Haiku is a Japanese poetry form consisting of a three-line poem of 17 non-rhyming syllables, often dealing with nature and evoking a particular feeling. The three lines are divided into a fragment and a sentence, with a natural pause between them. Masters of haiku use simple words and employ simile and metaphor sparingly.
Haiku is a form of poetry that originated in medieval Japan, where it is highly revered. Its basic format is relatively simple, consisting of a three-line poem of 17 non-rhyming syllables, with five in the first line, seven in the second line, and five in the third line. Haiku in Japanese must have a total of 17 su, which roughly correspond to the English syllables but with some differences. This means that a haiku of 17 out cannot total 17 syllables as spoken. This arrangement of syllables in English haiku is actually the only strict rule, even though many other traditional rules are often observed by haiku poets.
This Japanese art form usually deals with some aspect of nature, especially the seasons, and attempts to evoke a particular feeling or emotion in the reader. The author often tries to create this atmosphere and bring to mind a particular season without actually naming it. Animals, flowers, insects, landscape elements, and natural phenomena are common in haiku and are often depicted anthropomorphically or as having human qualities or emotions. Most haiku are written with simple words and sentence structure.
The three lines of haiku are often divided into two parts, called the fragment and the sentence. The fragment is so called because it is a fragment of a sentence, while the sentence is a more complete thought. The fragment is usually placed in the first or third row. This arrangement and the natural pause that occurs between the two when the poem is read or spoken can give a haiku much of its character. Haiku of three fragments are often criticized as discontinuous, but this is only one opinion, and a haiku thus constructed is in no way technically incorrect.
In Japanese haiku, a special word, called kireji, is often used to emphatically separate the sentence and the fragment. This produces a break between the two parties. In English haiku, punctuation such as a dash or comma is sometimes used, although this practice is falling out of favor with modern haiku poets.
Poets who are masters of haiku are able to evoke powerful feelings or images with just a few words, often relying on words that evoke a memory of a particular sense, particularly smells, sights, and sounds. Simile and metaphor are also often employed in haiku, subtly and sparingly. A haiku will rarely contain more than one simile or metaphor, and when used, the subjects are usually sympathetic rather than very different. This means that the comparison does not require any stretch of the imagination and that one thing easily recalls the other.
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