FLOWER MOON SNOW: A Book of Haiku

by Kazue Mizumura ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 20, 1977

The flash and the fusion of effective haiku is largely absent from Mizumura's 30 seventeen-line poems (ten each for flowers, moon, and snow). The lack of concision is fatal in such entries as ""Following me all along the road,/The moon came home/With me tonight""; others are at least weakened by a similar slackness: ""Wind rustles the trees,/And cherry blossom petals/Shower me."" Many of Mizumura's verbal pictures are pleasant, none are forced or overcute, and occasional associations hit the mark--tulips open, each bringing a cupful of spring, and a sparrow ""prints/ Sets of maple leaves"" on the snow--but there is no lack of stronger haiku collections. The author's lowkeyed woodcuts in neutral colors (more appropriate for the snow and moonlight than for the tulips, forsythia, and dandelions of spring) give the book a modestly handsome appearance overall but don't provide the missing spark. Auxiliary.

Pub Date: April 20, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: T. Y. Crowell

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1977

Categories: NONFICTION