Haiku
Greetings beginner poets! We have now reached our third lesson. From the title above I'm guessing you know we are going to discuss the haiku, and then you will head to your homework assignment. Are we clear? Okay, let us start!
The haiku is a style of poetry from Japan. It was originally used to write about nature. Each verse has 3 lines and one verse has 17 moras, or syllables. The number of verses is unlimited, though a good number would be 3-4 verses. In one verse the first line is made up of five syllables, the second made of 7, and the third 5. Here is a visual format of a haiku.
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables
...and so on.
Fast fact: In Japanese, a haiku is traditionally printed in a single vertical line. In English they appear in three lines, to parallel the three phrases of the Japanese haiku.
The haiku's name was given by the Japanese haiku writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century.
When writing your haiku, do not use meaningless words such as I, the, a, it. You only have a limited number of syllables for each line so use meaningful words that fit in the syllable limit too. The haiku is your chance to be pensive in thinking and put the most meaningful things in your mind onto paper. A haiku is better for writing about nature, but you are always free to write a haiku for anything else.
Here are examples of a haiku:
Examples
And here is a verse of one I wrote, called "Silence":
Nothing happening
Too quiet somewhere, not loud
Scary and haunting
How to Write a Haiku Now that you've looked at some examples of haiku (yes, you were supposed to click that link!) and learned about haiku in general, you should now learn how to write one. Follow the method below and see what magic comes out of your favorite pen or pencil!
Step 1: Think about a theme for your haiku. After that, think of some words that come to mind, relate, and go well with your theme and write them down.
Step 2: Organize your thoughts about your theme in three lines. First, set the scene, then expand on that by expressing a feeling, making an observation or recording an action. Keep it simple!
Step 3: Polish your haiku into three lines, the first with 5 syllables, the second with 7 syllables, and the third with 5 syllables. It may take some time and substitution of words to make it fit.
Step 4: Repeat Steps 1-3 as you write more verses to your haiku.
I hope this method helps you write a haiku!
Greetings beginner poets! We have now reached our third lesson. From the title above I'm guessing you know we are going to discuss the haiku, and then you will head to your homework assignment. Are we clear? Okay, let us start!
The haiku is a style of poetry from Japan. It was originally used to write about nature. Each verse has 3 lines and one verse has 17 moras, or syllables. The number of verses is unlimited, though a good number would be 3-4 verses. In one verse the first line is made up of five syllables, the second made of 7, and the third 5. Here is a visual format of a haiku.
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables
...and so on.
Fast fact: In Japanese, a haiku is traditionally printed in a single vertical line. In English they appear in three lines, to parallel the three phrases of the Japanese haiku.
The haiku's name was given by the Japanese haiku writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century.
When writing your haiku, do not use meaningless words such as I, the, a, it. You only have a limited number of syllables for each line so use meaningful words that fit in the syllable limit too. The haiku is your chance to be pensive in thinking and put the most meaningful things in your mind onto paper. A haiku is better for writing about nature, but you are always free to write a haiku for anything else.
Here are examples of a haiku:
Examples
And here is a verse of one I wrote, called "Silence":
Nothing happening
Too quiet somewhere, not loud
Scary and haunting
How to Write a Haiku Now that you've looked at some examples of haiku (yes, you were supposed to click that link!) and learned about haiku in general, you should now learn how to write one. Follow the method below and see what magic comes out of your favorite pen or pencil!
Step 1: Think about a theme for your haiku. After that, think of some words that come to mind, relate, and go well with your theme and write them down.
Step 2: Organize your thoughts about your theme in three lines. First, set the scene, then expand on that by expressing a feeling, making an observation or recording an action. Keep it simple!
Step 3: Polish your haiku into three lines, the first with 5 syllables, the second with 7 syllables, and the third with 5 syllables. It may take some time and substitution of words to make it fit.
Step 4: Repeat Steps 1-3 as you write more verses to your haiku.
I hope this method helps you write a haiku!
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