Haiku are short poems that use sensory language to capture feelings or images. Inspiration often comes from natural elements, beautiful moments, or touching experiences. Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets, and its forms were adapted into English and other languages by poets from other countries. You can teach yourself how to write a haiku.
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Method 1 of 4: Understanding the Structure of Haiku
Step 1. Know the structure of the haiku sound
The original Japanese haiku consisted of 17 voices, which were divided into three phrases: 5 voices, 7 voices, and 5 voices. English poets interpret it as a syllable. Haiku has evolved over time, and most poets no longer follow this structure, in either Japanese or English; modern haiku can have more than 17 voices, it can also be just one.
- English syllables vary in length, while in Japanese almost all of them are short. For this reason, a 17-syllable English haiku can be longer than a 17-voice Japanese haiku, moving away from the concept that haiku aims to filter an image with multiple sounds. Although the 5-7-5 rule is no longer considered standard for English haiku, students at school are still taught to use it.
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How many sounds or syllables will you use in your haiku? Refer to the Japanese idea: haiku should be expressed in one breath. In English, it can be 10-14 syllables long. Consider, for example, the following haiku by American novelist Jack Kerouac:
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- Snow in my shoes
- Abandoned
- Sparrow's nest
- (translation: Snow in my shoes
- neglected
- sparrow nest)
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Step 2. Use a haiku to pair two ideas
The Japanese word "kiru", which means "to cut", suggests that haiku should contain two ideas side by side. The two sections are grammatically independent, and usually reflect different images as well.
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Japanese haiku are generally written on a single line, with the ideas side by side and separated by a "kireji", or cutting word, which helps define the relationship between the two ideas. Kireji usually appears at the end of one of the voice phrases. There is no English equivalent for kireji, so it is commonly translated as a dot. Consider these two separate ideas in Bashō's Japanese haiku:
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- how cool the feeling of a wall against the feet - siesta
- (translation: how cool is the wall plastered with legs - take a nap)
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English haiku are most often written in three lines. Side-by-side ideas (which should only be 2) are "cut off" by line breaks, punctuation, or simply spaces. Haiku follows the work of the American poet Lee Gurga:
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- fresh scent-
- the labrador's muzzle
- deeper into snow
- (translation: fresh scent-
- labrador snout
- deeper in the snow)
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- In any situation, the purpose of the haiku is to create a jump between the two parts, and to enhance the meaning of the poem by presenting an "internal comparison." Effectively creating this two-part structure can be the most difficult stage in haiku writing. It can be very difficult to avoid a connection that is too obvious or too large a distance between the two halves.
Method 2 of 4: Selecting a Haiku Topic
Step 1. Distill the heartwarming experience
Haiku originally focused on the details of the surrounding environment related to the human condition. Think of haiku as a form of meditation that expresses an objective image or feeling without involving subjective judgment and analysis. When you see or notice something that makes you want to say to someone else, "Look at that," the experience may be appropriate for a haiku.
- Early Japanese poets used haiku to capture and filter images of fleeting nature, such as a frog jumping into a pond, a raindrop falling on a leaf, or a flower swaying in the wind. Many people walk around just looking for inspiration for their poetry; in Japan it is known as "ginkgo walk".
- Contemporary haiku topics can be out of touch with nature. The city environment, emotions, relationships, and even humorous topics can all be haiku topics.
Step 2. Include a season reference
The reference to the seasons or changing seasons, called "kigo" in Japanese, is an essential element of haiku. The reference can be explicit, for example using "spring" or "fall" to indicate the season. It could also be more subtle, for example by mentioning wisteria, a flower that grows in summer. Take a look at the kigo in Fukuda Chiyo-ni's haiku below:
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- morning glory!
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the well bucket-entangled,
- I ask for water
- (translation: morning glory!
- entangled well bucket,
- I want water)
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Step 3. Create topic transitions
To follow the idea that a haiku should contain two ideas side by side, transition perspectives on your chosen topic so that your poem has two parts. For example, you could focus on the details of an ant crawling on a log, then side-by-side the image with a wider view of the entire forest, or the season when the ant was present. This assistance gives the poet a deeper metaphorical meaning than using a simple single universe. Consider the following poem by Richard Wright:
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- Whitecaps on the bay:
- A broken signboard banging
- In the April wind.
- (translation: White waves strike the bay
- The broken signboard swings around
- By the April wind.)
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Method 3 of 4: Using Sensory Language
Step 1. Break down the details
Haiku consists of details that are noticed by the five senses. The poet witnesses an event and uses words to summarize the event so that others understand it. Once you have chosen a haiku topic, think about the details you want to cover. Pay attention to the topic and explore the following questions:
- What do you realize about the topic? What colors, textures, and contrasts did you notice?
- How does the topic sound? What kind of tenor and volume occurred in that event?
- Does the topic smell or taste? How do you accurately describe how you feel?
Step 2. Show, don't tell
Haiku express moments of objective experience, not subjective interpretation or analysis of the event. You must show the reader the truth about the existence of the moment, not share the emotions you felt as a result of the event. Let the reader feel his own emotions in reaction to the picture.
- Use earthy and subtle depictions. For example, instead of mentioning summer, focus on the angle of the sun or the heavy air.
- Don't use cliches. Lines that are familiar to readers, such as "dark stormy night," tend to lose their strength over time. Think of the image you want to describe and use imaginative true language to express meaning. This doesn't mean you have to use a thesaurus to find unusual words. Just write down what you see and want to express in the truest language you know.
Method 4 of 4: Become a Haiku Writer
Step 1. Find inspiration
As is the tradition of the great haiku poets, go outside for inspiration. Take a walk and absorb everything around you. What details in your surroundings speak to you? What makes it stand out?
- Bring a notebook for welcome inspiration. You never know when a rock in a stream, a mouse jumping over a train track, or a cloud over a hill in the distance might inspire you to write a haiku.
- Read other haiku writers. The beauty and simplicity of the haiku form has inspired thousands of writers in various languages. Reading other haiku can spur your imagination.
Step 2. Keep practicing
Like any piece of art, haiku takes practice. Bashō, considered the greatest haiku poet of all time, said that each haiku must be recited a thousand times by the tongue. Design and redesign each poem until its meaning is fully expressed. Remember, you don't have to stick to the 5-7-5 syllable pattern, and that true haiku literature involves kigo, two-part accompanying structures, and especially objective sensory depictions.
Step 3. Communicate with other poets
If you are serious about learning haiku, take the time to join organizations such as the Haiku Society of America, Haiku Canada, the British Haiku Society, or--the ones in Indonesia--the Asah Pena Community and the Danau Angsa Haiku Community. You can also subscribe to leading haiku journals such as Modern Haiku and Frogpond to learn more about the artwork.
Tips
- Unlike Western poetry, haiku generally do not rhyme.
- Contemporary haiku poets may write poems that are only short fragments of three words or less.
- Haiku comes from the word "haikai no renga", a collaborative group poem that is usually a hundred stanzas in length. Hokku, aka the first stanza, is a renga collaboration that both indicates the season and contains the word cutting. Haiku as an independent form of poetry continues this tradition.
- Haiku are called "unfinished" poetry because each haiku asks the reader to complete it himself in his heart.
