In my previous journal, I discussed the concept of yūgen and its application in haiku poetry. I briefly examined the history of yugen and included several examples of the concept.

In my fifth and final journal of this series, I will be discussing the aesthetic principle known as “Karumi.” I will examine the origins of karumi, and discuss its importance in understanding haiku.

Developed by Matsuo Bashô during his final travels in 1693 (Hass 7), karumi is perhaps one of the most important and least understood principles of haiku poetry. Karumi can best be described as “lightness,” or a sensation of spontaneity. In many ways, karumi is a principle rooted in the “spirit” of haiku, rather than a specific technique. According to author Robert Aitken, Bashô taught his students to think of karumi as “looking at the bottom of a shallow stream (26).” When karumi is incorporated into haiku, there is often a sense of light humor or child-like wonderment at the cycles of the natural world. Many haiku using karumi are not fixed on external rules, but rather an unhindered expression of the poet’s thoughts or emotions. This does not mean that the poet forgets good structure; just that the rules of structure are used in a natural manner. In my opinion, karumi is “beyond” technique and comes when a poet has learned to internalize and use the principles of the art interchangeably.

For example…

green plum-
it draws her eyebrows
together

In this poem by Yosa Buson, the reader is immediately drawn in by the image of color. The fact that the plum is “green” alludes to a sense of youth and vibrancy seen in many haiku containing karumi. From the plum, we are then taken to the gently humorous image of a woman crinkling her face at the sight of the unripe fruit. Whenever I read this poem, I often think of a small child, who is perhaps seeing an unripe plum for the first time. For me, this adds a sense of lightness to the piece.

While Buson used karumi in several of his pieces, the concept is most often seen in the work of Kobayashi Issa. Despite the hardships Issa faced in his life, he often chose to see the wonderment in the strength of smaller creatures, such as flies, frogs, and fleas. In addition, Issa often illustrated the actions of children and beggars in his work. In many instances, Issa often used sabi and karumi together. For example…

blowing her snot
on the moonflower…
the young girl

(translated by David Lanoue)

In this poem (one of my personal favorites), Issa illustrates that the most resounding images in haiku are often those that do not take themselves too seriously. While Issa clearly makes use of structure and “hanging images,” he does so in a manner that is so fluid, that all we as readers see is the clarity of the image. In addition, Issa juxtaposes the idealized beauty of the moonflower with the snot of a small child. In this way, their roles are switched. The flower is given a sense of earthliness, while the child is revealed as beautiful in her lack of preconceived notions about the world. In this poem, she is displayed as simply “being.”

As one of the central components of haiku, karumi is also incorporated into many modern poems as well. What is important to understand is that the “light” humor demonstrated in karumi is very different from the more piercing humor of senryu verse. For example…

twilight dusk . . .
placing a cricket on
the dragon's tongue


In this poem by haijin Fay Aoyagi, karumi is incorporated in the sense of child-like wonder. Will the dragon come to life at twilight? Notice here that there is also a sense of yugen, both in the image of “dusk” and the sensation of “waiting” to see what will happen to the cricket. As I mentioned earlier, good haiku often uses several techniques at once.

Another clear example of karumi’s spontaneity can be seen in this piece by poet Amy Nawrocki…

whenever green days
come to me
the frog in me sings

Notice that in this piece, the poet’s total focus is on conveying a clear sense of emotion. Some poets would argue that her use of repetition in “me” is unnecessary. However, I believe that this is inconsequential as the haiku contains a sense of awareness that is the foundation of haiku’s principles.

In my personal study, karumi is a principle that I often try to incorporate into my poems. I feel that this is one of the concepts that allow haijin to see that the “writing” of haiku is only part of what it means to be a haijin. To me, this sense of spontaneity not only extends to other art forms but also to life itself. For beginning haijin, learning to incorporate karumi really stems from being comfortable with your techniques and willing to experiment and simply have fun with the art form. As I mentioned earlier, this does not mean a lack of attention paid to detail, just that you learn to see images just as they are, and as result, more than what is in front of you. This is one idea that Bashô sought to teach his students, but was slightly frustrated when many of them could not grasp the idea. I think that it something that simply comes with time.

This concludes my journal series on the principles and techniques that create “Aware” in haiku poetry. Remember, the best way to understand these concepts is through actual practice. Read the work of skilled haijin and try to see what concepts are present in their poetry. Also, try to relate these concepts to other forms of art. I personally tend to think of concepts in terms of the martial arts. For me, though they are different disciplines, both poetry and martial arts embody many of the same principles.

Thanks for reading! I will be taking a break from journals through the month of August in order to do some self-study in the arts. Also, my mind right now is on the big day….GRADUATION!!!! May 31st!!!


Works Cited:

Aitken, Robert. “A Zen Wave: Basho’s Haiku and Zen.” New York and Tokyo:
Weatherhill, 1978.

Aoyagi, Fay. “Simply Haiku.” Spring 2009 [link]

Hass, Robert. “The Essential Haiku: versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa.” New York.
Harper Collins, 1994.

Lanoue, David. “Master Bashô, Master Buson…and Then There’s Issa.” [link]

Nawrocki, Amy. “Simply Haiku.” Spring 2009 [link]