Seven Seraphim
Sat at the top of the dune
To watch the sun set
James Moore - The Haiku Companion, 2012
James Moore writes in the 'Introduction' to this collection: "I first learned about haiku in a high school creative writing class in the late 1960's. Although I experienced many different styles of writing in that class, haiku quickly became my first love. It requires a great deal of the writer -- the ability to create in the reader a complete sense of an entire scene -- in only three short lines and 17 syllables."
The collection of 830 haiku is divided into two sections. The first part tend to be more traditional in the sense that most of them are seasonal and/or naturescapes. In the second part the haiku tend to be more introspective and/or philosophical. The first part is called 'The World We See' and the second part us called 'The Lives We Live'.
Moore's haiku sometimes use literary allusion, which is rare in English language haiku, but very common in Japanese haiku. The reference to Seraphim in line 1 is an example; it automatically brings up a biblical feeling. Moore is also skillful at using literary techniques to shape and frame his haiku. An example of this is Moore's use of alliteration in this haiku. The haiku begins with three words starting with the 's' sound (Seven Seraphim Sat) and concludes with two 's' sound words (sun set). No words between these two sets use the 's' sound. The result is that the alliterative 's' sound frames the haiku, giving the haiku a secure sense of setting. This kind of thing makes 'The Haiku Companion' a valuable resource for the budding haiku poet.