29. Senryū
Traditional senryū is a genre of comic verse that follows the same metric pattern than traditional haiku (5–7–5 'on' /syllables), but do not use the kigo (when a season word is present, it is not a formal kigo, so as classically understood). According to Ichiro Fukumoto —as reported by Ban’ya Natsuichi (in 'Technique Used in Modern Japanese Haiku: Vocabulary and Structure')—, the real difference between senryū and haiku is that senryū does not have 'kire' (cutting), whereas haiku does.
This haikai genre was born from a form of witty and satirical haikai called 'maekuzuke' (a kind of 'zappai' –miscellaneous– haikai), which focused on people —also with sex/erotic themes, since maekuzuke contests were often held in Edo's pleasure district. Although they were composed by chōnin (townspeople: merchants, craftsmen, ordinary people), who used to mock the nobles and samurai through such verse, they mostly mocked their own kind. Besides, such verse were sometimes cruel, with heavy irony against the poor and unfortunate people.
Senryū was indeed the facetious part of this kind of linked verse (maekuzuke means "verse capping"), whose theme ('maeku', or foundation stanza, usually of 7–7 'on', but sometimes of 5–7–5 'on') was set by a judge ('tenja'), while each competitor had to add a 'tsukeku' (capping stanza), in order to get a 31 'on' poem. One of the most known senryū was part of the following maekuzuke, where the maeku is the second part of it:
"catching the thief / and looking at him— / it was my own son!
I want to kill him, / and I don't want to kill him"
The genre took its name by the pen name, Karai Senryū (where 'senryū' means "river willow"), of Karai Hachiemon (1718–1790), who was a government official in the Asakusa area of Edo (Tokyo), and also one of the foremost 'tenja' of maekuzuke, as well as editor of anthologies —he published 22 senryū collections, by choosing the 'tsukeku' he considered the best, out of the maekuzuke contests he presided. The following, is an 18th century senryū that mocks the famous Bashō’s hokku:
"master Bashō / at every plop / stops walking"
For about eighty years senryū was very popular, but over time degenerated, striving to achieve greater and greater effect, into crazy stanzas; thus lost its attractiveness. But in the second half of the twentieth century it arose to a new popularity, also with famous company-sponsored senryū competitions, like Toto industry, famous for its so-called washlet bidet-type commodes, that is in its 13th year of sponsoring a "Toire senryū taishō" (Toilet Senryū Award).
The following is a senryū from the 27th "Senryū Contest for Salaried Workers", held by the Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. [from The Japan Times –japantimes.co.jp– Oct. 2014]:
"the class reunion / where we compete to see / which one looks youngest"
It is often said that haiku is about nature, while senryū is a humorous poem centered on the human being. Yet, this is a gross over simplification, first because haiku is a product of interaction between nature and human beings, with us, the humans, as part of nature; then because senryū explores the weaknesses of human nature, usually in a facetious or satirical way, but also describing a moment/view in the psychological life of human beings. This is the most important aspect of senryū, that can evoke feelings of sympathy, compassion, sorrow, .., not only humor. And indeed, the most respected senryū poetry presents a deeper side that expresses misfortunes and moments of difficulty.
(From "Seasons of the Fleeting World - Writing Haiku")
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And remember: the word 'senryu' [as well as 'haiku' and 'tanka'] is both singular and plural --although in English web-sites (and even in books) quite often we find an "s" added to those words, to (incorrectly) form their plural.
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