Haiku Poems — Definition, Format, and Examples
What is a haiku?
A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry of short unrhymed lines that incorporate natural imagery. They can be formatted in various ways as decided by the haiku poet. Traditional haikus are three-lined poems with 17 total syllables – the first and last lines contain five syllables, and the second line contains seven.
The following characteristics are typical of a haiku:
Focus (Kigo): The focus of a haiku revolves around nature and often reflects a particular moment in time. Japanese poets often include a kigo, a word or phrase that identifies a certain season.
Toward those short trees
We saw a hawk descending
On a day in spring.
-- Masaoka Shiki
Shift (Kireji): The subjects identified in the haiku contrast in some way, creating a shift that divides the poem into two halves. In a traditional Japanese haiku, the poet includes a kireji word (cutting word), which divides the two subjects.
the paperweights
on the picture books in the shop –
the spring wind!
--Takai Kito
Show vs. Tell: Through imagery, the poet shows details that create a specific emotion rather than directly identifying what they feel.
The word haiku comes from hokku, the first stanza of a longer poetic form in Japan called renga. A haiku is also the beginning lines of another Japanese poem called tanka. Japanese verse uses 17 mora, or units of sound. Mora does not exactly translate into English, so English haiku poetry uses 17 syllables.
American poets, such as the Imagists of the early 20th century, expanded the haiku form beyond the strict number of syllables and lines. They instead use the art form to show an image using as few words as possible.
Haiku format
When writing haiku, the following rules apply:
Titles: Most haikus do not contain titles, so their first line usually identifies them.
Lines: Haikus have three lines.
Syllables: Traditional haikus utilize a 5-7-5 syllable pattern – five syllables in the first line, seven in the second line, and five in the third line. However, more modern haikus have broken away from this pattern. They are still identified as haikus based on the content.
Rhyme Scheme: There is no specific rhyme scheme a haiku must follow. Most versions of the poem type do not rhyme at all.
Grammar: Punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure do not need to follow any specific grammar rules; instead, the poets can change the rules to create certain effects, such as to meet the traditional syllable count.
Tense: Haikus are always in the present tense.
Haiku examples
The following examples incorporate the traditional haiku format (5-7-5):
“Old Silent Pond” by Matsuo Bashō
An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
“Café Patio” by Jackie Chou
cafe patio
above the cacophony
my broken English
“Wakened by birdsong” by Robert Major
Wakened by birdsong;
drifting from one world of dreams
into another
The following haikus do not employ the traditional 5-7-5 format:
“The Wren” by Kobayashi Issa
The wren
Earns his living
Noiselessly.
“Blowing from the West” by Yosa Buson
Blowing from the west
Fallen leaves gather
In the east.
“The Taste of Rain” by Jack Kerouac
The taste
Of rain
—Why kneel?
“In a Station of the Metro” by Ezra Pound
The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
Petals on a wet, black bough.