Imagine having to write a poem about a topic you find interesting and funny. Now, imagine doing it in just 17 syllables: five in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. What you just created is called a haiku.
On Tuesday, February 25, the Asian American Association hosted a ‘Haiku Slam Poetry Night’ on campus. The event was open for all students who wanted to learn how to write a haiku.
“We wanted to educate the students at the University of Memphis on the traditional style of a haiku and give them a way to express themselves through poetry,” said Mariana Balderrama, the Vice President of the Asian American Association.
A haiku is a form of poetry that originated in Japan. Haikus have three lines and follow a specific syllable structure. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables.
“It doesn’t have to be super personal, it can be whatever’s in your heart,” said Kesean Johnson, a UofM junior who attended the event and plans to join the Asian American Association this year.
At the beginning of the event, attendees were given 15 minutes to brainstorm and write a haiku following the correct syllable structure. After everyone finished writing their haikus, each person went up and presented them.
“A lot of people don’t have experience with poetry, so I think this was a good experience for them,” said LeAnn Sivilay, President of the Asian American Association.
Towards the end of the event, some participants improvised haikus on the spot, a style known as freestyle haiku.
The beauty of haikus is it can be about anything the writer chooses. People in the group wrote haikus that were funny, about things they like, and some based off personal experiences.
“We wanted to encourage people to step outside of their comfort zone and to communicate to everyone in the room which led to it being a very personal experience.” said Sivilay.
Writing poetry can be challenging, but it is a creative process that is unique to the writer. The purpose of the event was to encourage each other to think creatively while learning a new style of poetry. It was a great way to get to know people a little better.
“I thought of it as a great time for everybody to enjoy the poems and things like that and just getting to know everyone else in this club,” Johnson said.
The Asian American Association hosts other events as well. Their biggest event is their ‘Tour of Asia’ which takes place towards the end of the semester.
“It’s a big performance of multiple Asian American dances and customs,” said Samuel Medina, graphic designer for the Asian American Association.
More info for that event will be available on the Tigerzone app at a later date.
