We read them, hear about them all the time, and we often wonder about their exact definition. What is a Haiku, after all? Let’s find out.
Haiku has Japanese origins and is a specific type of poem.
A Haiku consists of 3 lines and 17 syllables. Line 1 has 5 syllables, Line 2 has 7 syllables, and Line 3 has 5 syllables again. Please note that instead of syllables, in its Japanese form, a Haiku poem consists of 5, 7 and 5 moras. A mora is a sound unit, much like a syllable, but is not identical to it. Since the moras do not translate well into English, it has been adapted to where syllables are used as moras. In a Haiku poem, although the theme is usually nature, but it is not always the case.
Here are a few Haiku examples from literature, which will better illustrate the idea.
An old silent pond. A frog jumps in the pond, splash! Silence again. *** In the moonlight, the colour and scent of wisteria seems far away. *** Everything I touch with tenderness, alas pricks like a bramble. *** I want to sleep. Swat the flies softly, please. *** From across the lake, past the black winter trees, faint sounds of a flute. ***
If you would like to read more haikus, check out the below posts which celebrate haikus for different seasons.
Kalampedia 