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 brief "Haiku 101" to help you and your kids get started.
1. Haiku poems consist of a three-line stanza that has a total of 17 syllables written in the following pattern:
Line 1: 5 syllables
Line 2: 7 syllables
Line 3: 5 syllables
*Slight variations in syllabication is appropriate as this helps the poet maintain "one thought in three lines"
2. Haiku poems are observations of nature, often making reference to the seasons.
3. Haiku poems are like photographs, which capture moments in time. A "haiku moment" describes a scene that leads the reader to a feeling.
4. Haiku poems were originally written as introductions to longer works of poetry and should be written as one thought in three lines.
Consider these haiku written by the Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho:
Yellow rose petals
Drop one-by-one in silence:
Roar of waterfall.
Within plum orchard,
Sturdy oak takes no notice
Of flowering blooms.
Ready to write? Try crafting three original haiku inspired by any of these photographs. Share them with us in the comments section, we'd love to read them!
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