Since I’ve seen haikus being mentioned so many times lately on the Literative forum, I thought it might be interesting to start the poetry series by talking about them.
The first impression I’ve always gotten from haikus is that of a written painting—as in the literary version of one of those Zen-like ink images. It’s hard to explain without using poetic language, though—perhaps this would inspire someone to write a haiku describing haikus? It often happens, that the smallest simplest things are the hardest to define, so this could be an interesting challenge.
Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets and later spread to other languages, including English. Among other traits, haikus are often focused on some aspect of nature or the seasons—but not necessarily—and have a meditative or contemplative tone. They’re often written in “telegram style” syntax, have no rhyme, and include no superfluous words. Images predominate over ideas and statements—hence the “painting” or “drawing” effect. The meaning typically requires the reader’s participation, rather than being spelled out in the poem. The haiku is like the “seed of the message”, which grows into its full expression after entering the reader’s mind and staying there for a while.
Some additional traits are especially associated with English-language haikus (as opposed to Japanese-language haikus), such as a three-line format with 17 syllables arranged in a 5–7–5 pattern. This is more or less the length of a Japanese haiku, with the second line being the longest. Some poets want their haiku to be expressed in one breath.
As an example of what a haiku looks like, I decided to share my first and only haiku, even though it might sound a bit strange or too simple (and on top of that it happens to have no title… but I’ll share it anyway).
The clouds and our souls,
intertwine in the sunset…
A rainbow says hi.
Writing your Haiku
Would you like to give it a try and write your own Haiku? Here are some tips that might help with your creative process:
Be inspired
In the tradition of the great haiku poets, inspiration is often found outdoors, in natural environments (although you can get inspiration from practically anything, from a forest or a park, a lake, or the clouds, to your own bathtub, the city streets, or even things like looking very close look at the surface of your skin through a magnifying glass, or a detailed photo of the galaxy). Simply take a walk and tune into your surroundings. Which details in your environment speak to you? What makes them stand out?
Describe the details
Haikus are made of details observed by the five senses. Simplicity and depth, combined into one small—but full of meaning— piece of literature.
Show, don’t tell
Haikus are about moments of objective experience, rather than subjective interpretation or analysis of those events—leave that to the reader. Haikus have been called “unfinished” poetry because they require the readers to finish the poems in their own hearts. Another tip would be, don’t use clichés. Lines that have been used countless times, such as “dark, stormy night”, tend to lose their power over time. Think of the image you want to describe, and use your own original expressions. But what are haikus exactly? Haikus are traditional Japanese poems that consist of three lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5, often focusing on nature and capturing a fleeting moment in time.
