How to Write a Haiku Poem

Guide Note

Whether you're writing a haiku for a classroom assignment, or you're simply looking to broaden your poetic horizons, the form affords great practice in rhythm and structure. At first glance, the haiku may seem like a task easily completed by a third grade student, but the strict rules make it far more challenging than you might think. If you're ready to take on the challenge, read on to learn how to write a beautiful haiku.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• History: From Hokku to Haiku
• Step 1: Subject to Season and Nature
• Step 2: Metrically Speaking 5 + 7 + 5 = 17
• Step 3: The Kireji
• Step 4: Just Write It!
• Conclusion
• Resources

Haiku Poem Tips

1. Focus on nature and seasonal imagery.
2. Made up of three lines.
3. Lines traditionally follow a 5, 7, 5 beat pattern.
4. Add a reflective pause.
5. Avoid rhyme.
6. Invoke the senses.
7. Show don't tell.
8. Read a lot of haiku, both classic and modern.

• by Jenny Hudock

Introduction

(Photo by Juha Soininen)

• The haiku is one of the most important forms of traditional Japanese poetry that has fascinated poets since the 17th century. Because of its simple structure, which contains only three lines, many believe this poem to be one of the simplest to write, requiring little thought or effort. Nothing could be further from the truth. The traditional Haiku follows strict guidelines that are meant to provide a moment of enlightenment and reflection.

• Even if you thought you knew all there was to know about writing haiku, why not read on? You may find that the rigid requirements, meant to lead you to a freeing sense of clarity, have a few surprises waiting for you.

History: From Hokku to Haiku

• In the 17th century, the haiku was inspired by a long, linked poem called the Haikai. Many different poets put time and effort into creating the Haikai, which were linked poems grouped together by small stanzas. The first, and most important, stanza was called the Hokku.

• The Hokku was such a special part of the poem because it set the bar for the remaining lines to follow. Many Japanese poets often practiced writing well-thought-out Hokku, never adding anything else to them. Hokku was the earliest form of classical haiku because it followed 5, 7, 5 metric beat pattern.

• Because this practice paid special attention to such detail, new rules were developed in the late 19th century that would form what we know today as Modern haiku. The new rules were:

1. The poem must contain three lines.
2. It must retain the 5, 7, 5 metric beat.
3. A seasonal theme needs to be present.
4. There will be no central point of interest.
5. A structural break must occur.

Step 1: Subject to Season and Nature

• Unlike many other types of poetry, haiku doesn't follow a linear pattern of events. Instead the subject focuses on nature, so you'll want to think seasonally when you're looking for subject material. Words that are indicative of their season are called kigo, for example associating winter with ice. Spend some time thinking about the seasons and how you express them through imagery, or kigo.

(Photo by Andy Mich)

1. Winter is associated with things like cold, ice, snow, death, and can be symbolic of burden, endings and sorrow. Think about what comes to mind when you think of winter and write it down for later reference.
2. For many Spring is a time of birth and renewal. It brings to mind flowers and seeds, planting and fertility. It may inspire thoughts about youth and passion. Write down imagery that comes to mind when you think of Spring.
3. Summer brings heat, warmth, fire and might be symbolic of anger, temper, youth and many other things. Again, think about summer and what it reminds you of and jot down some words.
4. Fall is a time of change and color. Decay and harvest coupled with impending winter opens up a wide range of interesting images. Jot down whatever comes to mind.

• The second thing to think about when determining the subject of your haiku is nature. Try brainstorming different aspects of nature once you determine which season you'd like to go with. Try to find combinations that work well, or find imagery that best describes the moment or emotion you are trying to convey.

• Look at the words famous Japanese poet Buson used to mimic the rise and fall of waves:

• The sea at springtime.
• All day it rises and falls,
• yes, rises and falls.
• —courtesy of Shiki Haikusphere

• Like the repetition of waves lapping again and again at the shore in the spring, Buson's haiku repeats the action of the waves in a simple pattern.

Step 2: Metrically Speaking 5 + 7 + 5 = 17

• The Japanese convention for writing haiku requires that the poem consist metrically of seventeen beats broken down into three lines. The beats are the number of syllables per line.

1. Line one has five metric beats.
2. Line two has seven metric beats.
3. Line three has five metric beats.

• Outside of the Japanese language however, conventions for meter tend to be more flexible. Many American poets, for example, discovered that seventeen syllables in English was too much information and became clumsy, so they started writing in 2, 3, 2 beat pattern or 3, 5, 3. They believed that structurally this brought the poem closer to the original Japanese requirements.

• Once you've practiced writing Haiku with the original seventeen syllables per haiku, challenge yourself to an eleven or seven beat haiku.

Step 3: The Kireji

(Photo by Yucel Tellici)

• There is a subtle pause for reflection in haiku that acts the same way a semi-colon, ellipses or long dash in English would, and it is called the kireji . The kireji is also known as "cutting" and acts as a dividing break of the haiku into two sections that can survive independently.

• Look at the subtle, but obvious kireji in this 300 year old haiku by Matsuo Basho:

• An old pond
• a frog jumps in
• Sound of water
• — courtesy of Shiki Haikusphere

• The break in this haiku occurs at the end of line two. You see the pond, and the frog jumps in. You pause as the words Sound of water reflect back on the old pond.

• If you have a hard time creating this break naturally, don't be afraid to use a comma, semi-colon, ellipses or dash instead.

Step 4: Just Write It!

• Now that you know the basic rules for writing a haiku, it's time to start writing. While they may seem intimidating, a certain amount of practice will have you writing great haiku in no time. Here are a few writing tips to remember:

1. Whether your haiku has 17 beats or 7 beats, remember to think them out carefully. Each word in the poem should serve a purpose.
2. Try to link each line internally with tools like word association, contrast and comparison.
3. Keep it simple. Avoid distractions like similes and rhyme.
4. Invoke one or more of the senses, like sight, smell, taste, sound or touch.
5. Some haiku make great riddles or puns.
6. Always write haiku as if they are happening here and now.
7. Avoid reference to the self in haiku, and limit reference to humanity.
8. Write visually. This reiterates the common writer's rule: show don't tell.
9. Don't be afraid to break some of the strict rules, and experiment.
   • For example, you don't necessarily have to write about nature; you could try writing about politics, or spirituality. Choose whatever appeals to you.
10. Just as with all other types of writing and poetry, read as many examples of haiku as you can get your hands on. Study and learn from them.

Conclusion

• Writing a haiku can be a real challenge. You'll have to work hard to stick to the confined structure. But just imagine how rewarding it will be once you get into the rhythm. Before you know it you'll be expressing yourself in haiku and writing long strings of haiku stanzas that connect together to form great masterpieces.

• Most importantly, share your haiku. Read them to friends, family, your Internet writer's group, or get up at the next poetry reading and read them aloud for an audience.

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Resources for How to Write a Haiku Poem

• ABC Teach: Haiku Directions
• Aha Poetry: Haiku
• Aha Poetry: Forms in English Haiku
• Basic Instructions: How to Write Haiku
• eHow: How to Write a Haiku
• Haiku Society: How to Write a Haiku
• How To Write Poetry: Haiku
• Shiki Haikusphere: Start Writing Haiku
• Toyomasu: Haiku for People
• The University of Tennessee: Lesson 19: Haiku
• WikiHow: How to Write a Haiku Poem
• With Words: What is a Haiku?

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