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Anonymous
Posted October 11, 2007
29. Moderation The art of parenting is moderation - Too much rain brings the flood, Too much sun dries the land. In Garden Haiku, the author successfully blends three elements: Asian philosophy, the haiku form, and parenting advice. 'Moderation' is an example of one of the best pieces in the collection. As the subtitle of the book indicates, there is great wisdom to be found in these poems based on Asian philosophies. The author manages to convey this wisdom in haikus like the above, while also paying care to the demands of language. The repetition of similarly structured lines 'line 2 and 3 above' is a wise strategy that works effectively in 'moderation.' Within just three lines, and effective and engaging rhythm is established. One of my favorite haikus in the book is 'Lighthouse,' which follows in its entirety: 22. Lighthouse A child is a lighthouse, full of love-- To get to it, Paddle with patience As with all the poems in the collection, the simple language speaks to everyone without excluding anyone also there is nothing at all offensive in languages or content about these poems -- they can be read by a general audience, by children as well as adult. The writing here is always competent, and teh best poems are effective. The author has studied and reworked the haiku form, and she has an interesting voice. Garden Haiku is a uniquely entertaining and originally written book in a distinctive format.
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