Clark Strand

Dec 6, 2024 | tricycle.org | Clark Strand

“Red leaves” have long been associated with the acceleration of time in haiku poetry—that noticeable quickening we feel at the end of autumn as the year begins to come to its close. The dominant feeling of haiku on this theme tends to be melancholy, but there are many flavors of that emotion, some of them lightened by humor or wordplay, others mixed with wistfulness or longing. The winning and honorable mention haiku for last month’s challenge covered the full range of those feelings.

Oct 25, 2024 | tricycle.org | Clark Strand

In his book Haiku World, William J. Higginson identifies the moon as one of the two most important seasonal themes in haiku poetry, the second being cherry blossoms. He writes: The word ‘moon’ by itself will always be taken as the full moon of an autumn month, unless other material in the verse clearly indicates another season. The reason is simple: The moon is generally brighter and bigger in the fall, making it a more noticeable feature of the night sky.

Sep 30, 2024 | tricycle.org | Clark Strand

Tricycle is offering free access to select articles during this uncertain time. Your contribution helps make content like this possible. Show your support for as little as $1. There is something serene about hydrangeas in full bloom. Their shadowy leaves and large, showy blossoms call the slowness of a summer afternoon to mind. A place of peace to rest the eyes, they rest the soul also.

Sep 7, 2024 | tricycle.org | Clark Strand

Shade trees figured prominently in the lives of premodern people. Large, leafy trees with wide-set branches were used for a variety of purposes: as open-air meeting spaces, as cooling stations for livestock, and—when situated on private property—as places to nap or chat during the hottest hours of the day. In Buddhist countries shade trees have long been associated with monastic life.

Aug 3, 2024 | tricycle.org | Clark Strand

Although they are lovely to watch on summer evenings, fireflies have often been associated with melancholy in haiku—either because they evoke feelings of nostalgia for lost childhood or because their intermittent light has the paradoxical effect of making the dark feel even darker. Fireflies are always blinking—and always being swallowed by the night.