How to write a haiku poem
A haiku is a 17-syllable Japanese poem. In traditional haiku, the 17 syllable rule is set in stone; the poems always follow the same structure of five syllables in the first line, seven in the second and five in the third and final line. In modern haiku writing, some poets venture outside the traditional structure, allocating syllables to other lines, reducing the count or stretching slightly beyond the seventeen syllable norm. Although it might seem easy to write a poem so short, the constrictions of the form actually make it much more difficult than it appears.
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Instructions
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Choose a topic on which to write the haiku. A simple image transforms into an effective haiku through a choice of language that evokes emotion in the reader. For example, some famous haiku have been written on the subject of cherry blossoms, morning or clouds.
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Brainstorm a list of key words that relate to the image selected. This gives you a list of tools to use when you compose your poem. For example, if writing about the ocean include words such as "waves, blue, cold, deep" on your list.
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Choose a seasonal word to incorporate into your theme. A haiku is a reflection of a specific moment and place in time; the word for this concept in Japanese is "kigo". The word you choose does not need to blatantly say what season it is, but simply needs to reference it in some oblique way.
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Write your first line. Ensure that it is five syllables long and captures the primary image that is the focus of the poem. This can be a stand alone line or a lead-in to the second line.
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Write the second line, comprised of eight syllables; end it with a cutting word, or a hyphen. This provides a clean transition from the first image to the second. If the seasonal word hasn't been included in the first two lines, incorporate it into the third line.
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Write the final five syllable line. Try to craft a secondary image that contrasts, complements or continues the original thought.
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Tips & Warnings
To write more modern haiku poems, experiment by shortening the lines to include fewer syllables than dictated by the traditional form.
Read haiku written by the masters such as Basho, Issa and Buson. These experts of the form wrote many haiku that demonstrate how the poems should read.
always,always remember to have 17 sylables in total in the haiku poem or else it will not be considered a haiku poem.
References
Resources
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Comments
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This is an article written by an eHow user, not a qualified Demand Media professional, and eHow is working to remove all such articles and re-write them with professional writers and checked by experienced copy editors.
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This is an article written by an eHow user, not a qualified Demand Media professional, and eHow is working to remove all such articles and re-write them with professional writers and checked by experienced copy editors.
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Do you know how much times you spelled syllables wrong? You guys have the worst editing ever!
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This user-written article should be immediately removed from eHow. The gross misspellings, lack of proper structure or capitalization presents an unacceptable image for eHow. There are other, much higher quality articles on haikus written by professional Demand Media writers available on the site.
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I can't believe the misspellings here - use spell check! The most horrendous one, given the topic of the article, is syllables (misspelled here as sylables). Makes the whole article hard to believe.
