Heptadecasyllabic Versification · posted 2004-04-01 by Glenn Franxman

Manufacturing
Heptadecasyllabic
Versification.

So the Question is
How few words can be used in
a single haiku?

If hyphens are cool,
then theoretically
just one word will do.

I tried Supercal-
ifragilisticexpi-
alidocious.

Pneumonultrami-
croscopicvolcanocon-
iosis is short.

I am not sure if
a one word haiku can
be crafted at all.

I wonder if the
ultimate haiku challenge
may never be met.

* * *

Comment

  1. A name?

    Don Juan Carlos Ben-
    Ito Santiago Al
    Montoya the Third

    * * *

    A word?

    antifloccinau
    cinihilipilifi
    cationism(s)
    — Eric E. Yang    Apr 2, 12:29am    #
  2. In a word—Wow.

    What does antifloccinaucinihilipilificationism mean?
    — Glenn Franxman    Apr 2, 9:07am    #
  3. this should more than fill a few haiku’s—it is the scientific name for Tryptophan Synthetase—here is is in all 1909 letters:)

    Methionylglutaminylarginyltyrosylglutamylserylleucylphenylalanyl
    alanylglutaminylleucyllysylglutamylarginyllysylglutamylglycylalanyl
    phenylalanylvalylprolylphenylalanylyalylthreonylleucylglycylasparty
    lprolylglycylisoleucylglutamylglutaminylserylleucyllysylisoleucylas
    partylthreonylleucylisoleucylglutamylalanylglycylalanylaspartyl
    alanylleucylglutamylleucylglycylisoleucylprolylphenylalanylserylasp
    artylprolylleucelalanylaspartylglycylprolylthreonylisoleucylglutami
    nylasparaginylalanylthreonylleucylarginylalanylphenylalanylalanylal
    anylglycylvalylthreonylprolylalanylglutaminylcysteinylphenylalanylg
    lutamylmethionylleucyalanylleucylisoleucylarginylglutaminyllysylhis
    tidylprolylthreonylisoleucylprolylisoleucylglycylleucylleucylmethio
    nyltyrosylalanylasparaginylleucylvalylphenylalanylasparaginyllysylg
    lycylisoleucylaspartylglutamylphenylalanyltyrosylalanylglutaminylcy
    steinylglutamyllysylvalylglycylvalylaspartylserylvalylleucylvalylal
    anylaspartylvalylprolylvalylglutaminylglutamylserylalanylprolylphen
    ylalanylarginylglutaminylalanylalanylleucylarginylhistidylasparagin
    ylvalylalanylprolylisoleucylphenylalanylisoleucylcysteinylprolylpro
    lylaspartylalanylaspartylaspartylaspartylleucylleucylarginylglutami
    nylisoleucylalanylseryltyrosylglycylarginylglycyltyrosylthreonyltyr
    osylleucylleucylserylarginylalanylglycylvalylthreonylglycylalanylgl
    utamylasparaginylarginylanylalanylleucylprolylleucylaspaaginylhisti
    dylleucylvalylalanyllysylleucyllysylglutamyltyrosylasparaginylalany
    lalanylprolylprolylleucylglutaminylglycylphenylalanylglycylisoleucy
    lserylalanylprolylaspartylglutaminylvalyllysylalanylalanylisoleucyl
    aspartylalanylglycylalanylalanylglycylalanylisoleucylserylglycylser
    ylalanylisoleucylbalyllysylisoleucylisoleucylglutamylglutaminylhist
    idylasparaginylisoleucylglutamylprolylglutamyllysylmethionylleucyla
    lanylalanylleucyllysylvalylphenylalanylvalylglutaminylprolylmethion
    yllysylalanylalanylthreonylarginylserine
    — Q    Apr 3, 2:01pm    #
  4. In one of the questions listed above, the question was posed regarding “antifloccinaucinihilipilificationism” and its definition. The answer, I believe, is “the philosophy of the process of estimating something as valuable”, or “discovery of intrinsic motivation”. I have two large scultpures, in the shape of a geometric egg (which is also referred to as a ‘truncated hexadecahedron’) that I could send to you. The first ‘geometric egg’ sculpture is called “Wisdom”, and the second, is called “Antifloccinaucinihilipilificationism”... I just thought that you might be interested. I can send pictures of these sculptures if you are interested.

    Steven Olberg
    (612)588-9630
    — Steven Olberg    Aug 19, 11:47pm    #
  5. Hi-

    I am no longer at OSU (I think I told you this). I am wondering about grant monies. I think you have gotten some for your sculptures. I am having a difficult time finding grants for individuals.

    Any ideas!!?!? Thanks so much!

    Emily
    — EMily T    Jul 12, 9:57pm    #
  6. Emily,

    Hello’Flight of the Bumblebee’,

    To answer your question about money for grants, I have usually gove directly to the PTA (at the schools) and the last time some teachers wrote a grant for $4000, but I only got 1/4 of the total grant. I guess that would support the idea of writing my own grants, a task that I have not done, yet… but see the need on the horizon.

    If you are not at OSU, then are you teaching at St. Olaf College in Minnesota?

    Steven
    — Steven    Jul 20, 10:38pm    #
  7. I hate to point it out, but antifloccinaucinihilipilificationism(s) is only 16 syllables. I came here looking for 17 syllable words myself, and the only one I can come up with was mentioned above, however misspelled. Glenn, you forgot the silico and with a subtle change of the suffix…

    pneumonoultrami
    croscopicsilicovol
    canoconioid

    as far as antifloccinaucinihilipilificationisms
    I count
    antifloccinau (5)
    cinihilipilifi (7)
    cationisms (4)
    — jon    Jan 10, 12:54pm    #
  8. comment6, valentine recipe, pstr,
    — write in valentine cardof activites a pe    Feb 6, 2:15pm    #
  9. as to the number of syllables in an/ti/floc/ci/nau/ci/ni/hi/li/pi/li/fi/cat/ion/is/m = 16 is correct I think.

    But give up this idea of a one word haiku – it’s irreverent to the form!
    — arturo australis    Apr 4, 2:26pm    #
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