HAIKU

History of Haiku
Originated around the
16th Century in Japan
Most popular form of
Japanese poetry
Made popular by poets
such as:
– Matsuo Basho
– Kobayashi Issa
– Masaoka Shiki
 History of Haiku
Traditionally about
nature and the
seasons
Should be simple but
deep
Should be like a
photo of nature that
moves the author and
reveals some insight
Written in the
present tense
Basho lived in Japan in the
1600’s
He created a form of poetry
called haiku.
A haiku is very short.
If you read it only once,
or if you read it too quickly,
you will miss its beauty
and its importance.
As you read it, picture yourself as the
poet, viewing the scene before you.

How does it make you feel?

Of what does it remind you?
Basho traveled around Japan on foot
and horseback.

“Wherever he went,
he thought haiku,
talked haiku,
taught haiku.
His life was now his poetry:
his poetry was his life.”
(Gill, 1999)
From a cloud base
Only fifty feet above,
Rain streaming down
On the spring willow…
Basho
Basho was born to the samurai class,
but he gave up all his money
to write poetry
and wander around Japan
teaching others.

He wrote over 1,000 haiku!

Remember that Basho wrote his poems in
Japanese. The English translations of his poems
are not always 17 syllables.

Many haiku written by others are not the

traditional number of syllables. However, they
usually follow the pattern:

short line
longer line
short line
Just as it seems to fall
From the blade of grass,
Up the firefly flies!
Basho
 Haiku….
• catches a quick moment of thought.

• celebrates nature.

• shows appreciation for simple beauty.

The first snow –
Just enough
To bend
The narcissus leaves
Basho
Sometimes we see something beautiful and
we want to capture its beauty in a poem.

Sometimes we read a poem and learn to see

something as beautiful.
 What is Haiku?
 It is a poem generally
written to describe nature.
 It is the most widely
recognized form consists of a
three- line stanza that has a
total of 17 syllables, written in
the following pattern:
 What is Haiku?
Line 1: 5 syllables
Clouds float slowly by
Line 2: 7 syllables
Fluffy, lumpy, cotton balls
Line 3: 5 syllables
Silver, gray, and white
 Haiku
 Punctuation and capitalization rules
are up to the poet and need not to
follow rigid rules used in structuring
sentences.
Haiku does not have to rhyme, in fact
many times it does not rhyme at all.
 Some haiku can include the repetition
of words/ sounds.
EXAMPLES OF HAIKU
Raindrops dance from clouds
Getting caught in the sunlight
Rainbows fill the sky
********
Grass muscles through cracks
In the city’s stark pavement
Where have the sheep gone?
Examples of Haiku
Examples of Haiku
Examples of Haiku
Examples of Haiku
NOW, IT’S YOUR
TURN