Haiku: One way to enter the poetry world

By Matsuo Basho - book, Public Domain

If you want to write poetry, but feel intimidated by all the forms, try haiku first. It’s just three lines. No rhyming. No pressure. Just a breath. A small observation.

Examples of haiku came from Japan centuries ago in the 1600s when the poet, Matsuo Bashō—he, shaped words into the haiku form that evolved into the format we work with today. Back then, haiku acted as opening lines to longer poems. Over time, people noticed those three opening lines could stand on their own.

The classic version follows a pattern: five syllables in the first line, seven in the second line, then another five in the third line. Simple. Clean. A moment captured in words. Haiku strives to focus on nature, the seasons, or a slice of life moment in time. Moments such as leaves drifting down during the fall, birds migrating, hearing frogs afer a rain. But modern haiku? Those poems can be about anything. Something funny. Something tender. A quiet memory. A strange dream. Dire events.

Why write one? Because noticing the topic for your poem may help to slow you down. You might begin to notice what’s right in front of you such as a patch of sunlight on the kitchen floor, the smell of your coffee, the sounds of children playing.

It’s a small habit with big rewards. You don’t need a plan. Just pay attention. Jot something down. And definitely carry a little notebook everywhere.

To show you what a modern haiku can do, here’s one from my friend, Journey Johnson, a gifted writer whose work speaks volumes in just a few syllables. She wrote this haiku this morning, just for you:

Someone took a hand
And smeared blood 'cross the face
Of a setting sun. 

~ Journey

You can find more of Journey's work at Amazon. Her most recent publication is Necessary Journey: A Poetic Collection (this is not an affiliate link). You can also visit Journey's page at Amazon and her website at JourneyJohnson.com.

An original haiku by Matsuo Bashō that goes with the artwork shown above:

Quietly, quietly,
yellow mountain roses fall –
sound of the rapids

~ Matsuo Bashō 

If you’re a poet with a favorite haiku of your own, I’d love to feature you in a future post. Just reach out!