What’s Haiku?

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Haiku is a very important form of traditional Japanese poetry. It is based on a Zen Buddhist philosophy of brevity and simplicity and is believed to have originated in the 17th century. These poems are designed to convey the essence of an experience in a short format. Traditional ones often mention natural themes or images and are often poignant or melancholic in tone.

The name haiku arose in response to the confusion surrounding related Japanese poetic terms. Hokku, meaning “initial verse,” was usually the basis of a longer series of verses, called a haika. Because it was considered a privileged art form, poets often composed a hokku and stopped there. The term “haiku” was coined in 1890 to denote this new and autonomous type of poetry.

In Japanese, these poems follow strict rules. Those written in other languages ​​have more flexibility but they all follow a similar pattern.
Construction: The format consists of three sentences, each containing five, seven and five syllables.

Cutting – this is an important part of the technique and means dividing the poem into two parts. Each part, while somewhat independent, is designed to enhance the other. When slashing is done in English, it is accomplished by ending the first or second line with an ellipsis, em dash, or colon.

Seasonal Theme: Each haiku must contain a seasonal word, called kigo. A kigo tells the reader in which season the poem is set. Cherry blossoms commonly mean spring, mosquitoes are used for summer, and snow means winter.
Subject: These poems are usually not complicated. They often depict everyday themes and usually try to give people a new take on common situations.

The art form remains very popular today. For example, in Japan, traditional Microsoft error messages have been replaced with haiku:

Windows XP crashed.
I am the blue screen of death.
Nobody hears your screams.

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