Poetry responding to the stillness of Granville Redmond’s paintings.
Hushed Haiku
Kigo - Season
Granville Redmond was able to create a narrative landscape through the use of his paintbrush. His paintings transport the viewer to quiet scenes and create feelings of serenity. Haiku poetry has a similar ability to create a narrative and peaceful reactions with only a few words and syllables.
Haiku is a short form of Japanese poetry that traditionally consists of three phrases with a specific number of syllables creating each line. The most popular form is broken down into 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables again. A haiku traditionally contains a kigo, a word or phrase that symbolizes or implies the season of the poem.
One of the best-known Japanese haiku is Bashō’s “Old Pond.”
古池や蛙飛び込む水の音
ふるいけやかわずとびこむみずのおと
This separates into:
fu-ru-i-ke ya (5)
ka-wa-zu to-bi-ko-mu (7)
mi-zu-no-o-to (5)
Translated:
old pond
frog leaps in
water’s sound
Sun lit hills and sea (5)
Golden poppies glowing bright (7)
Deep breaths in and out (5)
Make It Your Own
Show Us Your Work
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Receive news about collections, exhibitions, events, and more.