thumb|Cherry blossoms ([[sakura), often simply called blossoms () are a common spring kigo.]]

A is a word or phrase associated with a particular season, used in traditional forms of Japanese poetry. Kigo are used in the collaborative linked-verse forms renga and renku, as well as in haiku, to indicate the season referred to in the stanza. They are valuable in providing economy of expression.

History

Representation of, and reference to, the seasons has long been important in Japanese culture and poetry. The earliest anthology of Japanese poetry, the mid-8th century , contained several sections devoted to the seasons. By the time of the first imperial Japanese anthology, the a century and a half later (AD 905), the seasonal sections had become a much larger part of the anthology. Both of these anthologies had sections for other categories such as love poems and miscellaneous () poems.

The writing of the linked-verse form renga dates to the middle of the Heian period (roughly AD 1000) and developed through the medieval era. Over time, set rules developed for the writing of renga, and its formal structure specified that about half of the stanzas should include a reference to a specific season, depending upon their place in the poem. According to these rules, the (the opening stanza of the renga) must include a reference to the season in which the renga was written. Poets as early as Iio Sogi (1421-1502) introduced the concept of seasonal references with anthologies of seasonal topics.

A lighter form of renga called ("playful" linked verse) was introduced in the 16th century, and became a salon type recreation by the Tokugawa era. Poets soon began to compose independent of the longer, collaborative renga and it began to become an independent style.

Japanese seasons

Japan is long from north to south, so the seasonal features vary from place to place. The sense of season in kigo is based on the region between Kyoto and Tokyo, because Japanese classical literature developed mainly in this area. In the Japanese calendar, seasons traditionally followed the lunisolar calendar with the solstices and equinoxes at the middle of a season. The traditional Japanese seasons are:

  • Spring: 4 February–5 May
  • Summer: 6 May–7 August
  • Autumn: 8 August–6 November
  • Winter: 7 November–3 February

Within season categories, kigo can denote early, middle, or late parts of a season, which are defined approximately as the first, second, or third month of the season. In linked haiku forms like renku, subsequent linked haiku must move forward in season temporally. There are other rules governing season words in renku, including the frequency of certain season words, and how many stanzas remain in a season, once mentioned.

Saijiki and lists of kigo

thumb|right|A [[sunflower, a typical summer kigo.]]

Japanese haiku poets often use a book called a , which lists with example poems. An entry in a usually includes a description of the kigo itself, together with a list of similar or related words, and some examples of haiku that include that kigo. The are divided into the four seasons (and modern usually include a section for seasonless () words). Those sections are divided into a standard set of categories, and then the kigo are sorted within their proper category. Japan Great Saikiji uses the sub-categories of season words, the heavens, earth, humanity, observances, animals, and plants.

Examples of Japanese summer kigo are: The writing of haiku around the world has increased with the advent of the internet, where one can even find examples of haiku written in Latin, Esperanto, and Klingon, as well as numerous examples in more common languages.

thumb|right|A large [[Jacaranda tree in full bloom]]

Different regions internationally have their own lists of kigo. The Southern California Haiku Study group created their own list, which includes regional weather like June gloom and smog, Forest fires, seasonal events like the Tournament of Roses Parade, and local flora like the Jacaranda.

Kigo and haiku: an example

In the famous haiku by Matsuo Bashō below, is a for spring. Haiku had been traditionally written about the singing of mating frogs, but Bashō chose to focus on a very different sound.

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| The old pond;<br />A jumps in,—<br />The sound of the water.

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Haiku without kigo

Haiku without kigo is possible, and are described as (no-season).

See also

  • Culture of Japan
  • Haiku in English
  • List of kigo

Further reading

Print

  • 、. [Title: "Introductory Saijiki", editor: "Ōno Rinka", Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten]
  • <!--http://booklikes.com/kiyose-season-word-guide-william-j-higginson/book,9382327-->

:(24 pp. A pocket kiyose listing over 700 Japanese kigo in English, ordered by season and category)

Online

  • Japanese Haiku — a Topical Dictionary at the Univ. of Virginia Japanese Text Initiative a work-in-progress based on the Nyu-mon Saijiki by the Museum of Haiku Literature in Tokyo, most translations by William J. Higginson and Lewis Cook
  • Haiku in Twelve Months by Inahata Teiko, on the Kyoshi Memorial Museum website

Online lists of season words

  • The Yuki Teikei Haiku Season Word List from the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society (Northern California)
  • Kiyose from the Shiki Internet Haiku Salon:
  • spring kigo
  • summer kigo
  • autumn kigo
  • winter kigo
  • Alaska Haiku Society Saijiki, with pictures and commentary for some kigo

Notes

References

:(An international haiku saijiki with over 1,000 haiku from poets in 50 countries covering 680 seasonal topics)

:(a companion book to Haiku World discussing the development of haiku, and the importance of the seasons and kigo to haiku)