Garth would say yes (“Does this seem weird to anybody else? I mean, we’re looking down on Wayne’s basement, only that’s not Wayne’s basement. Isn’t that weird?”).
Son of a gun. He made a Haiku way better than anything I did in High School. I still can’t figure out how to put the words together to be identifiable as a Haiku. Maybe I need a tiger?
Haikus are supposed to have 17 syllables – 5 then 7 then 5 in 3 lines. It appears the last line only has 4 syllables, unless tired is pronounced “tir – red”.
In Japanese it is very clear what is and what isn’t a syllable. No so in English. Try “comfortable”. Do you say “Com -fort-ab-le” or “comft’bl” ? I use both, depending on how fast I am speaking. The first version has four syllables, the second has two. Or maybe three, if you count the t’ and the bl as distinct syllables.
This is why I think the whole idea of haiku in English is daft.
BE THIS GUY over 4 years ago
Where is this skill when it comes to his schoolwork?
Starjo over 4 years ago
Calvin is so smart but he uses his brain after, and when he goes to school his brain shuts down
Templo S.U.D. over 4 years ago
Excellent, Calvin. Thou sure art quite the poet. Much to Hobbes’ chagrin.
codycab over 4 years ago
Show off.
gbars70 over 4 years ago
This strip is from 1990. I’m trying to recall whether Haikus were part of the cultural norm back then; or was Calvin simply ahead of his time?
Robin Harwood over 4 years ago
Haiku? Where’s the season word?
Gracella over 4 years ago
Calvin should probably take Hobbes to school, whaddya say?
Charliegirl Premium Member over 4 years ago
You don’t often see an embarrassed Tiger.
BigDaveGlass over 4 years ago
That explains the poem “Tiger, tiger burning bright”, with embarrassment
FrannieL Premium Member over 4 years ago
Good tongue twister Calvin.
jpayne4040 over 4 years ago
(applause) Bravo, Calvin! Way to go! (-:
Troglodyte over 4 years ago
Highly Haiku of you, Cal!
dlkrueger33 over 4 years ago
Comely, crafty child. -—Quite the creative cherub -——His name is Calvin.
jehelatygr Premium Member over 4 years ago
Garth would say yes (“Does this seem weird to anybody else? I mean, we’re looking down on Wayne’s basement, only that’s not Wayne’s basement. Isn’t that weird?”).
jagedlo over 4 years ago
You should feel flattered, Hobbes!
rshive over 4 years ago
Even a good haiku is bothersome if it wakes you up.
vaughnrl2003 Premium Member over 4 years ago
Son of a gun. He made a Haiku way better than anything I did in High School. I still can’t figure out how to put the words together to be identifiable as a Haiku. Maybe I need a tiger?
nsr60 over 4 years ago
Easily composed
Just count your syllables and
Arrange them like so
katzenbooks45 over 4 years ago
In the southern US, “tired” only has one syllable, so this wouldn’t be a true haiku.
coffeeturtle over 4 years ago
and yet he does so poorly on tests.lots of smart people like that though
Ermine Notyours over 4 years ago
Constructing a verse.
Bad, corny puns I eschew.
Gesundheit. (Wipe, wipe.)
gantech over 4 years ago
“Soft kitty
Warm Kitty
Little ball of fur
Happy kitty
Sleepy kitty
Purr, purr, purr"
mfrasca over 4 years ago
Calvin is incredibly creative. He is sure to grow up to be a writer.
Bookworm over 4 years ago
“An Alliterative Haiku by Calvin” ranks right up there with “A Poem by Henry Gibson” on Laugh-In. Only not as funny.
EnosEugenius over 4 years ago
“Tired” is only one syllable… so “A tired tiger” would only be 4. Sorry, Calvin.
Ivan Araque over 4 years ago
Watterson the Genius. Wonder if you can hear me throwing the pencils in the trash …
rklynch over 4 years ago
Nicely done, Calvin. Nicely done…
STACEY MARSHALL Premium Member over 4 years ago
Twitchy Timothy Templeton’s Termagant Twerps of Terpitude.
gmu328 over 4 years ago
Haikus are supposed to have 17 syllables – 5 then 7 then 5 in 3 lines. It appears the last line only has 4 syllables, unless tired is pronounced “tir – red”.
Robin Harwood over 4 years ago
In Japanese it is very clear what is and what isn’t a syllable. No so in English. Try “comfortable”. Do you say “Com -fort-ab-le” or “comft’bl” ? I use both, depending on how fast I am speaking. The first version has four syllables, the second has two. Or maybe three, if you count the t’ and the bl as distinct syllables.
This is why I think the whole idea of haiku in English is daft.
Johnny Q Premium Member over 4 years ago
“A haiku is like a regular poem except that it doesn’t rhyme and it’s totally stupid!”—Mr. Garrison
Otis Rufus Driftwood over 4 years ago
Actually, that one was pretty good; my hat off to you, Watterson. Of course, Hobbes proves everyone is a critic.
rgcviper over 4 years ago
Impressive haiku
by Calvin in today’s strip.
He should write more—stat!
kevin over 4 years ago
“Tired” is a 1-syllable word. I count only 5-7-4 in his haiku format