Haiku are a type of traditional Japanese poetry. Only three lines long, haiku are fun to write and share. Let's find out what a haiku poem is and what we need to write our own!
Definition: What Is a Traditional Haiku Poem?
Haiku originated in Japan and as a poetic form, they are arranged in three lines, each line with a specific number of syllables. Here are the elements you need for a traditional haiku:
- Three lines that don't rhyme, with seventeen syllables in a 5-7-5 pattern. Five syllables in the first and third line, and seven syllables in the second line.
- Each haiku “must contain a kigo. A word that indicates the season in which the poem is set,” according to the World Book Encyclopedia, page eight, volume nine, between the words Douglas Haig and Hail, and according to Japanese Haiku tradition. The word that indicates season can be obvious, like “ice” to indicate winter. Or it can be more subtle, like using the expression “fragrant blossom” to indicate spring.
- The words and expressions in the poem are usually simple and deal with everyday situations, usually capturing a moment in time, often in nature.
- Usually, the haiku form does not contain metaphors and similes.
Subject matter: Haikus Are About a Single Moment
“Haiku explores a single moment's precise perception and resinous depths.”
— Jane Hirshfield, The Heart of Haiku
Matsuo Bashō, a popular Japanese poet, composed this poem in the late 1600's.
furuike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
In English:
old pond:
frog leaps in
the sound of water
The English version doesn't follow the syllabic pattern due to translation differences, but you can see all the other elements of haiku in play. It's arranged in three lines with the traditional number of syllables in each. Its subject matter is the small splash a frog makes leaping into an old pond.
Why focus on a single moment?
Good question. Haiku invite us to slow down as readers and experience a single moment, to pay attention. And isn't that part of what fuels great writing?
How to Write a Haiku Poem
Let's turn again to Japanese poet Bashō to show us how to write a haiku poem.
Jane Hirshfield explains in her book, The Heart of Haiku, how Bashō encourages us to see for ourselves and hear for ourselves, and if we enter deeply enough this seeing and hearing, all things will speak with and through us.
“To learn about the pine tree go to the pine tree; to learn from the bamboo, study bamboo.”
— Matsu Bashō, Jane Hirshfield, The Heart of Haiku
Using the four guidelines mentioned above, think of an everyday situation, feeling, or a precious moment, such as a blade of grass, a sink full of dirty dishes in the spring, a warm cat, or the sound of snow falling.
If your haiku poem is about something that has happened in your past, if you are remembering a snowfall from last winter, then sit in a quiet spot and go to the memory in your mind.
Use all of your senses. Think of what you heard, felt, tasted, smelled and saw. Let us live the moment with you through distinct images.
If your haiku is about a blade of grass, as Bashō said, go to the grass. Yes, that's right. Go outside right now and lay down in the grass and let the single blade of grass speak through you. Study the grass.
If you are writing about a warm cat, go to the cat and study the cat. Study the sink full of dirty dishes while you wash them. To learn about snow go to the snow.
Ready to Write Your Haiku?
Now that you've tried to immerse yourself in an experience to use for your inspiration, pick out some words that describe the sensations you felt. Remember to choose precise words that capture the moment. Arrange them into three lines and count out those syllables for each.
If you are not sure how many syllables are in a word, you can check out your word on Mirriam-Webster, an on-line dictionary.
You might find that the practice of writing haiku is meditative and a little addicting. It's great practice for using language to show but not tell. The art of haiku is a perfect way to practice creating strong images that will benefit your other forms of writing as well.
I hope you'll give it a try today!
Do you have a favorite haiku? Have any tricks you use to write them? Share in the comments.
PRACTICE
Practice staring at a blade of grass for fifteen minutes. No, I have a better idea. Come and help me wash my dishes. We can both write about washing dishes.
Okay, seriously now. Please write your thoughts down about something you see in your everyday world or focus on nature, and then try to fit it to the five-seven-five pattern.
Write a haiku poem and share it with us in the practice box below. Then comment on someone else's work. I hope you enjoy this old form in new ways!
Am I missing something or does the sample not follow the syllable rule?
Hello Concordriverlady,
The Japanese language does not have syllables like English does. So their words don’t translate into our English syllables.
The center line, “kaqaza tobikama” has seven sounds, seven individual sounds – ka-ga-za – to-bi-ka-ma. But, when you translate it into english, you don’t get seven syllables.
Thank you for pointing out the syllable variable in the example.
xo
Pamela
For those serious about a study of haiku, Harold G. Henderson’s An Introduction to Haiku (1958) is perhaps the definitive little tome. For each haiku, he gives you the lines in Romaji (phonetically spelling out the words as they sound in Japanese but using the alphabet) and English translations. It is fascinating to see how Japanese syntax and thus the emphasis they place on the elements of the poem are different from English. Pamela, your transcription of Basho’s haiku in Japanese does not reflect the correct translation of the individual words in English. Henderson’s rendering of the poem is as follows: Furuike ya / kawazu tobi-komu/ mizu-no-oto…This is the standard translation and conforms perfectly to the form here.
Thanks for your post!
Thank you Jeanne,
I corrected the spelling of the Haiku by Matsuo Bashō. Thank you for pointing it out.
The book you suggested sounds great. I will have to check it out. There is so much more to this art form I would love to learn.
xo
Pamela
the syllable count in the 5-7-5 format is old and distorted information and not a true rule. Haiku experts around the world debunk this all the time- see
http://www.nahaiwrimo.com/home/why-no-5-7-5 great description of the art form!
But the syllable rule was taught that way in USA schools for decades so it has deep hold as fact, but its really innacurate. There are many various forms of haiku but all with similar components, and though it can be fun and informative to writing discipline to limit ones writing to a a certain # of syllables or characters (as in Tweets), it is not an imperative of haiku at all. The more important elements are the seasons, the objects of the senses, the perceptions of a moment in time, all in few words and lines, and what i think is the most difficult aspect, and the kicker as I like to call it or kirejji/ “cutting” word that cuts the poem, turns it subtly to a previously unseen or unexpected perspective.
Great link Sheila. You are so right that the focus should not be on the strict syllabic count but the elements referenced in the linked post. Though I personally like the challenge of that stricture 🙂
Hello Sheila B,
Thank you for the link to the article about the 5-7-5 rule. There is so much to learn about this art form. Thank you for sharing your knowledge about haiku.
I want to learn more about haiku, especially the element of the cutting word.
All my best,
xo
Pamela
The tree wears white lace
Each branch and twig atwinkle
First frost in new morn
Hello Jay,
Thank you for writing a haiku. 🙂
The frost and the white lace are very vivid images.
xo
Pamela
thanks Pamela, I took your advice and went outside. The frost on the tree was very striking to me.
Wow, is that beautiful imagery.
thank you, Katherine.
Sunset reflects light
Off the fresh fallen snow drifts
Sinks and all is black
Hello Katherine Rebekah,
Your first two lines created a strong feeling of light, reflection, fresh fallen,
and then the word fallen lead to sinking and black.
A strong powerful contrast.
Thank you sharing your writing.
xo
Pamela
I’m glad you liked it. Always happy to share. 🙂
My first time commenting here! This was a great prompt for me as I am trying to write a poem every day so it fit into my established routine, besides I love haiku even though I don’t have much practice with them!
Here goes,
Such a lot of noise
Galahs tumbling through open air
Before midday heat
That one is outside my window this morning.
This one reuses the first line,
Such a lot of noise
So much fuss about what she’s done
Chicken has laid an egg
Thanks so much for a great prompt and article! 🙂
Hello Zuop,
Thank you for sharing your writing, and for being brave to make your first comment.
How is your daily poetry writing habit going?
Your poetry created strong feelings of nature, (and a noisy chicken.)
xo
Pamela
Hey Pamela, thanks! I am very inspired by nature because I live in a rural area.
Yes it’s going pretty well so far, it’s good to get in a habit of writing something every day 🙂
I really enjoyed your article too, love your writing style 🙂
As colored leaves fall
Blending with gentle breezes
Harmonies of life
I like this, felicia_d. I wanted to write about autumn leaves but wrote about my cat instead.
Hello felica_d
Your leaves felt like they were really falling, as though I was there, feeling the gentle breeze. It brought back memories of being beneath a giant Maple tree in the fall in Minnesota.
Thank you,
xo
Pamela
Thanks, Pamela!
Seed
awaits
heaven’s breath
immanent
I am
Wrote this ignorant of Haiku structure so not following the 3 line structure or syllabic rules more 1, 2, 3, 3, 2
Hello Masterman,
Your poem has a pattern that is very gentle, thank you for showing the structure you used.
The seed felt very real.
xo
Pamela
My foot squinched a bug
Flat, wet, two-dimensional.
Candle drew it in.
Very expressive, Winnie. I can feel the bug underfoot.
Really like your haiku. But I believe the first line has 6 syllables–that is, if squinched has 2
My squinched has only one. I imagine Shakespeare would have made it two.
pretty good 🙂
Hello Winniw,
Oh dear, the thought of stepping on a bug, really made the poem feel real.
The words, flat and wet.
The candle drew me in too.
xo
Pamela
This is quite new to me and I don’t know if I’ve got it right. You be the judge.
My cat purrs softly
Curled on the Persian rug
Winter’s at the door.
Sure seems to have the right number of syllables. Your haiku evokes a really sweet image.
Thanks, Louise.
Hello Lillian,
Thank you for trying a new form of writing.
Your haiku is hi-cool.
The words create such a warm atmosphere.
softly
curled
and the last sentence is such a contrast. It words very well.
And the cat is on a Persian rug, not a tile floor, it make the room feel warmer.
xo
Pamela
Hello Pam,
You are sensitive and observant to note the difference from a Persian rug and tile floor. Actually, your words did the trick! You asked us to connect physically with something to create the verse and I did just that.
Please hug Harper for me and for Minnie, too.
Lilian
I love this!
Thanks, Haylee. 🙂
crisp fog stains twilight
breath afloat on morning air
promise for new day
oh david,
i won’t capitalize anything here too
or use punctuation
the words took on the shape of the fog without capital letters
these words really created the mood
crisp
stains
breath afloat
and promise helped me get out of the fog
it is sort of like the fog would be real in the air
but also the fog of depression
that is how it spoke to me
xo
pamela
Darkness falls
Light awaits
Ocean of people living in routine
Hello Crystal Johnson,
Oh my, an ocean of people living in routine. I felt the monotony of people living in routine, day after day. Dark then light, dark then light.
Makes me want to climb out of the ocean.
xo
Pamela
That was awesome, I need to practice more. I feel the wrong element of people in my life and I need to let go of, but it seems that element won’t let go of me.
Leaves scatter around
Sky full of brittle gold birds
The cold cuts my face
Really like ‘The cold cuts my face’
Me too Louise Rita,
The cold cuts my face, is such a strong image.
And “brittle” gold birds, with the word cuts, makes me think the birds might break apart in the cold.
Very strong images. I felt cold after I read it.
xo
Pamela
Outline so simple 5
Evokes painful memories 7
Makes it hard to write 5
Hello Louise Rita,
Oh dear, I am sorry about the painful memories. I felt them too. In your three lines, you expressed your pain. Perhaps it was the word, “evokes.:
And in the hard writing you still wrote.
xo
Pamela
Yes. I live in the macalester Groveland area of St. Paul.
I posted this yesterday on my Facebook page (Mike Schoenberg). Please visit:for more haiku.
Gutter full rainfall,
autumn monsoon thunderstorm
in the dark of night.
Hello St.Paul Mike,
Does this mean you live in St. Paul, Minnesota? We use to live there, on the East Side, close to Payne Avenue,
Gutter full, expresses heavy rain so well.
A small glimpse of a storm moment.
xo
Pamela
I live in the Macalester – Groveland area. Thanks for the comment.
Laying on the ground
Sun shining on snow and ice
I feel the murmer
Hello Vanessa,
Laying on the ground, you became one with the snow and ice. You felt the murmer, and I did too.
xo
Pamela
Thanks! It’s been fun, I am going through back injections so spending a lot of time on the ground, but I seem to be coming up with Haiku’s through the day and all inspired by you 🙂 I did not spend much time on my Haiku it was just a fun exercise, but I like it better written
On the ground laying
Snow and Ice the sun shining
I feel the murmur…..Thanks again for the prompt!
Hello LaCresha Lawson,
Please share your son’s work. It would be a pleasure to read their writing.
xo
Pamela
I sure will. Thank you.☺
November 15, 2015
Luke Ramirez, 13
My son’s Haiku Poem
For the Write Practice
LaCresha Lawson
Sitting on my bed
Wondering when I got it,
remembering now.
Writing Haiku past
midnight is an exercise
in futility
Window veiled in frost
Inside they smile and fire burns
Yet I am outside
Laura, this is fabulous. What a vivid picture your words evoke.
Hi Pamela,
I’m very late with my comment on this post. Nanowrimo has turned my schedule upside down. 🙂
Actually there often is a metaphor in haiku, but it tends to be understood by the original writers because they used words with a double meaning, such as “scarecrow” which tended to stand for “old man” or “old age.” Consider that as you read this verse:
scarecrows are the first
heroes to fall in the rush
of the autumn wind
Kyoroku
Chrysanthemums and cherry blossoms likewise say something to the Japanese that they don’t say to us, giving a verse like this meaning we wouldn’t as soon catch:
even stones in streams
of mountain water compose
songs to wild cherries
Onitsuba
I see there’s often a hidden implication in the verse. For example
you fleas seem to find
the night as long as I do
are you lonely, too
Issa
One can picture both the poet’s loneliness (his wife died young); that loneliness, as well as the fleas, tormented him all night.
I’ve tried my hand at haiku as well. Here’s one of my best liked verses:
roadside sunflowers
faces turned from the rude wind
looking for summer
And my scarecrow one, complaining about my own achy old age: 🙂
this sorry scarecrow
grown stiff in autumn’s frosts
sighs for the tasseling corn