What the poem is about

The “07 Gevangen/Caught” Haiku by Henk Luijten is about how we can get caught by our own thoughts. Or, at the very least, how it seems we get caught in all and everything which represents the processes of the mind. Indeed it seems even more apparent when we look at someone, who acts in play. In this poem’s case, the turning around the own axis of the body. Moreover, when our eyes behold the spinning person. We too seem caught in our own thoughts. We, with the person, turn and turn along virtually.
Camille chose to deviate here from the rather strict rules of the haiku. She produced only two stanzas, instead of three. First, because the switching around of the words of the first stanza, makes the words sound in a more contemporary English. The other possibility; ‘caught he seems,’is considered to sound more archaic.This choice determines that the first stanza in English, contains the first two from the Dutch version.the break, at least, seems less natural in English. Nevertheless, she translated this haiku almost literally. e distracted from the meaning of the Dutch poem. Also the Dutch pronoun ‘daarom’ determines the poem, almost dominates it. The meaning of this word in English; therefre, that’s why, hence, wherefore, doesn’t truly reflect the importance of role the Dutch word plays inside the poem.er in English. Which in turn isn’t much appreciated in English poetry. Apart from the pun factor, of course.