Haiku Lesson
Haiku Lesson
Haiku Lesson
1 Know the sound structure of haiku. Japanese haiku traditionally consist of 17 on, or
sounds, divided into three phrases: 5 sounds, 7 sounds, and 5 sounds. English poets
interpreted on as syllables. Haiku poetry has evolved over time, and most poets no longer
adhere to this structure, in either Japanese or English; modern haiku may have more than 17
sounds or as few as one.
English syllables vary greatly in length, while Japanese on are uniformly short. For this
reason, a 17-syllable English poem can be much longer than a traditional 17-on Japanese
poem, straying from the concept that haiku are meant to distill an image using few sounds.
Although using 5-7-5 is no longer considered to be the rule for haiku in English, it is still often
taught that way to children in school.
When you're deciding how many sounds or syllables to use in your haiku, refer to the
Japanese idea that the haiku should be able to be expressed in one breath. In English, that
usually means the poem will be 10 to 14 syllables long. Take, for example, this haiku by
American novelist Jack Kerouac:
Snow in my shoe
Abandoned
Sparrow's nest
2 Use haiku to juxtapose two ideas. The Japanese word kiru, which means "cutting,"
expresses the notion that haiku should always contain two juxtaposed ideas. The two parts
are grammatically independent, and they are usually imagistically distinct as well.
Japanese haiku are commonly written on one straight line, with juxtaposed ideas separated
by a kireji, or cutting word, that helps define the ideas in relation to each other. The kireji
usually appears at the end of one of the sound phrases. There is no direct English translation
of the kireji, so it is often translated as a dash. Note the two separate ideas in this Japanese
haiku by Bash:
how cool the feeling of a wall against the feet siesta
English haiku are most often written as three lines. The juxtaposed ideas (of which there
should only be two) are "cut" by a line break, punctuation, or simply a space. This poem is by
American poet Lee Gurga:
fresh scent
3 Create a subject shift. In keeping with the idea that haiku should contain two juxtaposed
ideas, shift the perspective on your chosen subject so that your poem has two parts. For
example, you could focus on the detail of an ant crawling on a log, then juxtapose that image
with an expansive view of the whole forest, or the season the ant is currently inhabiting. The
juxtaposition gives the poem a deeper metaphorical meaning than it would have if it were a
simple, single-planed description. Take this poem by Richard Wright:
2 Show, don't tell. Haiku are about moments of objective experience, not subjective
interpretation or analysis of those events. It's important to show the reader something true
about the moment's existence, rather than telling the reader what emotions it conjured in
you. Let the reader feel his or her own emotions in reaction to the image.
Use understated, subtle imagery. For instance, instead of saying it's summer, focus on the
slant of the sun or the heavy air.
Don't use cliches. Lines that readers recognize, such as "dark, stormy night," tend to lose
their power over time. Think through the image you want to describe and use inventive,
original language to convey meaning. This doesn't mean you should use a thesaurus to find
words that aren't commonly used; rather, simply write about what you saw and want to
express in the truest language you know
Read other haiku writers. The beauty and simplicity of the haiku form has inspired
thousands of writers in many different languages. Reading other haiku can help spur your
own imagination into motion.
2 Practice. Like any other art, haiku takes practice. Bash, who is considered to be the
greatest haiku poet of all time, said that each haiku should be said a thousand times on the
tongue. Draft and redraft every poem until the meaning is perfectly expressed. Remember
that you don't have to adhere to the 5-7-5 syllable pattern, and that a true literary haiku
includes a kigo, a two-part juxtaposition structure, and primarily objective sensory imagery.
3 Communicate with other poets. For serious students of haiku, it is worthwhile to join
organizations such as the Haiku Society of America, Haiku Canada, the British Haiku Society,
or one of the many similar organizations elsewhere in the world. It is also worthwhile to
subscribe to leading haiku journals such as Modern Haiku and Frogpond to learn more about
the art form.