Freedom and the Japanese Internment Camps

Writers are often praised when they can take a phrase and incorporate into it a double meaning that gives insight into the heart of society. I noticed that the Japanese American Concentration Camp Haiku surpassed this practice, though, and was able to create double meaning not only with the language of the poem, but more importantly with the form of the poem as well.

For instance, haiku generally has a rigid pattern that must be followed to the tee. However, while the Concentration Camp Haiku takes the appearance of a haiku, it does not follow the exact measures set by the previous generation of haiku poets. There is freedom of expression within the style. The triplets can range from a 4-12-7 syllable sequence to a 6-5-7 sequence in the proceeding series, for example.

This breaking away of set rules for poetic forms becomes ironic when one realizes that these poetic liberties were being taken in a poem that depicts imprisonment. When freedom was at a premium for the haiku poets, they tried to gain a sense of freedom through their own art.