International holidays - Haiku Poetry Day

On April 17, many countries around the world celebrate Haiku Poetry Day. Although it is common knowledge that haiku (or haiku) was originally an exclusively Japanese national tradition, the international status of the holiday speaks to the broader significance of this phenomenon. How did poetic tercets deserve worldwide popularity and why was a separate holiday established in their honor? This famous poem by Matsuo Basho, a classic of haiku poetry, captures the essence of this original literary genre. Minimum words – maximum depth, clear rhythm, picture perfection. Japanese poets followed this principle when honing their skills in composing haiku rhymes. The main objects of their attention are man and nature in an inextricable unity, a harmonious interweaving of life cycles. Autumn in the village is captured in one single image - a sedate heron, leisurely stepping across the mown grass, as if frozen in the pre-dawn silence, resting, like a person, after suffering, gaining strength on the eve of winter. Behind the modest heron you can see the entire panorama of the village, busy with everyday affairs, seemingly monotonous and ordinary, but so calm, peaceful, filled with a deep philosophy of life. Three lines reflect an entire era and the soul of a peasant living in tune with nature. Despite its apparent primitiveness, haiku is subject to strict rules and meets clear canons: a certain number and sequence of syllables, rhythm, punctuation. A true master hones a poem for more than one day, enhancing the emotionality, removing all that is unnecessary, so that the reader not only has a clear picture before his eyes, but also the emotions and experiences that are in tune with the author are stirred in his soul. Of course, all this is radically different from the European poetic tradition with its poems, sonnets, and epics. When Japanese creativity became available to Europeans, and the first translations began to appear in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it created a real sensation and has been triumphantly striding across the planet ever since. Meanwhile, in Japan itself, haiku goes back centuries and is considered a folk invention, like ritual songs or tales. Over time, tercets “migrated” to the courts of the highest nobility and became a separate art along with the tea ceremony, martial practices and other Japanese national “tricks”. The most famous works in the world are the works of Matsuo Basho, who at one time founded an entire school of the genre and defined its canons, but there are many other talented authors, both in Japan and other countries of the world. It is precisely because the genre has long crossed the borders of the Land of the Rising Sun and has become incredibly popular throughout the planet that it has been awarded a separate international date. For example, the no less famous rubai of Omar Khayyam is also a world bestseller, but they are not written today in imitation of the Persian poet by writers from other countries. And haiku is composed in the USA, and in European countries, and in India, and in Africa. This genre is now present in every national literature and influences in one way or another its traditions and philosophy. As with World Poetry Day, the celebration of haiku is marked by poetry festivals, reprints of books by outstanding authors and genre collections, and literary prizes are awarded for achievements in the study or dissemination of haiku poetry in various countries. Ordinary fans of lyric poetry can celebrate this day by rereading the lines of their favorite or unfamiliar poets. Or join the general hobby and try to compose your own tercet about the current moment of existence.