Did you know you can see 20 quadrillion miles away? That’s how far it is to the very brightest star in the sky, Cygnus. And, did you know every single star you see in the night sky is bigger and brighter than the sun? Our sun, after all, is a dwarf star. That’s right a dwarf!

So what has this got to do with poetry?

Everything! That’s what!

Learning to write well does not happen by learning the rules. No! Learning to write well is rooted in wonder. And what is more worthy of our wonder than the 200 billion trillion stars in the universe?   That is an unfathomable number, right? On any given clear night, we humans can only see around 2,000 stars.  So let’s press into curiosity and consider what 200 billion trillion actually means. Seeing only 2,000 of the 200 billion trillion stars is like looking at a single speck of sand compared to all the grains of sand on the beach! This should make us marvel.

Now, back to crafting haiku, it all begins with a single 16 to 18 syllable sentence. This one is 17 syllables:

Words are like stars spilling a symphony from the night’s indigo stage.

Next, break the sentence into three lines:

Words are like stars spilling / a symphony from the night’s / indigo stage.

Finally, polish the sentence into haiku form:

Words are like stars spilling

a symphony from the night’s

indigo stage.

Enjoy the following singular sentences shaped into haiku form:

Looking up into

the sky, a twinkling star was

winking down on me.

~Ayela

Looking up in the

sky, dazzling stars illuminate

the darkness of night.

~Elias

I wonder if there

are different types of vibrant

stars in other cosmos?

~Jude

Looking up in the

night sky, you will see small stars

but they are fiery.

~Jackson

Little star in the night

glowing light, floating high

in a cobalt sky.

~Aylen

Looking up into

the sky, something brilliant,

something like a giant star.

~Claire

Little star in the sky,

your shimmering glow

was shinning so bright.

~Emma

Far away Cygnus, bright

star, radiant pearl in the night

sky illuminates ’till it dies.

~Rowan

Looking up to the dark sky,

I began to see the glowing

bright Big Dipper.

~Kate

When I see the stars

at night, I wonder at the

brilliance of the sky.

~Brynnan

Thank you Mrs. Kontos (Walla Walla Homeschool consulting, WA) and your terrific students. Wonder-FULL. Simply wonderful. Congratulations to these student writers who courageously brought shape to an idea with pencil on paper.

~Kimberly

Matsuo Bashō wandered by foot through medieval Japan and kept a diary of his journeys—prose woven with haiku.

There is sublime simplicity in this poet’s observations:

Autumn moonlight—
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.

Haiku are the little powerhouses of the poetry world! They are a fun challenge involving the best of word play mixed with a little finger counting to get the syllables just right!

Here’s a little lesson to help you get started:

1. Haiku poems consist of a three-line stanza that has a total of 16-18 *syllables written in the following pattern:

Line 1: 5ish syllables
Line 2: 7ish syllables
Line 3: 5ish syllables

*Slight variations in syllabication is appropriate as this helps the poet maintain the “one thought in three lines” rule.

2. Haiku poems like photographs, capture moments in time. The “haiku moment” snaps a scene for the reader to experience.

3. Haiku poems were originally written as introductions to much longer works of poetry and should be written as one thought in three lines.

Ready to write?

A great way to begin haiku is with a short descriptive sentence:

Beautiful old maple tree, your autumn leaves are floating to rest at the foot of your trunk.

Count the syllables—this one has 22 total—about 5 too many!  Next, break your sentence to a lovely little haiku.

Beautiful old maple tree, your autumn leaves are floating to rest at the foot of your trunk. Now the sentence is 19 syllables, ready to break into the three-line haiku:

Beautiful old maple

your autumn leaves are floating

to the foot of your trunk.

 

Here’s another: In autumn leaves of the Silver Maple turn ruddy and breezily fall.

Count the syllables—this one is  17 syllables. Perfect! Break it to haiku:

In autumn, leaves of

Silver Maple turn ruddy

and breezily fall.

 

Go for a walk. What is your neck of the woods like during fall?  Collect some fallen leaves in a basket. Make simple observations. Begin with a sentences and move to haiku of autumn. Write away!

 

~Kimberly

Bravo for Shakespeare + Haiku!

Thank you Hadleigh R. for submitting these amazing haiku highlighting our Shakespeare words: watchdog, moonbeams, yelping, and clangor!

We’re so glad our December Giveaway inspired your poetic voice.

And, Congratulations, we are sure Shakespeare would be proud that you carried on his appreciation of the singular specificity of words!

Chilly white blanket atop the city streets is an invitation to play.

 

Chilly white blanket

atop the city streets is an

invitation to play.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—invitation—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

Stars in the sky, your multitudinous lights twinkle a wintery song.

 

Stars in the sky, your

multitudinous lights twinkle

a wintery song.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—multitudunous—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

I stick out my tongue and let the ice cold snowflakes leapfrog across it.

 

I stick out my tongue

and let the ice cold snowflakes

leapfrog across it.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—leapfrog—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

The temperature outside dwindles as I read by the cozy fire.

 

The temperature

outside dwindles as I read

by the cozy fire.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—dwindle—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

A vulnerable river pleads with the clouds to  dry their wintry tears.

 

A vulnerable

river pleads with the clouds to

dry their wintry tears.

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—vulnerable—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!

Bells clangor a loud song to remind me of the time, cold weather says, “Shush.”

 

Bells clangor aloud

song to remind me of the time,

cold weather says, “Shush.”

Now you try!

Here’s how to enter:

Enter your own haiku here using today’s Shakespeare word—clangor—to be entered into our giveaway! To receive additional entries, head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages, be sure to follow us, and tag a friend on our latest “12 Days of Haiku” post.

We will be giving away three sets of Shakespeare’s Words & Will’s Words. Three lucky winners will be announced 12/15/2023 on Instagram and Facebook!