" In Japanese haiku, by using the cut marker carefully,
we can imply a comparison
without mentioning it directly." - Gabi
Yes, that's the point that Jane was teaching (in the quotations earlier in the thread) ... though overt simile has been a no-no in EL haiku,
implied simile is fine
It is done in the Japanese and it can be done, and is done in English.
Though Cat's point as to whether it technically should still be called simile is valid, nevertheless it's a good teaching point. The implicit simile is working in Pound's much-anthologised 'In a Station of the Metro' :
IN A STATION OF THE METRO
The apparition of these faces in the crowd ;
Petals on a wet, black bough.
(and I'm not going to argue whether this is a haiku or not, here...all I will say is that I have found it a great 'bridge' poem to show to people familiar with poetry, and writing it, within an introduction to EL haiku)
In what way or ways might 'the apparition of these faces' be like 'petals on a wet, black bough'? Taking a subway station into account, with gas lighting (then, in Pound's time) or fluorescent lighting now, taking the black stretch of tunnel in an underground station and that chill wind that precedes and follows a train coming into the station, we have plenty to begin with. It is a simile with quite a few layers, but it's implied. It's left to the reader to find the similarities.
But overt simile does have it's place in EL poetry, if not in haiku at this time, and it
is possible to use it well. The lyrics of Leonard Cohen's song, 'Bird On a Wire' uses simile superbly, to moving effect, imo.
( available by googling if anyone doesn't know them)
- Lorin
