interest in tactile feeling, different types of nature and use of the narrative link. This poem is very interested in touch, as the entire image relies on the reader’s ability to feel the warmth of the toilet seat on skin. The reader is almost forced to feel as though they are experiencing the "touch" in the poem in order to truly understand its meaning. In addition, Evetts includes nature in this poem in two ways. The word "chill" implies the seasonal element of the poem, allowing it to follow one of the rules of traditional haiku. However, as per Evetts’ typical style, the human nature element, or the feeling of warmth and implied pleasure experienced by the speaker, is more important. This is not unusual for Evetts to have a truly natural element in addition to a human nature element. In my email interview with him, Evetts stated that he has a "limited appetite for pure nature haiku, especially where they seem to be merely pictures, however well drawn" (Email 4/10/02). However, this statement of his views about nature does not preclude his use of natural elements to complement psychological and emotional elements of humans. In this poem, the natural element is used to help us see how the physical environment affects the emotional state of a human being. Evetts also uses two different types of links in this poem. The first, which Evetts uses in most every poem, is the narrative link. This poem definitely hinges on chronology and a mini-story, as it tells how someone was sitting on the toilet before the speaker. It also presents the story in order, as the speaker sits down and then notices the warmth. I believe this poem also uses a content or sensory link, as the poem starts with the word "chill" and ends with the word "warm." Obviously, there is a link between these statements of temperature, and the poem makes its meaning in the stark difference between the two terms. The second poem I will discuss is perhaps Evetts’ most well-known poem, and (like "chill night") one which he counts among his top ten favorites out of his own writing. This poem also received first place in the Boston Haiku Society Senryu Contest in 1990. It is as follows:
I believe this senryu is so well-received because of its admiration and interest in the individual. Like "chill night," it focuses on a specific person, but, in this instance, the perspective is quite different. The person is not the speaker of the poem, and thus we do not know how the waitress herself feels. However, we do learn about her as Evetts reveals her actions. I have had two different readings of the poem. The first way I read it is that the waitress takes a lot of pride in what is usually deemed as menial labor. She makes her job into an art form, "flourishing" her washcloth, when really what she is doing is simply rearranging smears on a table. The other way I read it is that the waitress does her job in a very haphazard way, and the flourish is simply an extension of her flighty way of cleaning. Both ways of reading it reveal a definite psychological aspect of the character, though I find the character created my first reading to be more interesting. In this haiku, the truly natural element is completely absent, though we are still presented with a clear and compelling image. This is not completely unusual for Evetts’ poems to lack a natural element all together. He often forgoes a truly natural element if it would get in the way of the image, as it most certainly would in this poem. It would be pointless to stick the season or weather in this poem, as it would not complement the picture of human nature he is drawing (which is always Evetts’ main purpose). Like the last, this poem again emphasizes the sense of touch. The reader almost experiences the waitress touching the table with her washcloth. In this poem, however, Evetts uses only the narrative link. This poem definitely tells a story, as one can see the waitress actively cleaning and then leaving with a flourish, only to have the speaker then examine her work. In addition, this poem is one of many that illustrate Evetts’ empathetic, yet sarcastic tone. He is obviously joking about the importance of the job "rearranging smears," in which this waitress seems to take pride, but it is a sympathetic, almost admirable tone at the same time. His sarcasm is not mean; it is instead a gentle irony. Despite the humor he is using, the reader feels that he has nothing but affection for all those about whom he writes senryu. The next haiku by Evetts that I will discuss was chosen because it is my absolute favorite of all his senryu. In comparison to the rest of his work, it also has highly unique elements. It is as follows:
This senryu is excellent because of its humor and insight into human nature, but it definitely provides no concrete physical image at all. The reader cannot get a certain picture from this poem because it is simply not given. The only image that is provided is a psychological image, which in my opinion is strong enough to make this a haiku (or senryu). However, when I imagine this poem, I see a group of about four or five young adults returning from a black-tie business function. They are sitting around a table, probably drinking wine or champagne and talking about people at the party, how they acted, and who had the biggest fashion feux pas of the evening. Finally, one male, with his tie undone around his next and a drink in his hand, asks why whatshisname never speaks to him. Or, at the very least, he is thinking it. Of course, this haiku presents a strong examination of the human psyche and sense of social graces. It shows the generally egotistical nature of basically all humans. We are all concerned with how we are doing socially, but we do not always pay attention to others or genuinely care about them, except in terms of how their favor or disfavor affects us. However, while it is completely a commentary on human vanity, it is also a commentary on human insecurity. Despite the fact that this speaker is unaware of the person’s name whom he believes may dislike him, he is at least genuinely concerned about what this person thinks of him. So, this poem is at once harsh about the selfish nature of humans in society and sympathetic about the insecurity all humans have. This connects very strongly to Evetts’ "empathetically sarcastic" tone, in which he shows affection for his subjects, but also shows their foibles in an ironic and humorous manner. Thus, overall this is a perfect example of Evetts’ interest in displaying truisms of human nature through senryu, though it is highly differentiated from his other senryu by its lack of a clear image, the usual narrative link and tactile content. However, not all of Evetts’ haiku show simply funny or slightly ironic aspects of human nature. Indeed, some of Evetts’ poetry is used as a social commentary or commentary on some dark aspects and unfortunate results of human nature. One primary example is another one of Evetts’ favorites, which reads as such:
Honestly,
I do not get a clear picture from this senryu because I do
not know enough about custody battle proceedings to understand
why the child has to be under the care of a bodyguard. However,
I certainly get the psychological and social implication,
and I imagine that the child is going to testify in court
and has been sequestered from both parents, so that they cannot
sway his testimony in any manner. This really struck me the
first time I read it (and still strikes me) because it is
a sad social commentary on how parental love for a child,
especially in the state we live in today, can ultimately be
detrimental to the child. Finally, there is the psychology of the parents. Senryu proves to be a very convenient and useful form for this particular poem because it allows Evetts to refrain from judgment. The brevity of the haiku form allows him simply to present his image in a detached manner, whereas in a longer poem his feeling about the parents themselves would certainly shine through. Obviously, Evetts finds the situation itself horrifying, or he would not have presented us with it at all. However, he seems to find the parents less horrifying than just representative of divorced parents in general. I believe he shows how the individual pride and blind love of parents can get in the way of what is truly important—the child him or herself. Evetts seems to incorporate some social commentary of his own here, perhaps saying how parents should try to work these matters out for the children’s interest and not spend their time in elaborate litigation. Like his other senryu, this poem uses natural elements to complement the emotional elements. The season of winter is no accident, as the chill of winter fits hand-in-hand with the cold emotions in this particular situation. The reader can almost feel a harsh wind while reading this poem. Also, this senryu marks a return to Evetts’ use of the narrative link. The story is told in chronological order, as we get background information and then see the bodyguard lifting the child. Finally, this senryu includes the feeling of touch once again, as Evetts places special emphasis on the relationship between the child and bodyguard, with the bodyguard lifting the child with his hands. The next haiku struck me because I felt that it is really less of a senryu, but instead more of a true haiku. However, like most of his senryu, it still lacks the natural element and focuses on human psychology and emotion. It is as follows:
This haiku is certainly ambiguous and can be interpreted in many different ways. Two ways struck me. In the first way, the couple driving home are angry with each other, and thus the woman’s pride will not allow even her hair to touch the man. The couple sits in silence because of their anger, and, when the woman reaches over to get a soda, she will not allow her hair to touch him, out of pride. In the second way, this poem simply presents two people who do not know each other well on a road trip. I picture perhaps a student riding home with another student from college, after posting a campus announcement for a ride. They have been silent because they have nothing to talk about and now, as the passenger leans over, she does not let her hair touch the driver, in fear that one of them should have to talk and break the comfortable silence. Again, Evetts uses the idea of touch in this poem. However, this haiku is unique because the image is defined by the lack of touch between the people in the poem. Also, the use of the narrative link continues, this time providing us with an ambiguous image, though this one is nonetheless psychological. This one seems to lack Evetts’ usual voice of sarcastic sympathy, which is what made me classify this poem as a haiku rather than senryu. Evetts has a very distinct voice for his senryu, which seems to be absent here. This next senryu, another favorite of Evetts’, is interesting because it uses completely natural images to convey ideas about humans. It reads as follows:
In this poem, I envision several construction workers building a house in the summer. As summer nears its end, the workers struggle to complete the house. They do not want to be building in the chill of autumn. Thus, they start hammering faster, in the hopes that they will somehow be able to complete their work more expediently. Knowing Evetts’ biography, I enjoy this poem because it has an element of his career within it. A carpenter himself, Evetts definitely knows what the quickening of hammers indicates, and may even be involved in this poem himself. Again, his carpenter’s interest in touch shows itself, though it is more implied by the word "hammers" in this poem. Also, the narrative link reappears in this poem, as it tells a story, starting with the setting and telling the image. I believe a content link is also used between the words "end" and "dusk," with both indicating the end of some amount of time. The most interesting element of this poem, however, is Evetts’ overt use of natural images. He begins with a seasonal statement and ends with a natural statement. In this case, the people in the poem are completely implied, through, ironically, the natural elements of the poem. I think it is an interesting twist for Evetts’ senryu, as he uses nature not just to complement human emotion, but also to create the image of it. The last poem I chose is another personal favorite of mine because of its aptitude for social and psychological commentary. It reads as follows:
For this senryu, I imagine a young girl taking her baby daughter away from home because her parents disapprove of the child. I believe she is, in essence, running away. However, as she sits on the bus, she worries about where she will live, how she will support the child, and what she will do with the rest of her life. She wonders if she will regret running away, and begins to regret it even then. All these worries cause her to suck her thumb unconsciously. Thus, in essence, it is a portrait of teen pregnancy. This poem, like some of his others, shows Evetts using natural elements to complement the emotional aspects of the poem. In this senryu, the word "overnight" lends a darkness to the poem, and a sense of loneliness and sadness to the scene. Like the mother’s future and her current situation, it is dark in the outside world as well. After giving us this image of darkness, Evetts immediately moves us with a narrative link to the mother, forcing us to see the connection between the images. Also, Evetts again uses a "touch" image, with the mother very tangibly sucking her thumb, which the reader almost has to experience. Evetts’ tone in this poem is definitely his usual sarcastic empathy. The senryu itself is funny and ironic, but his sympathy for this young mother certainly reveals itself. This poem has a deeply psychological element, showing human vulnerability and the fact that simply putting on the accoutrements of adulthood does not cause one to lose all the trappings of childhood, or even to act as confident and poised as we all believe adults do when we are young. Assuming even that this mother is in her twenties, not her teens, it shows how everyone is nervous or vulnerable at times, even if they are technically caring for others. Like the "custody battle" senryu, this poem also includes a possible element of social commentary. It seems as though Evetts may be commenting on the young pregnancies in society, and showing how some mothers are not psychologically or emotionally prepared for motherhood. It is certainly not a harsh criticism, but Evetts nonetheless seems to be calling for more maturity before childbirth. Thus, these seven poems illustrate Evetts’ unique style and work as a senryu artist. Evetts uses a blend of satire, some natural elements, and the sense of touch to create imagistic messages about human nature. His genius comes in his ability to look at the ironies of human emotion and psychology without indicating specific judgment, and to reveal truisms about human beings through simply showing us brief images. Evetts’ poetry continues to strike the reader because of its honest representation of human life, and, despite its tendency to play with the rules of traditional haiku and senryu, it should be considered among the best of contemporary haiku writing. —Meg Schleppenbach |
First
of all, a bit of background information on Evetts and his
relationship to haiku may help focus and clarify his approach
to writing. Evetts is a native of England, and he first came
into contact with haiku in 1970s, when he was studying Zen
Buddhism. According to Evetts in an email interview, his first
major contact with haiku came with the R.H. Blythe translations
of Japanese haiku. At first, Evetts said he rejected the idea
of senryu because he found the translations of Japanese senryu
"mostly trivial" (email, 4/10/02). He was a traditional
haiku poet, and had his first haiku published in Haiku Magazine
in 1970.©2002 Randy Brooks, Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois || all rights reserved for original authors