How To Write a Haiku

The form of Japanese poetry combining three different lines and a visible grammatical break, Haiku can be learned easily by these simple tips that help you in understanding the way Haiku is made.

Written in three lines with 17 syllables, the first line in Haiku contains five syllables, the second with seven, and the final one with five syllables. The ideas in English can be articulated with a short line, a long line, and another short line. However, two-line haiku are also being written by some recent English haiku writers.

First you need to select a general topic. Usually Haiku focuses on imagery from nature that more often reflects human experience that includes simplicity or solitude. Next is to select a season. The "kigo" or season word was generally understood in Japanese. Autumn breeze usually express loneliness and the arrival of dark winter. Words like "ice," "snow," "leafless," "dead tree," etc denote ideas of winter.

Summer that represents warmth, love, vibrancy and feelings like anger and temptations include reference to heat, sky, lust, beaches etc that denote form of romance. Ideas like mystery, loss, regret, decay, saying good-bye, jealousy, and supernatural beliefs are usually connected to autumn that can be represented by shadows, falling leaves, and autumn colors.

Spring is the season that is represented by blossoms, new plants, silk, warm rains etc that comes with themes like youth, innocence, passion, uncertainty etc. Holidays are also listed as seasons like Christmas.

You can also add a contrast. Adding contrasts are the hardest part of witting Haiku. By sparking the ideas of communication, you can come up with the perfect words. By learning to add contrasts, you can avoid the confusion of reading haiku that switch quickly to something else from its first to line and last line. But it doesnt be as severe as you have thought. More often the last line of a haiku comprise of an unexpected twist. Punctuation among the two lines can produce contrast in English, though not compulsory.