Friday, July 09, 2010

Redneck Haiku by Mary K. Witte


Title: Redneck Haiku
Author: Mary K. Witte
ISBN: 1891661299
Publisher: Santa Monica Press, 2003
Paperback, 112 pages
Genre: Poetry, Humor
Rating: B-
Source: purchased from Amazon.

Japanese haiku is one of my favorite forms of poetry, each haiku consisting of three lines and seventeen syllables. In this small volume, Witte covers just about every aspect of the redneck lifestyle. One that made me smile was:

Wanda's new wind chime
made of kitchen utensils
she seldom uses.

It does an excellent job of describing me! As the pages turned, I'm afraid that it became a bit of a one-trick pony for me. Redneck humor can be very silly and funny, but it can pall quickly if you're not careful.

Would I buy Witte's second volume of redneck haiku? No, but I did enjoy reading this one.





9 comments:

  1. That does sound like it would be better in short doses.

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  2. Cathy - It sounds funny - once. I can see why it's worth a chuckle here and there, but not much more...

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  3. Kathy-- Yes. I think I did it a disservice by reading it in one sitting.

    Margot-- I can't quite see how a second book came about, but then I must be missing something. :-/

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  4. I have to admit though, that it would make haiku a bit more palatable to my high school students. :) I liked the one you posted.

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  5. I don't think I'd buy this, but it'd fun to look through.

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  6. Becky-- I think you're very right about that. Might even inspire one or two to try writing them!

    Beth-- It was fun. :)

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  7. I'm with other commenters, sounds like it would be funny at first..best read in small doses..maybe when you need a chuckle.

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  8. I think this is a volume of poems that should be read in short bursts until the book is finished rather than all at ones, or brought out at get togethers just for some laughs!

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  9. Kris-- You, and everyone else, are correct. Best read in small doses!

    Serena-- I know you're right!

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