How to Write Haiku Poems
By webmaster (home page)
The haiku originates from Japan. Before haiku there was renga, a regal and highly-regulated form of verse with Chinese antecedents. In the 17th century modern haiku was born in Japan. It arose, not so much from a need to write poetry as to express the feelings of Zen.
--Gerald England, How To Write Haiku
(As an aside, I used to interact with Gerald England back in the 1990s, when I was publishing Whisper magazine. It's nice to see he's still active in the industry.)
So, you want to write a Haiku? Excellent. There are a few simple rules to follow. The first is the most well-known: 3 lines, with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5.
But there are other guidelines for this style of poetry. Most people don't realize that each Haiku is supposed to have a "kigo" -- a word to describe or hint at the season. This can be fairly creative. It doesn't have to be "Winter." It can be "snowflakes." It doesn't have to be "Summer." It can be "hot sun." Oops, that isn't one word. But you get the idea -- each Haiku should be grounded in time. That's its anchor.
There is another aspect of Haiku which I would like to touch upon. And that is, paint your first impression. There isn't a lot of room for deep metaphors, nor is there much room for navel-gazing. The Haiku style depends upon your talent for describing a scene succinctly and memorably.
Here is one that I particularly like:
On the way I walk
No one goes and no one comes
In autumn sunset--Basho Matsuo, translated by Akira Ishiwatari
I like it in part for being competently written. But I also like it because a translation makes it difficult to follow the formal style, yet Ishiwatari managed it.
In conclusion, as with all formal styles of poetry, it's possible to get deeper into the form and layer on more rules. But it's also possible to pull back and skirt the rules. For example, many Haiku are off by 1 or 2 syllables, at least in the English language. While that's okay for the experienced master, beginners would likely do well to try to get the basics down before experimenting. Have fun!
Further reading:
HAIKU for PEOPLE by Kei Grieg Toyomasu
There are 8 comments on this tutorial. View & post comments.