Haiku: Definition, Famous Examples & How to Write One
Poetic form · 1 poems · 1 annotated examples
A haiku is a three-line poem with a strict syllable pattern: five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. That’s the basic structure. Within those seventeen syllables, a traditional haiku also includes two important elements: a *kigo* (a seasonal word or image that ties the poem to a specific time of year) and a *kireji* (a "cutting word" or pause that separates the poem into two contrasting images or ideas, allowing the space between them to create meaning).
This form originated in Japan, evolving from the opening stanza of a longer collaborative poem known as *renga*. Matsuo Bashō in the seventeenth century is credited with transforming that opening stanza into a standalone art form. His students, Yosa Buson and Kobayashi Issa, continued this tradition, and in the early twentieth century, Masaoka Shiki further modernized it, even coining the term *haiku*.
The form made its way into English in the early 1900s and quickly gained popularity. Imagist poets like Ezra Pound embraced its brevity and the technique of placing two images side by side without clarifying their relationship. What keeps the haiku vibrant is this very restraint: it doesn’t dictate your emotions. It presents a frog, a pond, a splash, and then it leaves you to ponder the connection.
Annotated examples
Haiku in famous poems, line-by-line
The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough.
How to spot haiku
What to look for when you read
Look for these key features:
1. **Three lines.** Exactly three lines are required. If the poem has more, it doesn't fit the traditional haiku form (though you may find sequences of haiku).
2. **Syllable count of 5-7-5.** Count the syllables in each line. A perfect total of 17 syllables across the three lines is the clearest indicator, although English-language haiku may sometimes relax this rule.
3. **A seasonal or nature image (kigo).** Traditional haiku typically include a word or phrase that indicates a season, such as cherry blossoms, snow, cicadas, or harvest moon.
4. **A cut or juxtaposition.** The poem usually shifts at some point, typically between the first and second lines or the second and third lines. Two distinct images or moments are placed side by side without explanation.
5. **No rhyme scheme.** Haiku do not rhyme. If you notice end rhyme, it's probably a Western imitation that has strayed from the original form.
6. **Present-tense immediacy.** Most haiku are written to convey a moment happening right now, rather than reflecting on the past or offering analysis.
7. **No title (traditionally).** Classical haiku often lack titles; the first line serves as the identification.
How to write a haiku
A practical guide for poets
Follow these steps:
1. **Find a moment, not a thought.** Haiku resist abstraction. Start with something you actually observed: a specific sound, a specific light, or a specific creature doing a specific thing. "Loneliness" won't work as a haiku subject. Instead, go for "A single crow on a telephone wire at dusk."
2. **Identify your two images.** The form lives in the gap between two things. Ask yourself: what second image does the first image bring to mind? You're not hunting for a metaphor to explain; instead, seek a pairing that sparks a small electric charge when placed side by side.
3. **Decide where the cut goes.** The cut (your kireji equivalent in English) usually lands at the end of line one or line two. A dash, a colon, or simply a line break can accomplish this. The cut separates your two images and allows the white space between them to carry meaning.
4. **Draft in 5-7-5.** Write the three lines to fit the syllable count. Don’t stress yet about achieving a perfect count—focus on capturing the images first, then tweak word choices to fit. This is where the form’s strictest constraint comes into play: you might need to swap a two-syllable word for a three-syllable synonym or remove an article you’d usually include.
5. **Include a seasonal anchor.** Add a word that places the poem in a season. It doesn't have to be as direct as "spring"—terms like "mud," "bare branch," or "first firefly" work just fine.
6. **Cut every word that explains.** Read your draft and eliminate any word that tells the reader how to feel or what the images mean. If you’ve included "sadly" or "which reminds me of," cut it out. Trust the power of the juxtaposition.
More haikus
Curated from the public-domain corpus