WHAT IS A HAIKU?

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Haiku is a concise form of poetry originating in the 17th century Japan. Words are used sparingly to convey a thought, a philosophy, an event, or a moment in time. Think of a haiku as a little mind movie.

 

A haiku has three lines. The first line has words totaling 5 syllables, the second line 7 syllables and the third line 5 syllables. A good haiku may seem as if it already existed and was merely pulled from the ether.

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Writing haiku takes discipline and a well written one cuts to the chase. Every word counts and only the best "fruit" is plucked from the vine. While it may seem limiting to pare a poem down to a mere 17 syllables, it is surprising what power a haiku has with so few words.

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When I was in the fourth grade I wrote a poem that started my writing career. It began:

"How high is up?

Now let me see,

Higher than birds in a sycamore tree..."

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I think I received a B+ on the poem. I was disappointed but didn't let it derail my writing career. For as long as I can remember I've had one or more writing projects going. My focus over the past two years has been haiku. 

 

You may wonder what a haiku is?

Let's begin with a haiku on writing a haiku:

a little story

in 17 syllables

choosing words wisely
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