Haiku

What is a Haiku?

• A haiku is a short poem
• It is comprised of three lines
• The first line has 5 syllables
• The second line has 7 syllables
• The third line has 5 syllables
• It does not need to rhyme

• Haikus are traditional Japanese poems
• There is a lot of nature imagery
• There is heavy use of archetypes
• Sometimes, a haiku from a Japanese poet does not have the right syllables

Can you figure out why?

Common Archetypes

• Travelling = Life’s journey�
• Seasons = When in life �(spring - birth childhood)�
• Nature = goodness

Basho

A solitary

crow on a bare branch- 

autumn evening 

Nothing in the cry 

of cicadas suggests they 

are about to die 

Basho

Seen in plain daylight  �the firefly's nothing but  �an insect ���  All along this road  �                         not a single soul – only  �                         autumn evening comes 

Buson

By flowering pear  �and by the lamp of the moon  �she reads her letter 

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Pure white plum blossoms  �    slowly begin to turn  �    the color of dawn

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Issa

Just beyond the gate, �a neat yellow hole  �someone pissed in the snow

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My noontime nap

disrupted by voices singing

rice-planting songs

Your turn!

You will need paper for this assignment.

Did you write your name on your paper?

No name on the poem

PowerSchool assigns a zero

Sunsets on your grade

First, think of a topic - any topic will do - write it down

Now, time to brainstorm - make three columns with five bullet points each.

List five words about your topic.

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After each word, record the number of syllables.

List five images relating to your topic.

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After each word, record the number of syllables.

List five symbols that could be used to represent your topic.

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After each word, record the number of syllables.

Now write!

Line one has 5 syllables

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Line 2 has 7 syllables

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Line 3 has 5 syllables

Remember, this doesn’t have to tell a story, it will suggest a meaning.