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The Ancient Poem of Haiku
Haiku is a form of poetry that evolved from ancient forms of Japanese poetry and song that was religious in nature. It consists of three short lines. Some people in the west love it; others just think it's weird. It probably depends on the quality of the individual poem whether it's good or not, which is probably true of all poetry, really. But haiku seems to be the very smallest literary form with the greatest number of confusing rules.
A teacher named Reginald Horace Blythe (1898-1964) is often credited with stimulating the writing of haiku in English though he never founded a school or verse. He did write about the topic after spending time in Japanese-occupied Korea in the 1940s.
Is haiku for you? In the West haiku is a little more freeform than the strict ancient Japanese hokku from which it evolved. Some people even consider any short poem to be haiku. Most people have a more restrictive view. Here are some guidelines people use for writing and defining haiku:
Three or fewer lines of no more than 17 total syllables;
Three lines written in 5-7-5 syllables;
Three lines of 2, 3, and 2 metrical feet, with a pause aftrer the second or fifth;
The "one deep breath" rule where the reader should be able to read the haiku aloud without taking a second breath.
Form aside, it's difficult to determine what makes a good haiku in terms of meaning or substance. It's nice when they give the reader some inspiration, convey an insight the author had (an "aha" moment) or stir the imagination in a way. One way to approach this is to compare, contrast or juxtapose elements in different ways.
Many famous writers have worked with this form including beat writers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Here are a couple written by an ancient Japanese poet named Issa.
My native village
on approach and to the touch
a bramble rose
From the lake
springing up into the sky
the clouded peaks.
A good way to start writing haiku is to read and imitate. Here's an imitation of the first poem above:
My hometown
in the mind and in the heart
a burning blade
Whether your imitations are good or not, doesn't matter. It only matters to start and then keep going. In the library and on the internet are many sources of haiku to read. The variety and inspiration available is endless. Soon you'll knowif haiku is for you.
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