The amazing multi-tasking Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy sent me an electrifying question to one of my tweets. 'Is it haiku?", she asked, I believe on her Ipad as she was sitting in the Chamber absorbing the debate. A haiku in its purest form is just 17 characters long. ones in English can be stretched. A wonderful haiku conceals half its meaning. A sublime one hides 70% of its meaning.
Another gauntlet was thrown at me. Could I describe the debate in the Welsh form of balanced consonants in lines of Cynghanedd. I tried to oblige.
All part of the many and varied services of a jobbing MP.
Paulflynnmp Paul Flynn
Recalled to ventilate the shock, fear and anger of the UK, the riot hysteria knee-jerked the hysteria of MPs into wild vacuous inanities.
stellacreasy stellacreasy
@Paulflynnmp is that a haiku?
Paulflynnmp @stellacreasy Not a haiku because it has 140 elements not 17, nor is it vertical but it has a cutting word. Such wondrous erudition Stella.
stellacreasy stellacreasy
@Paulflynnmp 'you're a poet and you know it' perhaps? My iambic pentameter radar are definitely getting rusty ...
Paulflynnmp Paul Flynn
Haiku on today's debate: "Word blizzard chills. Brains stunned by nerve fear".
Gareth Wyn
@Paulflynnmp are you going to try one using Cynghanedd?
Paul Flynn
@garethwyn Seriously bad instant cynghanedd on today’s debate: "Words tumble : wild timbre twists reason to taunt rioters."
This is very educational and appreciated. I am pondering how I can get the use of the Haiku into my revised book on How to be an MP. Opaque oral questions that amazed the Chamber and puzzle the ministers?
Posted by: Paul Flynn | August 13, 2011 at 10:10 AM
Paul
I'm all in favour of you, and any of your colleagues, being poetic and using Haiku or any other form.
But, is there any chance of getting Cameron and Clegg to stop talking 'complete bollocks' ?
Posted by: Gerald | August 12, 2011 at 07:01 PM
Except now I come to read it again, it's 6 syllables, not 7. That probably explains the mark I got as much as my choice of subject matter.
I'm going to leave the poetics to you, Mr Flynn...
Posted by: D.G. | August 12, 2011 at 05:24 PM
Hmmm, I was taught in school that a haiku was a three line poem of 5-7-5 syllables. I remember the class being set the task of writing one each. Mine was about The New Kids On The Block (7 syllables).
I still feel I owe the great poetry masters an apology for sullying their art with girlish pop culture references.
Posted by: D.G. | August 12, 2011 at 05:22 PM