Haiku

Japanese Poetry

How to write a haiku:

• 3 lines total

• Line 1 – 5 syllables• Line 2 – 7 syllables• Line 3 – 5 syllables

Why so short?• Containing just seventeen syllables, the haiku

cannot capture a "big picture." • One depicts them in tiny images of incredible

beauty, something glorious that might be missed if the writer had not taken the time to point it out.

• In a haiku one may depict a drop of water on a leaf reflecting early morning light, the smell of the evening dew.

• A traditional haiku is about serenity and peace. It is getting in touch with nature; it feels like a walk in the woods.

Examples:The red blossom bends

and drips its dew to the ground.Like a tear it falls

A gentle breeze blows Taking the scent of a bud

Along for the ride.

Sand scatters the beachWaves crash on the sandy shore

Blue water shimmers

Examples:Something on the news

About people acting odd,So I switch to sports.

They surround the carAnd are all moaning something

Is that the word “trains”?!

Will this barricadeKeep the walking dead at bay?

Only time will tell…

From Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry for Your….Brains

Your turn!

• Write THREE Haiku, each one connecting in some way.

• Don’t forget to pay attention to the structure of your poem (5, 7, 5)

• Make an illustration to match your poems• Your Haiku will be hung on the classroom

wall :)