Yes, this is really just an excuse to finally make a poll.

[oloriel]

Well. With only two months left till the exams, I suppose it's time I decide which of the two topics I should prepare really, really well for. Both are stupidly abstract but reasonably interesting, so it's hard to decide. I know a tiny bit of stuff about both, but not enough to make me really prejudiced. So, I turn to you for help.

[Poll #500697]

*goes off to bed*

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/macalla_/]

I like Haikus so I voted for this topic. But then ... I don't know what a 'Bakufu' is ... does it taste like chicken? *grins*

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately not... "bakufu" is what the Western world calls a "shôgunate".

... then again, everything tastes like chicken. Except for silkworms, silkworms taste like chip fat with sugar. *ducks*

[http://users.livejournal.com/macalla_/]

To my eternal regret I have to admit a lack of knowledge concerning the taste of silkworms.
But I once heard a statement saying, that it is not that everything tastes like chicken but that chicken tastes like everything else *G*

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Don't regret it too much. They're really rather yucky. Ten things you don't really have to try... ;)

[vout.livejournal.com]

Take the goddamn bakufu, first, because it's much more interesting, with murder and samurai and all that, and second: Haiku??? About how Nara ist beautiful in springtime? Yuk.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Or how the water ripples when the frog jumps into the pond, yes.

Hey, there are interesting haikus, too! If only my Japanese were good enough to understand the puns. *coughs*

[http://users.livejournal.com/macalla_/]

Actually I like Haikus because I love this taking of a certain moment or thought and making a jewel out of it.
I even made a few myself - although in German ... I'm not sure that counts.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

I don't mind haiku
Either; the exam, though, is
But on theory.

OK, that sucked. Oh well.

I'd say it counts, but the Japanese would probably disagree... and yes, the idea of the haiku is nice and all. However, in the exam I'm not supposed to write my own haiku, but to write about all the formal requirements, historical backgrounds and philosophical variety? Dunno...

[http://users.livejournal.com/macalla_/]

*grins* nice exam-haiku ...

This is one of mine, btw:

Eine Wolke zieht
Wind bewegt den kahlen Baum
Neues Blatt spriesst gruen

No idea if it is even remotely acceptable but then I never studied Japanese literature ...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Well. It has kigo (a "season word"; the "new leaf" suggests Spring); it's focused on nature; you can interpret a deeper meaning or message into it; it's written in present tense; the content is generally applicable but treats one particular moment; so those formalia are taken care of.
The only problem would be the mora, of course; the 5-7-5 rule doesn't actually mean syllables, but mora. One syllable can consist of several mora; double consonants or long vowels, for example, are usually spoken as one syllable but count as two mora (and the plural of mora fucking is not morae. It's Japanese, not Latin, erudammit.)...
But as the mora rule is generally ignored as not applicable for any language except Japanese, I'd say your haiku works excellent.

[http://users.livejournal.com/macalla_/]

Oh, thank you very much for the extensive analysis :) *hugs*

I never knew that the 5-7-5 rule also includes vowel lengths and such ... interesting.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! *bows*

Interesting? Or maybe troublesome is the word we're looking for. Japanese is a crazy bitch of a language...