Haiku

Last updated on February 18th, 2024 at 07:25 pm

A haiku is traditionally a Japanese poem consisting of three short lines that do not rhyme. The origins of haiku poems can be traced in the 13^th century. The haiku is considered to be more than a type of poem because it is a way of looking at the physical world and seeing something deeper, like the very nature of existence. It should leave the reader with a strong feeling or impression.

A haiku poem generally presents a single and concentrated image or emotion. Haiku is considered a fixed poetic form and is associated with brief, suggestive imagery intending to evoke emotion in the reader.

Example₁:
The sky is so blue,
The sun is so warm up high,
I love the summer.

Example₂: With my Father
With my father
I would watch dawn
over green fields.
        by Issa Kobayashi

Example₃: The Old Pond
An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond—
Splash! Silence again.
      by Matsuo Bashō

Example₄: Toast
I really like toast,
It’s yummy when it’s hot,
I like it best cold

Example₅: A butterfly
The falling flower thought I,
Fluttering back to the branch –
was a butterfly.

Example₅: Lighting One Candle
The light of a candle
Is transferred to another candle—
Spring twilight
by Yosa Buson

Example₆:
From across the lake,
Past the black winter trees,
Faint sounds of a flute.
by Richard Wright

The haiku usually has seventeen syllables. A syllable is a segment of a spoken word usually made up of one or two sounds and spoken as one unit. The lines of the haiku rarely rhyme.

Beans
Beans are kind to hearts,
I like to eat them daily,
And then do big farts.

Haikus usually focus on nature. They use language that appeals to the senses to capture feelings or images in nature. The poet does not give you the emotion he/she feels, but instead shows the details in the subject that cause that emotion.

For instance, this haiku talks about the sky:

The sky is so blue,
The sun is so warm up high,
I love the summer.

     Characteristics of a haiku
A haiku

• contains three lines;
• has five syllables – sound units (moras)– in the first line, seven in the second and five in the last line
• contains seventeen syllables in total
• does not rhyme/rarely rhyme.
• frequently has seasonal reference
• usually focuses on nature or natural phenomenon
• has two juxtaposed subjects that are divided into two contrasting parts. In English, this division between two parts can be shown by a colon or dash.

     How to write a haiku

• Write two sentences about nature. Focus on details of the environment that are similar to the human condition.
• Write a third sentence about something that is seemingly different from what you were writing in the first two sentences. You are shifting your focus from the first two lines and the ideas to something that may look as if it is different. Maybe you are looking outside and thinking about beautiful flowers and trees. Then you think of a hot cup of milky tea. The flowers and trees are growing, healthy and strong. The milk is a gift of healthy nature; the grass the cows eat, but someone could ask: What have trees and flowers to do with cows?

• Combine the three sentences and see whether the lines have any connection. Use language that appeals to the senses. This is what we mean by imagery. Let your reader see, smell, taste, touch and hear nature. You may not need to involve all the senses all the time. You could think of words that strongly appeal to one or two senses. Remember, you are showing not telling. Don’t tell the reader the maize is healthy; show them that it is healthy without even mentioning the word ‘healthy’.
• Next rewrite the lines in the form of 5-7-5 syllables.

Remember the poem does not need to have rhyme.