The Appeal of Haiku in the Countries of the Former Yugoslavia

Abstract

According to Boris A. Novak (2016), haiku has become one of the most popular poetic forms in the world (45). The article elucidates the initial reception and later development of this micro-poetic form in the former Yugoslav republics, particularly in Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia. Analyzing some representative poems, with particular attention to understatement as one of the vital aesthetic features of haiku, the article demonstrates that it responds to local socio-political and cultural realities and has the potential to make a distinctive contribution to contemporary public life and interpersonal relations.

Keywords

• haiku aesthetics
• critical reception
• public appeal
• ethical implications