What is Haiku?

The Haiku is a traditional Japanese short form poem that is typically characterized by three qualities:

• The essence of haiku is "cutting" (kiru). This is often represented by the contrast of two images or ideas and a kireji ("cutting word") between them, a kind of verbal punctuation mark which signals the moment of separation and gives light to the manner in which the elements are related.
• Traditional haiku consist of 17 on (sounds), in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5 on respectively. Any one of the three phrases may end with the kireji. Although haiku are often stated to have 17 syllables, this is incorrect as syllables and on are not actually the same.
• A kigo (seasonal reference), usually drawn from a saijiki, a deep but defined list of such words. The majority of kigo, but not all, are drawn from natural realms. This, combined with the origins of haiku in pre-industrial Japan, has led to the inaccurate impression that haiku are necessarily nature poems.

Modern (gendai) Japanese haiku are increasingly unlikely to follow the tradition of 17 on or to take nature as their subject, but the use of juxtaposition continues to be honored in both traditional haiku and gendai. There is a common, although relatively recent, perception that the images juxtaposed must be directly observed everyday objects or occurrences.

Contemporary haiku are written in many languages, but most poets outside of Japan are concentrated in the English-speaking countries.

It is impossible to single out any current style, format, or subject matter as the most precise. Some of the more common practices in English include:

• Use of three lines - up to 17 syllables;
• Use of a season word (kigo);
• Use of a cut or kire (sometimes indicated by a punctuation mark) to compare two images implicitly.

English haiku do not always adhere to the strict syllable count found in Japanese haiku. The typical length of haiku appearing in the main English-language journals is 10–14 syllables. Some poets are concerned with their haiku being expressed in one breath and the degree to which their poems focus on "showing" as opposed to "telling". This is the genius of haiku using an economy of words to paint a multi-layered picture, without being "tell all". Or as Matsuo Basho puts it, "The haiku that reveals seventy to eighty percent of its subject is good. Those that reveal fifty to sixty percent, we never tire of."

Haiku combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact verse. In English, the Haiku often appears in three lines to parallel the three phrases of Japanese Haiku. We will use this format for our entries:

Haiku doesn't rhyme. Remember that the Haiku should paint an image in the reader’s mind. This is the challenge of Haiku - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in ONLY 17 syllables over just three (3) lines of poetry!

Here are two examples:

At a distance met
One chance encounter made good
Bound by our first sight

Cherry Blossoms bloom
Feasts of clouds on Island fields
Like love, will fade soon

Writing tips:

Understand the way haiku is made. To get inspiration and begin to understand the subtle emotions within images from nature, read the works of famous classic haiku poets, such as Basho, Buson, Issa, or Shiki.

What you feel should be in a haiku. When you see or notice something that makes you want to say to others -"Hey, look at that!"-include that in a haiku. Many people go for walks just to find new inspiration for their poetry.

Many haiku seem to focus on nature, but what they are really focusing on is a seasonal reference (not all of which are necessarily about nature). Japanese poets use a "saijiki" or season word almanac to check the seasonal association for key words that they might use in a haiku.

Add a contrast or comparison. Reading most haiku, you'll notice they either present one idea for the first two lines and then switch quickly to something else or do the same with the first line and last two. A Japanese haiku achieves this shift with what is called a "kireji" or cutting word, which cuts the poem into two parts.

Use primarily objective sensory description. Haiku are based on the five senses. They are about things you can experience, not your interpretation or analysis of those things.

Remember that Japanese was originally a pictographic language. When it is written, it uses mostly picture characters to represent ideas visually instead of letters such as those in the English alphabet. Because there is so much difference between the Japanese language and our language, haiku in English will have some differences.

The haiku doesn't have to be serious. It can be funny, although traditionalists might call it a 'senryu' rather than a 'haiku.

Like any other art, haiku takes practice. Basho said that each haiku should be a thousand times on the tongue.

“Valentine’s Verses” is our way of celebrating the spirit of love and inspiration through creative writing. Your Haiku should be a reflection of your own personal feelings on romance.

For more references on the history of Haiku writing please check out the following links: