Haiku

Haiku: an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively; also :  a poem in this form usually having a seasonal reference

Haiku are short poems that use sensory language to capture a feeling or image. They are often inspired by an element of nature, a moment of beauty or a poignant experience. Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets, and the form was adapted to English and other languages by poets in other countries

The essence of haiku is "cutting" (kiru).^[1] This is often represented by the juxtaposition of two images or ideas and a kireji ("cutting word") between them,^[2] a kind of verbal punctuation mark which signals the moment of separation and colors the manner in which the juxtaposed elements are related.Traditional haiku consist of 17 on (also known as morae), in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5 on respectively.^[3] Any one of the three phrases may end with the kireji.^[4] Although haiku are often stated to have 17 syllables,^[5] this is inaccurate as syllables and on are not the same.

An afternoon breeze
expels cold air, along with
the fallen brown leaves.

Cherry blossoms bloom,
softly falling from the tree,
explode into night.

The warmth on my skin.
Fire falls beneath the trees.
I see the sun set.

Summer here again.

Music plays sweetly, drifting.
And life is renewed.

A winter blanket
covers the Earth in repose
but only a dream

An ocean voyage.
As waves break over the bow,
the sea welcomes me.

Refreshing and cool,
love is a sweet summer rain
that washes the world.

Love is like winter
Warm breaths thaw cold hearts until
one day the spring comes

A bird flies sweetly
on paper wings. Telling all
of my love for you.

Every day I will
love you more than you could know.
We are here as one.

The softest whisper
beckons me closer to you.
I love you, dearest.

Vast as a mountain,
my love for you shines through for
all the world to see.

One shark said to the
other when eating a clown
fish: this tastes funny.

The bartender said
to the neutron, “For you, sir,
there will be no charge.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku

http://www.haikulearning.com/

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haiku

Create a subject shift. In keeping with the idea that haiku should contain two juxtaposed ideas, shift the perspective on your chosen subject so that your poem has two parts. For example, you could focus on the detail of an ant crawling on a log, then juxtapose that image with an expansive view of the whole forest, or the season the ant is currently inhabiting. The juxtaposition gives the poem a deeper metaphorical meaning than it would have if it were a simple, single-planed description. Take this poem by Richard Wright:

• Whitecaps on the bay:

  A broken signboard banging

  In the April wind.

Describe the details. Haiku are comprised of details observed by the five senses. The poet witnesses an event and uses words to compress that experience so others may understand it in some way. Once you have chosen a subject for your haiku, think about what details you want to describe. Call the subject to mind and explore these questions:

Show, don't tell. Haiku are about moments of objective experience, not subjective interpretation or analysis of those events. It's important to show the reader something true about the moment's existence, rather than telling the reader what emotions it conjured in you.^[5] Let the reader feel his or her own emotions in reaction to the image.

• Use understated, subtle imagery. For instance, instead of saying it's summer, focus on the slant of the sun or the heavy air.
• Don't use cliches. Lines that readers recognize, such as "dark, stormy night," tend to lose their power over time. Think through the image you want to describe and use inventive, original language to convey meaning. This doesn't mean you should use a thesaurus to find words that aren't commonly used; rather, simply write about what you saw and want to express in the truest language you know.
• Practice. Like any other art, haiku takes practice. Bashō, who is considered to be the greatest haiku poet of all time, said that each haiku should be a thousand times on the tongue. Draft and redraft every poem until the meaning is perfectly expressed. Remember that you don't have to adhere to the 5-7-5 syllable pattern, and that a true literary haiku includes a kigo, a two-part juxtapositional structure, and primarily objective sensory imagery.
  
  
  • Haiku has been called "unfinished" poetry because each one requires the reader to finish it in his or her heart.
  • Contemporary haiku poets may write poems that are just a short fragment with three or fewer words.
  • A Haiku doesn't always need to rhyme.
  • Haiku originated from haikai no renga, a collaborative group poem that is usually one hundred verses in length. The hokku, or starting verse, of renga collaborations indicated the season and also contained a cutting word. The haiku as its own form of poetry continues in this tradition.