Haiku is a Japanese form of short poetry. Born in the sixteenth century, it was popularized by poets Matsuo Basho, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa, and Masaoki Shiki.

Consisting of three short lines of often broken phrases, this Japanese art-form aims to share images, moments, and experiences with readers in order to move and inspire them, like this famous poem:

old pond:
frog jumps in,
the sound of water
– Mastuo Basho

Below are five tips for writing haiku:

1. Focus on a single, brief moment.  Haiku writing is not story-telling.  It’s about sharing a single moment or experience with your reader.  Try to focus on one and only one event that’s happened to you.  It should be an event that makes you want to say to someone, “Hey, look at this!”
2. Use simple, descriptive language.  Haiku may be poetry, but you need to use very simple language in order to share it effectively.  The idea is to write a poem that your reader can imagine very quickly.  Try to avoid using metaphors, similes, or exaggerations.  Instead, try to describe the experience in as simple words as possible.
3. Cut out any unnecessary words.  Haiku are meant to be short and to the point.  Try to avoid repeating yourself or adding words that the reader can already imagine.
4. Make it sayable in one breath.  Don’t worry about counting syllables with haiku.  Try to write a haiku poem that you can say easily in one breath.
5. Use a seasonal reference.  Traditional haiku tends to mention at least one thing about the season (fall, winter, spring, or summer).  This was done to help readers imagine easily the experience that the writer was having.  Consider using a seasonal reference (e.g. snow falling, leaves crumbling, hot weather, etc.) to help your readers imagine what your experience was like.

Sharpen your description skills and try writing a few haiku poems.  Send us any and, if we like it, we’ll post them on the blog.