Hello, Party People!
First, a small programming note. Normally, I send out the exclusive member bonus content on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This week Iām sending it out on Thursday and Friday because of circumstances completely within my control š.
why did the skeptic get a ticket? she doesn't believe signs are real
Shared Mechanics of Humor, Horror & Haiku
One of the hardest concepts in haiku to master is using the cutting word or line, known as the kireji (åćå). Sometimes the kireji is described as being similar to the volta in a sonnett.
The more helpful analogy is to think of the cutting word as the turn. The turn in a haiku is like the twist in a short story, the punchline in a joke, or the moment in a horror movie you realize who the crazed murderer actually is.
The turn in haiku is meant to subvert your expectations. It takes the narrative of the observation in an unexpected direction. This turn does not have to be humorous or dramatic. You can also write excellent English language haiku without worrying about the turn. However, if you are able to get a feel for this device, it will enhance the power of your poetry.
The haiku at the top of this post is not one of my best poems, but itās a decent joke. At the risk of ruining the humor, letās break the joke down.
The joke relies on your understanding that skeptics donāt believe in the supernatural. It also assumes you understand that people who exceed posted speed limits may get pulled over and issued a ticket. The first two lines of the haiku are the setup. The narrative is that a driver, a skeptic, is getting a traffic ticket. The punchline subverts the expected answer to the question posed and uses a second meaning for the word sign. Signs can mean physical speed limit notices like the one in the comic, or it can mean evidence of the supernatural.
The skeptic exceeded the speed limit because she did not believe in signs.
Writer-director Jordan Peele explains that horror and humor share the same DNA:
Here is a humorous horror comic I shared this past Halloween. Look at the turn things take between lines two and three:
missing researchers wndered what the monster was. monster was hungry
The turn in humor and horror can also be thought of as correcting the narrative to its true path after the misdirection of the setup.
One of the ways Iāve worked on learning how to use the turn in haiku is by writing hundreds of horror and humor haiku. Now, horror and humor elements often sneak their way into my more ātraditionalā haiku as I work on making the turn.
Here are two other haiku comics with a turn:
inbetween nowhere, jalopies pass each other divided highway
caterpillar melts inside secret chrysalis goo to butterfly
In the end, writing haiku is less of an intellectual exercise and more of a spiritual and emotional process. The best way to master any element, but especially the tricky turn or kireji is to write a lot of haiku. At some point, as you write more of these poems the different elements begin to become second nature.
Haiku Prompt
Itās your turn! Write a humor or horror haiku with a focus on including a cutting line or turn to take your poem in an unexpected direction. Please share your poems in the comments!
Be the poetry you want to see in the world!
Cheers,
Jason
Love the sense of humor. Iām not a poet but I love words. Your poems are pithy and pack a punch... alliteration, I know, but the sentiment is real. I just joined Substack and you are one of my first āsubscriptionsā. Because of your wit with words. Thank you for that!š
Great, comical and educational!