Haiku

A haiku is an unrhyming verse form, conveying a complete image or feeling in three lines of syllables, and are usually about nature or natural things. Here's how to create a descriptive, engaging haiku.

>> Seasons don't have to be the ones listed. Holidays can be seasons of their own. There's a big difference between winter and Christmas, after all.
 * 1) **Understand the way haiku is made**. Haiku in Japanese has three lines written one right after another, with 17 syllables -- the first line contains five syllables, the second has seven, and the last has five. In English (a stressed language), the ideas can be expressed with a short line, a long line, and another short -- line. However, some recent English haiku writers have written two-line haiku.
 * 2) **Choose a general topic**. Haiku usually focus on imagery from nature. Haiku do not tell stories and usually do not directly tell about human experiences; they communicate a deeply felt moment -- usually a scene from nature -- which is then simply expressed, without big, fancy words. Haiku reflects a deeper human experience, such as simplicity or loneliness.
 * 3) **Choose a season**. Since almost all haiku focus on nature, the season is important for coming up with words to use. Because there are so few words in the poem, simple phrases like "cherry blossoms" or "falling leaves" can create lush scenes, yet still reflect the feeling of the verse. In Japanese, the "kigo" or season word was generally understood; "autumn breeze" might be known to express loneliness and the coming of the dark winter season.
 * **Winter** usually makes us think of burden, cold, sadness, hunger, tranquility or peace. Ideas about winter can be invited with words like "snow," "ice," "dead tree," "leafless," etc.
 * **Summer** brings about feelings of warmth, vibrancy, [|love], anger, temptation and many others. General summer phrases include references to the sky, beaches, heat, lust and any form of romance.
 * **Autumn** brings to mind a very wide range of ideas: decay, belief in the supernatural, jealousy, saying good-bye, loss, regret and mystery to name a few. Falling leaves, shadows and autumn colors are the most common implementations.
 * **Spring**, like summer, can make one think of love, but it is usually more a sense of infatuation than lust. Also common are themes like innocence, youth, passion and fickleness. Anything with blossoms, new plants, silk, warm rains can imply spring. For more information on seasons, go to the link listed below.
 * 1) **Add a contrast**. Reading most haiku, you'll notice they either present one idea for the first two lines and then switch quickly to something else or do the same with the first line and last two, although this is not as common. Contrasts can be the hardest part. The haiku poet wants to come up with the perfect words to spark the ideas they wish to communicate. It doesn't have to be extremely severe; it can be anything from one color to another. Often the last line of a haiku carries a twist - something unexpected. In English, punctuation between the two lines can create that contrast, although this is not necessary.

 ==[[|edit]] Tips == > > //early evening// > //small flat stones// > //line the shore//
 * To get inspiration and begin to understand the subtle emotions within images from nature, read the ancient works of famous haiku poets, such as Issa, Ryokan or Basho.
 * Write what you see, not what you feel. In the end, Haiku are about abstract ideas and emotions expressed through concrete images. When reading haiku, don't read them like you would other poems. Haiku are written to capture a feeling and image. Keep an open mind when reading haiku and try to feel what the writer was trying to get across. The more you read haiku, the easier they are to understand.
 * Remember that Japanese is a visual language. When it is written, it uses picture letter to represent ideas visually instead of letters such as those in our English alphabet. Because there is so much difference between the Japanese language and our language, it is a little difficult for us to create true Haiku. It may be better to think of our English Haiku poems as "haiku-inspired."
 * There are some who say that haiku can just be a short fragment (no more than three words) followed by a phrase.

> > //I like Cottage Cheese// > //Cottage Cheese is my favorite// > //Yummy Cottage Cheese//
 * The haiku doesn't have to be serious. It can be funny, although traditionalists might call it a 'senryu' rather than a 'haiku.' For example:


 * Please read both Classic Japanese haiku poets and Contemporary Japanese haiku poets in translation otherwise you will get a skewed perspective of what constitutes a 'Japanese haiku'.
 * Fay Aoyagi's English-language website is a good start:[]
 * With Words gives an easy overview of haiku and its history in the West: [|http://www.withwords.org.uk]
 * A haiku is a strict form of 5,7,5 Japanese sound units using 'on' as a counter for those sound units. The Japanese language systems (plural) don't contain alphabets. Outside Japan, most practiced haiku writers write 12-14 syllables that approximate the brevity of a Japanese haiku.
 * Haiku originated from renga (a group poem) and was known as a hokku which started the poem, and suggested place and season.