We've Made Poetry Into A Gimmick | Pour Over Poems

In this episode of "Pour Over Poems," host Jeff sits down with poet Jennifer Hambrick to explore the depth and legitimacy of Japanese short-form poetry in the West. Jennifer shares two pieces—a playful free verse poem and a "Haibun" (a hybrid of prose and haiku)—to illustrate the connection between different poetic styles. The discussion tackles the common misconceptions surrounding Haiku (specifically the 5-7-5 syllable rule), the "vicious cycle" of its academic exclusion, and Jennifer’s personal mission to bridge the divide between mainstream free verse and the dedicated Japanese short-form community.Welcome to Pour Over Poems, where host poet Geoff Anderson invites a poet out for coffee to hear one of their poems and then see where the discussion goes. See more Pour Over Poems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrbwlCYKx-kGet a free podcast/mp3/audio version: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vAdMbaunOPziRoovm0K5P?si=pGDmsZ_1T9qjWzTR7KQeYg00:00 - Introduction and welcome to "Pour Over Poems."00:36 - Reading 1: Jennifer reads "Poem in which I keep saying a word I'm not allowed to say"03:06 - Discussion on the first poem: Why Jennifer chose a fun, audience-focused piece to start.04:19 - Introduction to Haibun: Defining the hybrid genre of prose and haiku.05:00 - Reading 2: Jennifer reads her Haibun titled "Halocline."06:29 - Behind the poem: Jennifer explains the disjunctive narrative and aesthetic of "Halocline."07:20 - Defining the writer: Jennifer discusses her journey from academic writing to poetry.08:14 - The Great Divide: Exploring the separation between mainstream poetry and Japanese short-form communities.09:52 - Jennifer's Mission: Bridging the "DNA" of all poetry.12:00 - History of Haiku in America: How early translations shaped Western perception.14:14 - Academic Erasure: Why Haiku is rarely taught in higher education English programs.16:40 - The 5-7-5 Myth: Deconstructing the linguistic mismatch between Japanese "mora" and English syllables.19:05 - Haiku Aesthetics: Moving beyond counting to understand juxtaposition and negative space (kireji).22:15 - Legitimacy as Poetry: Addressing why Haiku is often undervalued and misunderstood as a "party trick."23:10 - The "Haiku Death Match" and the risk of belittling the genre.25:20 - Final thoughts: The "vicious cycle" of publication and the mission to elevate the craft.