Writing Haiku

Bruce Ross guides us newbie haiku writers on the path to writing this classic Japanese poetry form. He includes many great examples, and offers suggestions for getting started. He also includes information and examples of haiku variations including tanka, renga, haiga, senryu, and haibun.

haiku—“The essence of traditional haiku consists of two things. First there is an association with nature through one of the seasons either by naming the season...or by suggesting the season through specific elements of that season...The second essential part of traditional haiku is setting up a relationship between two images and separating those images with a punctuation mark...“

senryu—“...there is a kind of poetry that is similar in form to haiku but deals exclusively with human nature and most often is expressed as a joke. This form is called senryu.”

haibun—“A haibun is a prose narrative that is autobiographical...that is expressed poetically...What is unusual about haibun is that it includes a haiku.”

tanka—“...tanka is...poetry filled with highly personal and emotional expression...But usually tanka, which was most often written in five lines or phrases in a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern, connect these thoughts and emotions to nature.”

haiga—“A haiga is not so much an illustration of a haiku as an artistic expression of the spirit of the haiku's feeling.”

renga—“Renga (is) an overall term for a poem that is written with other people...Its three main characteristics are spontaneity, improvisation, and fun.”