Research: Japanese Haiku poem

Japanese haiku poems consist of three lines; the middle line with 7 syllables and the top and bottom with 5 syllables (Note: This is the equivalent of Japanese syllables in English). they also contain "the essence of Japanese people’s aesthetics, view of nature, philosophy, thought, and sentiments." In other words, they are simple ways of explaining deep concepts.

This fits perfectly for the structure of my film; in the sense that it can explain the three key stages of the film in simple words. So, I've attempted to write the structure of my film in the form of a haiku. This structure can then be translated into a script for the film itself:


The Mantis watches
Consumed in the smoke of lust
The other knows this

Beneath the river
Unsettled on the surface
Empty in the deep

Sinking to the calm
From the soul can come a spark
He can find himself

Breaking down the poem:

• During the mating process of the mantis, the female eventually eats the male after reproduction. This is symbolic of how the unrequited love is consuming the protagonist.

• The river is a symbol of human life. On the surface of who we are, we can be false to our natures. But beneath the depth, there is nothing inside who the protagonist is.

• The spark marks the moment that the protagonist realises how he comes to love and respect himself before he can do the same to others.

* Quote reference: Mayuzumi, M (2010), Haiku: The Heart of Japan in 17 Syllables, http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/articles/2010/haiku  [Accessed 28/04/17]