NAMAIKU, the North American version of Haiku, presented at the Toronto Poets Meet

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, May 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Founder of the Art Bar Series, Toronto, writer, artist, and teacher Allen Sutterfield has recently put forth a New North American version of Japanese Haiku, stating, "NAMAIKU is a 17-syllable English-language expression poem with no additional requirements. This is in keeping with North American culture and way of life. NAMAIKU is a North American haiku, making no pretense to rival its sophisticated Japanese predecessors, but quite the opposite, humbly offering itself without pretense or ambition."

Elaborating on the concept, he added, “There are several conventions that haikuists ‘work within’. The most obvious is the 17-syllable maximum in a 5 7 5 pattern of 3 lines. It struck me that this was the basic root of the problem for the English writer, keeping aside cultural intricacies and differences. But the difference in languages calls for a radical adjustment, which is where I saw a possibility. I could keep a syllable count at 17, but the line pattern could be flexible, allowing English-speaking people, not just professed poets, to begin to express in words many of the ‘fleeting impressions’ and momentary awareness’ ever happening in daily life'.

Examples :
The leaves I gather
Are glances, gestures Of your quick passing

Purple Blue Red Green Umbrellas pass the open door - Rainy thursday

Speaking on the NAMAIKU Concept, Irwin Rego, poet, thinker, brand consultant and founder of The Poetrywalla Diaries, with published poems in the UK, stated, "There is a need to sync thoughts, feelings, and words with the cultural fabric of the continent, and Allen has something here that we should sit up and take notice. A Japanese writer says more with a lot less. English being almost opposite in nature makes it difficult for the English writer tying to follow the haiku rules”

He further summed it up by saying “Poetry is soul excavation in words, and syllables are the fun tools for the challenge when it comes to Haiku or Namaiku. Allen is a master of creative expression and words. We are looking at taking this further."

The Art Bar Series recently celebrated 33 years with a meeting of established and young poets and their readings in Toronto, Canada.
For further information on the concept, you could call 6474701268

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