How to Write a Haiku for Children
Poetry is a great way to express yourself, and an excellent way to teach children how to write creatively. One of the best ways to get children involved in writing is to present them with poetry that is suited to them. A haiku is a simple poem that can be about anything, and is an easy form to make accessible to children.
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Instructions
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Choose an appropriate subject to write about. Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry that is usually about nature. If you are talking with or teaching your children about nature, a haiku is a great way to incorporate nature themes in a new way. Choose a month to focus on, or even just a season. Many haiku focus on things such as rain, snow or even the cold.
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Keep it upbeat. While there are some haiku that deal with dark emotions and themes like loneliness and loss, the best way to introduce this type of poetry to children is in a positive way. If you show the child that poetry can be about fun things that they enjoy, they will be more likely to want to read more, and maybe even eventually write some themselves.
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Master the structure of haiku. The traditional structure of an English language haiku is 17 syllables: 5 in the first line, 7 in the second line and 5 in the third. As long as you stay within these boundaries, your poem is technically a haiku. Experiment with different sentences and ideas to get the hang of the structure before you focus specifically on writing them for children.
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Write about something that will capture their interest. While it is true that most haiku deal with nature in many ways, make sure that the haiku you write is something that children can relate to. While the cycles of the seasons may make one think of writing a haiku about the never-ending cyclical nature of life, keep your ideas simpler for the children. Don't feel obliged to make lofty metaphors or grand statements. A simple observational haiku about a trickling creek or butterfly is enough for a child if it is written in a way that captivates their imagination.
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Teach the children what a haiku is before having them read one. Explaining the basic concept behind a haiku will give the child not only a better understanding of the structure of the haiku verse, but also the basic concept of form in writing. You may want to compare and contrast the haiku style with other styles of verse you may have written. Show the child a metered verse that rhymes, for example, and contrast it with the haiku.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't censor yourself. Let whatever comes out onto the page be, then go back and edit later.
