How to Read a Haiku
A haiku is a Japanese form of poetry in which the first line contains 5 syllables, the second line 7 syllables and the third line 5 syllables. Writing haiku involves adhering to many rules-or ignoring the rules-and then arguing with literary scholars about whether you've written a true haiku or not. Fortunately, reading a haiku is much easier than writing one.
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Instructions
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Learn whether you are reading an original haiku written in English or a Japanese haiku that has been translated into English. If it is a translation, consider whether the translator kept the meaning at the expense of the meter or changed the meaning to keep the meter.
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Remember that a haiku is about an abstract concept, usually an emotion, about nature. It describes a single moment as it forms in the poet's mind (a haiku moment).
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Ask yourself what season is represented in the haiku, imaging the scene depicted in the poem.
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Feel the emotion the haiku means to evoke. Remember that although the haiku might depict a scene in nature, you're meant to understand something about the human condition as well.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep in mind that Japanese haiku is written in kanji, complex symbols that can represent more than one word. The Japanese language lends itself to phrases of 5 and 7 syllables very naturally, not only in haiku but in everyday life.
