Hi Sally, the zip is intended as an English language analogue to the
Japanese 'teikei haiku' - 'fixed form brief stanza', this is the classic
haiku so frequently, and dubiously, construed as a three line poem of five,
seven and five syllables. Rules etc for the 'zip' and some examples by
poets of various nationalities are at www.villarana.freeserve.co.uk follow
the buttons that say 'frogfest' and 'zip'. Alternatively there's an article
in issue one of World Haiku Review archived at
http://www.worldhaikureview.org
In issue three there is an article on the 1930's Japanese poet Hisajo
containing transaltions of her poetry by Debra Woolard Bender (US) and Eiko
Yachimoto (JP). Each poem appears as a free-style tercet (currenlty the
most common form of the haiku in English) and as a 'zip'. The article is,
in my opinion, a work of genius.
Zips have appeared in some to the most prestigious international haiku
publications. By contrast some specialist editors consider the poems to be
concrete English verse (only) and will not touch them. It's a good argument
for those persons enamoured of angels and pin heads.
Every good wish, John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sally Evans" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 25 December 2001 15:53
Subject: New sub: forest zips
forest hillside in the snow
unseen guest sika deer slots
russet bracken on the slope
oak leaves turn from brown to grey
Ho folks! Question one is : are these zips? because I never heard of zips
before. Do they obey zip rules?
Question two is, what you supposed to do with them? Frame them on the wall?
Sally-ee
http://www.poetryscotland.co.uk
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