[Winter Contest Entry 2012] An Open Question

Falling by Fakku,
Unique and ephemeral.
Isn't it quite cold?

This thing has my vote, provided that my entry is not put in together with my entry.

Now, is it all right if I ask a question? What is it meant by Falling?

What is falling indeed.

I don't know much about falling. It appears to indicate that I am a slave to the all powerful force, unseen but greatly felt and whose might reigns supreme, namely gravitational force.

That aside, thank you for your entry, is it all right if you read my entry?
Concerning that Wedding!

The slew of possibilities is interesting. And the 'open question', while seemingly random, challenges me to look for an answer that will likely be different from everyone else's answer. My search for a proper answer continues...

I have to say this was a tough thing for me to judge. I presume it's supposed to be haiku since it has 3 lines and seemingly follows the 5,7,5 syllable rule. However, the last line only has 4 syllables (Isn't is 1). If you had done "Is it not quite cold?" you would have had 5.

Maybe this isn't supposed to be a haiku, then ignore that.

I think it can be effective for what it provides. It largely depends on interpretation like any poem does, but it does have some strong effect to it. What I find difficult is to compare these 3 lines to other people's 1000+ word stories, but that is a problem unique to the contest. However I will say that I did not vote for this because of that difference. That is not say your piece is bad or worse than the others, just that I do not find it comparative.

Wait, what? Haiku in English??? I haven't thought of that until you point it out!

Man, I can't seem to find a word to comment about this piece, coz I don't get Haiku at all back in school :P I it do seem like haiku in that sense though, I can see all the elements of a classic haiku (though I still don't get them :D).

It's more recent for me since I studied poetry last year. English haikus are not uncommon, not anymore anyway. They can be done in any language really, since it is just a form like any other poem forms (villanelle, sonnet, long line poem, etc.)

Well, maybe that's true, but apply something was made meant for others to something else, like Haiku, which was originally Japanese's. Japanese (the language) is really different from English on a lot of senses, so I didn't know they could make English haiku like that. Guess this is a new horizon for me, what do you know, you learn something new everyday!

Actually is a haiku but you counted "isn't" as 1 syllable when I counted as two. I follow pronunciation when counting syllables and there's generally no hard and fast rules about these things so whatever.

There's a certain threshold with quality where less becomes more, and this story has that quality. I feel pleasantly content and at ease when reading this. Thank you, this was a work of brilliance.



First, look at the first two lines. F and F, vowel and vowel, it rolls off the tongue and it's pleasant to read. With haikus which are so short, having a quality like that is all the more valuable. Of course with the third line, it no longer has this quality, but 2/3 is still good.

Second, it aims to connect you, Fakkuzites, with the weather, such as snow, and thus your place in the universe. It uses the words "unique" and "ephemeral" which can describe a snowflake, a person, or our planet.

Third, after you find yourself thinking about your place in the universe, he asks you how it feels, which I believe is the whole point of it all. Explore yourself. Your haiku's about as brilliant as The Little Prince.

"Look up at the sky. Ask yourself, 'Has the sheep eaten the flower or not?' And you’ll see how everything changes.... And no grown-up will ever understand how such a thing could be so important!" - The Little Prince.

Opinion(tm)

I guess I should feel proud that my attempt at crude humour has been twisted and compared to a work of actual literature.

I know right