Introduction

The haiku was developed in Japan as long back as the 9th century with a particular structure, style, and philosophy, unlike some forms of poetry that have complete freedom concerning their theme or quantity of lines and syllables. Many poets continue to use the original 5-7-5 syllable structure and adhere to the accepted guidelines for creating haiku. It may appear easy to write a haiku, or that all it needs is to reach a particular syllable count. Read on to learn more about this historic art form, and perhaps even try your hand at penning a Haiku.

  

What is a Haiku?

Japanese poetry known as haiku is composed of brief, unrhymed lines that conjure images from the natural world. Although there are many distinct short verse forms for haiku, the most popular is a three-line poem with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern.

The traditional Haiku Writing Structure

syllables and sentences. Some translators contend that the 17 sounds utilized by Japanese haiku poets correspond more closely to 12 English syllables than they do to their native tongue. Japanese haiku are written in one continuous line, but English-speaking poets divide their poems into three lines using two line breaks. This structural difference is shown via translation.

However, the majority of haiku poems adhere to a common format. The 5-7-5 structure is used, where:

1. There are only three lines and a total of 17 syllables in the entire poem.
2. The opening sentence has five syllables.
3. The second line contains seven syllables.
4. The third line contains five syllables.
5. The poet is in charge of punctuation and capitalization; they do not have to adhere to the same strict restrictions as sentence structure.
6. A haiku need not rhyme; in fact, most of the time it does not.

Style of Haiku Poetry

Many of these guidelines, particularly the 5-7-5 practice, have been frequently disregarded as the haiku form has developed. Although the concentration on a fleeting moment, the use of striking, vibrant pictures, the capacity to be read in one breath, and a sensation of sudden enlightenment and illumination have all been retained, so has the haiku philosophy.

The 5-7-5 syllable pattern has been disregarded by the majority of Western literary Tsuki poets. The instinctive or emotional leap that takes place between the poem’s two sections, in the gap of what is purposefully left out, gives the poem its intensity. Exactly that gap, leaving something out, and dwelling in the cut that separates the haiku into its two energetic halves are all part of the art of haiku.

Haiku poetry typically explores ethereal or organic topics, such as seasons, months, animals, and even the smallest natural components, such as a blade of grass or a drop of dew.

A haiku is most frequently employed as a celebration of nature, even though it is no longer required to address natural issues. The structure of modern haiku can also be more flexible, and conventional conventions can be disregarded, but the emphasis is still on using straightforward, sensory language to capture a fleeting moment in time and a sensation of illumination.

So it is completely up to the individual to follow the established writing haiku guidelines or write more creatively.

Common themes for writing Haiku

Haiku poetry has always focused on nature-related ideas and imagery that conjures up a particular season. Two pictures are frequently juxtaposed in haiku poems.

1. The seasons and nature

Haiku’s initial intent was to describe the season, and poets still frequently concentrate on the natural world and how it changes over the course of the year.

2. On

A haiku is a 17-syllable Japanese poem in English, which is counted differently than syllables, which causes translators to disagree on whether 17 English syllables adequately convey the haiku’s meaning.

3. Kigo

Traditional haiku have a kigo, which is a word or phrase that describes the season in which it is written. Haiku’s economy of expression is a result of its single-word indication of the season. Sakura (cherry blossoms) for spring, fuji (Wisteria) for summer, tsuki (moon) for fall, and samushi (chill) for winter are some of the most traditional kigo.

4. Kireji

Kireji, also referred to as the “cutting word” in English, introduces a halt or break in the poem’s rhythm. It is frequently used to juxtapose two pictures. Even while modern haiku don’t usually use a kireji, juxtaposition is still a common element in haiku.

Process of writing a Haiku

Before writing one’s own haiku, reading through examples will help one comprehend and appreciate the form. Children who read haiku can also begin the process of producing their short poems and gain an understanding of how to interpret poetry.

Do not forget to employ creativity in your word choice, punctuation, and word placement. Do not feel constrained by standard capitalization and sentence construction conventions because a haiku is not meant to read like a sentence.

How to write a haiku

Step 1: Decide on a subject

An individual needs to have a topic in mind before beginning to write a haiku. As already stated above, the majority of haikus are inspired by nature, but one is not bound to using only natural themes; other possibilities can be investigated as well. Looking at a person’s most important values or knowledge is the ideal location to start this quest. You can write about your favorite clothing brand, your love, or even your pet. Being creative is all that’s meant here.

Step 2: Analyze the subject

What is the purpose of writing on the topic, for example, should be considered once a person has chosen their topic. What aspects of the subject are fascinating?

This gives someone the chance to add a twist to their poem and leaves the readers with something to think about. One might write about how their football team struggled during the season but overcame it to win the playoffs, as an example.

Step 3: Writing the haiku

It is now necessary for the individual to write their thoughts down. One needs to adhere to the following suggestions after thoroughly considering the subject and being certain that it is what one wants to write about.

1. Understand the structure of writing a Haiku

Haikus follows a precise format, just like other types of poetry. A haiku has only three lines and 17 syllables, and it is structured using the 5-7-5 pattern.

Only five syllables should be used in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the last line. There are 17 syllables in total.

When you’ve mastered the syllable rule, you’re done. You don’t need to care about the rhyme structure for a haiku.

2. Give a sensory description of the topic that has been chosen

Haikus should ideally give the reader a quick feeling of the subject, mostly through the senses. One should have considered the topic’s taste, smell, sight, feel, and sound when analyzing it. To give your readers that sense and leave them with a mental image, you should write about the issue in such a way that the sense in question is brought out clearly.

3. Haiku has to be written in present tense

The present tense is used to give the haiku a sense of immediateness. Additionally, it enables the creation of straight lines that are simple to read and absorb.

4. Have a surprise twist at the end

An excellent haiku should leave the reader with some food for thought. Make sure the haiku’s final line is engaging and will leave the reader with many unanswered questions. When the reader realizes what the poem was about, he or she should be left thinking and startled.

An example of a Haiku

Let’s examine Matsuo Basho haiku as an example.

An old silent pond…

A frog jumps into the pond,

splash! Silence again.

The reader is left thinking about the pond’s solitude and how a frog’s splash might momentarily shatter that solitude.

If you have an idea for a haiku but don’t know how to write one, just follow the easy instructions in this blog and you’ll be all set. 

get in touch with us for professional content writing for your requirements! Learn More