In this lesson we will examine several questions. What is haiku? Where did haiku come from? What makes a haiku a haiku? How can I compose haiku?  But first of all let us answer this question - why should we learn about haiku?  Haiku will allow you to expand your creativity and express yourself in a new way. It will bring you closer to nature. It can change the way you look at nature and even the way you look at the world. For, to write haiku you must examine the world more closely, to see the little things in a new light, to see the world with "haiku eyes."  Haiku is about discovery, and you just may discover something new about yourself!  At the end of the lesson we will share our haiku by posting our poems to a Class Haiku Web Site and share our discoveries with each other. (For students with limited internet access, you may print out the entire lesson - approximately 17 pages - from this graphics free printable web site. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader already, use this link for a free download.)

Before learning about haiku, let's take a few moments to learn how to move around in this lesson.  If you do not know how to operate links or are truly new at moving around the World Wide Web read further. If you are already familiar with links, move on to How to Navigate this Site.

The blue underlined sentence is called a "link" or "hyperlink" because it links you to another web page, email option, or some other site the web page designer wants you to access. Links are usually blue and underlined if you have not yet been to that page and purple and underlined if you have already been to that page. This allows you to keep track of which pages you have already visited. Clicking your left mouse button on a PC (or your mouse button on a MacIntosh) anywhere on the underlined link will activate the link and bring up the new site.  Click the How to Navigate this Site link now.

What makes a haiku a haiku? You must admit they are strikingly different from other poetic styles. They do not rhyme. They have no set rhythm. So what does make a haiku a haiku? In its long history haiku has developed a set of rules and conventions.

As mentioned earlier, most people do not completely agree on the rules, but all agree on two aspects - Syllabication and Season Words (known as "kigo"). The concept of Imagery is important enough to mention along with these as the Major Elements of Haiku. Think of them as:

In addition to these three major elements, the following secondary characteristics were often mentioned:

• cutting words
• time element
• feeling
• surprise
• contrast

The Japanese language is particularly suited to patterns with 5 and 7 syllables. Remember the Renga with its 5/7/5 -7/7 pattern? Even "keep off the grass" signs are often composed in 5 or 7 syllable formats. Some aspect of their language makes this beat a mnemonic aid (a memorization aid). When the western world discovered haiku they initially copied this pattern. Many believe; however, that more information can be conveyed in 17 English syllables than in 17 Japanese symbols. From this, many poets gave up traditional form and began writing "free verse" haiku of fewer syllables. Also, translators often sacrifice syllabication rules for poetic meaning when translating haiku to English. Even traditionalists in both Japanese and English languages have occasionally bent the 5/7/5 pattern. For beginner poets it is easier to stick with this formal pattern until you become more familiar with composing haiku then you may begin experimenting with free verse.

Regardless of the syllabication pattern haiku typically has a three line form, although this rule has been broken as well!

Read the following poems and decide if they follow the traditional format. Ask yourself

• Are there three lines?
• Count the syllables, are there 17?
• Are they broken into the 5/7/5 pattern?

Ready to start? I have faith in your ability to determine if a poem has three lines or not so let's focus on the other two items on the checklist. Answer the following questions for each of the haiku presented.
1) Count the syllables, are there: a) more than 17 b) exactly 17 c) less than 17
2) Are they broken in the 5/7/5 pattern? Yes or no?

ASSIGNMENT!! Now that you have reviewed the concept of "syllables" and learned that traditional haiku are composed of 17 syllables shaped into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 lines respectively, let's practice working with such strict syllable structure!

• Tell the class about yourself but restrict your description to 17 syllables. (This can be harder than it appears.)
• Think of key words about yourself or things you would like to share.
• Shape them into the 5/7/5 three line syllabication pattern.
• If you are having trouble fitting a particular word try synonyms that will convey the same meaning.
• If you are ever in doubt as to the number of syllables ('orange" once stumped me), a dictionary is an invaluable resource.
• You do not have to use your name in the exercise but be sure to put your name on your posting.
• Be sure to read about your fellow students!!

Now you try! Come up with a mini-description of yourself and post it to the threaded discussion group.
(If you have never posted to a threaded discussion group before read the instructions for threaded discussions before posting)

To post to a threaded discussion group: When you got to the threaded discussion you will see a heading telling the subject of the discussion along with the following options: [ Home | Contents | Search | Post ]

Home Disregard Home.
Contents is the initial page that appears, it contains the links to all the messages that have been posted so far.
Search allows you to search for postings containing specific words (or names).
Post allows you to post a message.

You can read everyone else's comments on the Contents page of the thread. Selecting any of the blue comment titles will link you to that particular posting. If you Reply to a particular posting your response will appear below the original comment, slightly indented, so that everyone can tell it is a reply to that comment.

Now, post your introductory haiku!

Syllables cause the rhythm and flow in poetry. Poets select words not only for their meanings but for their syllabication pattern so that they can control the rhythm in the poem. A syllable is a single spoken sound that forms a word or a part of a word. Children often practice counting syllables by clapping each beat of the word in question.

For example:

"sound" is one syllable: "sound"
as is "for", "tree" or "house"

"rabbit" is two syllables: "rab*bit"
as is "ran*dom", "snow*man" or "ten*nis"

 "syllable" is three syllables:  "sy *la* ble"
as is "ex*am*ple", "di*vi*sion" or "won*der*ful"

Practice counting the number of syllables in the following words:
 

Good job! Remember, if you run into trouble, a dictionary will show the division of syllables in words. Feeling more comfortable with counting syllables? Great! Now move on with the lesson.

Kigo can come in many forms, both explicit and subtle.  Poets can set the season by using the name of the season, such as "summer heat."  The season can also be implied.  "Snow" and "icicles" hint of winter while "falling leaves" and "harvest" suggest Autumn. Poets make use of seasonal animals, plants, holidays, traditions, music, weather, etc. Look at this concept map I created of words that I associate with Autumn.

Kigo is very important to haiku poets, they often compile lists to refer to as they write. There are even separate anthologies of season words for the different regions in Japan! Since different regions experience the seasons differently, kigo can change from location to location. Conveying the season was an easier task to accomplish when haiku was purely a Japanese art. The average Japanese citizen may automatically identify that "deer" means autumn and "cherry blossoms" mean spring but we may not find it so easy to comprehend.  Dragonflies in Japan may not behave the same as the dragonflies in other parts of the world and different cultures celebrate different holidays. Additionally, in Japan as well as the rest of the world, humanity has moved further from nature. In fact, haiku do not have to be about nature. (Yes, traditionalists would suggest otherwise!) This may make "kigo" hard to recognize. Practice by identifying the season word in the following examples:

Let's practice:
Read the following kigo examples and decide which season they imply. Some lines you may recognize, not just haiku poets use seasonal references, and some are my haiku. Because people often have slight differences of opinion instead of answering with one specific season (even if the name of that season appears in the question) limit your answers to "spring/summer" or "autumn/winter".

1) "The summer wind came rolling in across the sea"
2) "All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray"
3) "but since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"
4) "under a harvest moon"
5) "let's go surfin' now, everybody's learning how"
6)  following the trail / of airborn music children / chase after icecream
7)  Crunching on acorns / I dance to the music of / My own creation
8)  brightly colored eggs / pale in comparison to / my cousins' fingers
9)  walking home from school / yields an unexpected chance / to taste snowflakes
10) Under my bushes / Blown down by October winds / A pansy struggles

ASSIGNMENT!! As a novice poet it would benefit you to start your own collection of kigo.

• For each season list at least five words that you associate with that season.
• Remember, a minimum of twenty words in all, five for each season (feel free to think of more!).
• Post your lists to the threaded discussion group.
• Read each other's contributions to expand your lists.
• Question each other if you do not understand the relationship.
• If several people miss the connection it may be wise to rethink using that word.

If you need help getting started, print out these blank concept maps for each of the seasons then start brainstorming.

Use these if you need help organizing your thoughts while listing kigo.
 
 

Do!
Do use specific words:
Instead of "flower" use "pansy" or "iris" so that the reader has a more vivid image of the flower.

Do!
Do your research:
If you don't know the name of the species of bird then look it up.
If you are writing about a spider's web, read about webs.

Don't!
Don't use Literary Devices like metaphor, simile, etc. and try to avoid the repetition of same words that just add extra words to the poem without adding additional meaning.
These muddy the image and often result in too many words.

Don't!
Don't tell the entire story, haiku is not prose.
Although using specific words helps to sharpen the picture the haiku as a whole should not read like a novel.
Try not to explain what you saw but to show it through the images you use. Give the reader the suggestion and let them complete the picture based on the pictures your words create.
For example, instead of

try

In either example you know children have been coloring Easter eggs and made the traditional messes. The first is a sentence while the second one is a haiku.
 

Now answer the following questions:
1. Which is the sharper image?    a birds call/a crow's caw
2. Which is the sharper image?    meat roasting/food cooking
3. Which is the sharper image?    rose petal/flower petal
4. Which is the sharper image?    bad smell/car exhaust
5. What is the error being demonstrated - "The moon peeked through my window."    personification/simile
6. What is the error being demonstrated - "Icy cold wind"                                            repetition/alliteration
7. What is the error being demonstrated - "old man river"                                            metaphor/simile
8. What is the error being demonstrated - "I feel as happy as a pig in mud"                    metaphor/simile

ASSIGNMENT!! Good job! Now you practice.

• Use the last three questions (numbers six through eight)
• Rewrite the incorrect phrases so that they are haiku appropriate.
• Use the "Teacher Email" link at the top to send your response to me.

Metaphor - a comparison made by calling one item another item
For example, "the evening of life" or "sunshine of our love"

Simile - a comparison using "like" or "as"
For example, "As snug as a bug in a rug" or "he drinks like a fish"

Personification - to think of or represent an inanimate object as a person.
For example, "The rocks will cry out his name" or "the planets danced in their orbits"

Alliteration - the repetition of the same consonant sounds or different vowel sounds at the beginning of words or stressed syllables.
For example, "seven silver swans swam" or "even Alice's otter ate the ice-cream"

Cutting words - "kireji" refers to breaks and pauses in the haiku. In Japanese haiku they use actual cutting words or kireji (rather like the use of "stop" in telegraphs) to indicate where the break should be. In English, kireji are replaced with dashes, commas, or implied breaks. Typically the flow of the poem is split into two parts. This is called "the fragment and phrase" and it helps to avoid run-on sentences in your poem. Basically, the idea is that the first line of the poem is a fragment, the remaining two lines go together in a phrase.

For example:
                                    A chill in the wind --    (fragment)
                                  Suddenly my cat grows fond   (phrase)
                                         Of sleeping indoors

                                        Orange-gold sun rising
                                  Blares through curtained window pane
                                        I hide beneath sheets.

Although you could not tell the season from this poem, you certainly know that it is morning and probably relate to wishing you could snuggle back down under the covers for a few more moments before beginning the day.

In the two poems presented above, I believe the description of my cat in autumn conveys humor - a soft sarcasm. In the second a longing to put off the days responsibilities.

The three major elements of haiku are:
a) imagery    b) feeling    c) kigo    d) syllabication

The element relating to the traditional 5/7/5 beat pattern is:
a) kigo   b) syllabication  c) imagery  d) cutting words

The element relating to the word or words that that indicate the season in which the haiku takes place is:
a) kigo   b) syllabication  c) imagery  d) cutting words

The element associated with dividing a poem into a fragment and a phrase is:
a) cutting words  b) feeling  c) contrast  d) surprise

The element associated with word(s) that indicate the time in the poem is:
a) feeling  b) cutting word  c) time word  d) contrast

The element associated with the mood of the haiku is:
a) contrast  b) feeling  c) surprise  d) cutting word

The element associated with a sense of wonder or new discovery is:
a) surprise  b) time word  c) feeling  d) cutting word

The element associated with different concepts having a common link is:
a) feeling  b) contrast  c) cutting word  d) time word

Good job! Now let's move on to a more complicated task - analyzing a haiku to determine if it follows traditional form.
Use the checklist below to assist you.

• the 5/7/5 pattern
• the season/season word(s)
• examples of imagery
• the cutting word/phrase & fragment
• a time word
• feeling
• surprise
• contrast

This poem follows the 5/7/5 pattern. "Chill in the wind" implies autumn or winter, since the cat has suddenly changed his sleeping schedule I would guess this is a recent change therefore autumn. No striking imagery examples really but definite phrase & fragment pattern as indicated by the dash. No time element, cats sleep all day! I believe it has a humorous feeling. No striking examples of surprise or contrast. For these reasons I believe it follows traditional format.

This poem also follows the 5/7/5 pattern. "Acorns" is the kigo in this poem, acorns litter the sidewalks around neighborhoods and schools in the fall. I think "crunching acorns" is a striking image, I can hear the pop of the acorn caps as I type. The comparison between crunching acorns and music may border on metaphor. The phrase/fragment isn't as noticeable in this one but I think there is a bit of a break between the first line and the second two lines simply because "crunching on acorns I dance to the music of" is not a sentence while "I dance to the music of my own creation" can stand alone. You cannot tell what time the poem takes place but if I'm dancing I must be in a good mood. No real surprise or contrast examples. For these reasons I believe it follows traditional format.

Now you try! Analyze two examples of haiku from the great (and not so great) poets.

• Use the links below to access poems by Basho, Issa, Buson, Shiki and others.
• If it is easier for you, you may also consult haiku books in your local libraries.
• Select two poems to analyze.
• Use the checklist to identify if the poet followed traditional style.
• Explain how you feel it meets/does not meet traditional elements.
• When you are ready to compose your assignment use the "teacher email" graphic at the top of the page to send me an email.
• Include a copy of the poem you are reviewing. (You can cut and paste the haiku it if you take it off a web site).
• Even though you are only required to evaluate two poems please read several by various poets to get a feel for the poetic styles.

Issa's Haiku Home Page - eight haiku by Issa
Issa Haiku - 26 haiku by Issa, arranged by season (that should make it easier for you to identify the season!!)
Basho's Haiku -  over 80 haiku by Basho
A Haiku Homepage -  three haiku by Basho
In the Moonlight A Worm -  haiku by Basho (you have to skim the page to get to the poems, but still a good site)
John's Haiku Page - haiku from Basho, Buson, Issa, Shiki and others (he does mention LSD in his poetry/writing but if you skim past his text you will find many wonderful haiku)
Heather's Haiku Page - haiku from a young lady named Heather
Frivolity - odd and humorous haiku that probably does  not follow the traditional pattern

If ten people were asked to write a haiku about a spider's web you would have ten completely different poems.  And if you were to ask ten people about how to write a haiku, you would get ten completely different suggestions.  You can find many web pages with advice on how to get started. I will summarize a few of these sites in a moment but before we start looking at writing Haiku specifically let's examine writing in general. Do you remember learning about the "Writing Process" in English class?

Methods I have read about include:

 Meditation - Let your mind rest and meditate on some aspect or image of nature or perhaps a picture in your mind. Let an image capture you and inspect it more closely to see what in that image makes you pause. Or you can try to empty your mind completely and allow an image to find you. When you feel you are ready, write down your thoughts in haiku form.
 Ginko - Go for a traditional "haiku walk" Stroll through a garden or park. Sit for a while and experience what is around you. Take notes if you need to. Remember to use your "haiku eyes" as well as the rest of your senses. When inspiration strikes you are ready to compose.
 Brainstorming - Look at the season words list you created and at your fellow student's lists. Select some words and images from among the lists then shape them into a poem, following the syllabication & imagery rules discussed in the lesson.
 Closer examination - Pick a single word from your kigo list and examine it more closely - its color, smell, sound, shape, meaning and other attributes. Try to discover something new about it or to see it in a different way. Now convey that discovery in your haiku.

These are just a few ideas. You may even create your own method! There are several good sites for further information on composing haiku if you wish to read more.

A Guide for Teaching Haiku - comprehensive, designed for school-aged children but will work for any age student
A Haiku Homepage - also written for school-aged children but extremely helpful
In the Moonlight a Worm - written for all ages

Composing your haiku is only the first step. Examine your poem the next day and analyze it the way you did the other poems in the lesson. Pretend someone else wrote it if that will help you. Ask yourself

• Did you follow syllabication, kigo, and imagery rules discussed in the lesson?
• Can you make your images sharper?
• Can you edit any superfluous words?
• Is it too explicit? Is it too mysterious?
• Did you use literary devices?
• Is there too much repetition?  (bright sunny day)

This has 18 syllables plus I felt like gust and blown seemed too repetitive. There was no real example of kigo. Also, "flower" is not that powerful an image so I made these changes -

ASSESSMENT! Now you try!!

• Compose two traditional haiku.
• You may use any season and any method you wish but be sure to follow the rules of syllabication, kigo, and imagery discussed in the lesson.
• Refer back to the Kigo threaded discussion group if you need help with  ideas.
• You may include any secondary elements you wish, but they are not required for this assignment.
• Use the Teacher Email link above to send me your poems.
• Be sure to send your revisions (if any) along with your haiku.
• Poems are due by December 14th.

All haiku will be posted to the student site by December 15th.  Read each others' haiku and be prepared to discuss good points and areas of improvement in a group chat session on December 18th. Use the checklist and the skills you developed in reviewing the haiku of the great haiku poets. To help you prepare for the chat session you will be assigned email groups to work with each other to develop comments.

The link to your student haiku site is at the bottom of this page but before we go there let's share some final thoughts.

You have begun a journey. Thus far you have learned where haiku originated, what elements make a haiku a haiku, and some methods for composing haiku. You have even written haiku yourself. Think back to the beginning of the lesson when you jotted down your ideas about haiku. You should be proud of how far you have come! You may have even begun to look at the world (and yourself) in a different way and to express yourself in a new way.
 
 

From here I hope you keep reading haiku and continue to experiment with composing. You can move on to free verse or just have fun with the form. Often movies and television shows have "haiku contests" for fans to compose silly verse. These follow the seventeen syllable rule but little else! Here is a site with some humorous haiku called Frivolity. You can even apply what you have learned to other styles of poetry - the focus, the revision, the wonder in the little things. However you choose to do it, keep writing!! Keep expressing yourself!

Here are some links to valuable haiku sites if you wish to learn more. Email me if you find other good sites to share or if you have suggestions for improving this page. If you choose to access the links during the lesson remember to use your browser's back button to return to this page.

Resources
The Definition of Haiku by Alexey Andreyev - very detailed yet easy to read and interesting, many facts not usually known about haiku
HAIKU for People - good information plus examples of haiku from many poets
On Writing Haiku
A Guide for Teaching Haiku - comprehensive, designed for school aged children but will work for any age student
A Haiku Homepage - also written for school aged children but extremely helpful
In the Moonlight a Worm - written for all ages
Useful Search Engine
Google - I found all the haiku and graphics you see on this page and more using the search engine Google and the words "haiku" "haiga" and "Japanese graphics"

One final request. Before visiting our student haiku site go back and read each other's "getting to know you" haiku from the syllabication section so you know who's poems you are reading!  Be prepared to discuss your own as well as each other's haiku in a class chat session on December 18th.