University of Santo Tomas

Faculty of Arts and Letters

HAIKU
Castro, Jan Dominic
Marcelo, Mary Kate Clariz
Sim, Nowell Paolo
Villarosa, John Christopher

3LM2

History

Poetry has been an integral part of the Japanese and Chinese

civilization. As early as the 7th century narrative poetry has been
developed which includes short lyrical poems called "uta," or songs,
were written as part of pre-Buddhist or early Shinto ceremonial rituals.
Prayers, celebrations, formal eulogies, courting, planting, and
harvesting were among the forms earliest subjects. The most popular
of these forms, waka, featured 31 phonetic units, or "on," broken into
five lines by a 5-7-5-7-7 count. As time goes by and prosper it was said
that a certain form of poetry became famous during the regal period of
Japan. A part of the regal history of the Japanese era during the Heian
period, it was said that citizens of Japan are expected to recite,
interpret and create Japanese and Chinese poetry in the early (7001100). It was considered a social requirement as you get along to
different people in the villages. During the Heian period different forms
of poetry was formed. To be specific the forms of poetry formed are
usually short in nature. An example of short lyric poetry that developed
during the early period are tanka and choka which follows specific
requisites in order to be considered as a short lyric poetry. From the
tanka and choka form developed another type of poetry called renga or
also known as a linked verse and kusari no rengga or chained linked
verse these forms are said to be part of the favourite amusement of
the elite class in Japan. However, during the middle part of the
sixteenth century a poetry was developed to the certain class of the
masses particularly the peasants. At this point the development was
said to be a rebirth of the Japanese culture and literature for its form
was lightier and airier in tone. This new form was named haikai and
later on renku. Haikai consisted of a beginning triplet called a hokku.
The hokku was considered the most important part of the poem. It had
two principal requirements: a seasonal word (kireji) and a "cutting
word" or exclamation. Meanwhile during the seventeenth century a
famous poet named Basho infused different sensibility and sensitivity
in this form which later on depicts season and emotions of individuals
he transformed the poetic form and later on renamed hokku into haiku.
Bashos work focused on karumi a lightier form and abandoned the
traditional syllabic formation. Since the time of Basho, the history of
haiku mirrors the Zen ideal that it oftentimes relates. While it has
undergone through many transformations, developments, and
revisions, haiku today is surprisingly similar as to when Basho
developed the form in the seventeenth century. As time goes by haiku
is not just famous in the Asian countries such influence was carried
over the western part of the globe.
Background
Haiku, a poem of 17 syllables was derived from haikai and hokku.
Haiku was developed by Basho (pseudonym of Matsuo Munefusa).
Basho who was a son of a Samurai focused on studying in the temples

to contemplate about the Chinese and Japanese classics. It consists of

three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Haiku is said to
be brief and compressed, showcases certain moment, a poetry of
object and physical emotions. Also haiku is transpired through using
direct and concrete nouns that invite reader to imaginatively recreate
ideas and information, also it depicts two contrasting images that does
not explain how they are connected with one another.

Definition
Haiku () is a Japanese short poem. They use sensory
language to capture a feeling or image. They are often inspired by an
element of nature, a moment of beauty or a poignant experience.
Japanese poets originally developed haiku poetry, and the form was
adapted to English and other languages by poets in other countries.
Traditional haiku consist of 17 on (also known as morae), in three
phrases of 5, 7 and 5 on respectively.
A traditional Haiku have Kigo and Kireji
Kigo ( "season word") is a word or phrase associated with a
particular season, used in Japanese poetry. Kigo are used in the
collaborative linked-verse forms renga and renku, as well as in
haiku, to indicate the season referred to in the stanza. They are
valuable in providing economy of expression.

Kireji ( lit. "cutting word") is the term for a special category

of words used in certain types of Japanese traditional poetry. It is
regarded as a requirement in traditional haiku, as well as in the
hokku, or opening verse, of both classical renga and its
derivative renku (haikai no renga). There is no exact equivalent
of kireji in English, and its function can be difficult to define. It is
said to supply structural support to the verse.
o Hokku and haiku consist of 17 Japanese syllables, or
onji (a phonetic unit identical to the mora), in three
metrical phrases of 5, 7, and 5 onji respectively. A kireji
is typically positioned at the end of one of these three
phrases. When it is placed at the end of the final phrase
(i.e. the end of the verse), the kireji draws the reader
back to the beginning, initiating a circular pattern.

o Kinds of Kireji:
ka: emphasis; when at end of a phrase, it indicates
a question
kana: emphasis; usually can be found at a
poem's end, indicates wonder
-keri: exclamatory verbal suffix, past perfect
-ramu or -ran: verbal suffix indicating probability
-shi: adjectival suffix; usually used to end a clause
-tsu: verbal suffix; present perfect
ya: emphasises the preceding word or words.
Cutting a poem into two parts, it implies an
equation, while inviting the reader to explore their
interrelationship.

How to write a Haiku

1). Understand Haiku structure
Know the sound structure of haiku. Japanese haiku traditionally
consist of 17 on, or sounds, divided into three phrases: 5 sounds,
7 sounds, and 5 sounds. English poets interpreted on as
syllables. Haiku poetry has evolved over time, and most poets no
longer adhere to this structure, in either Japanese or English;
modern haiku may have more than 17 sounds or as few as one

Use haiku to juxtapose two ideas. The Japanese word kiru, which
means "cutting," expresses the notion that haiku should always
contain two juxtaposed ideas. The two parts are grammatically
independent, and they are usually imagistically distinct as well.

2). Choose a Haiku subject

Distill a poignant experience. Haiku is traditionally focused on
details of one's environment that relate to the human condition.
Think of a haiku as a meditation of sorts that conveys an
objective image or feeling without employing subjective
judgment and analysis. When you see or notice something that
makes you want to say to others, "Look at that," the experience
may well be suitable for a haiku.

 Include a seasonal reference. A reference to the season or

changing of the seasons, referred to in Japanese as kigo, is an
essential element of haiku. The reference may be obvious, as in
using a word like "spring" or "autumn" to indicate the season, or
it might be subtler. For example, mentioning wisteria, which
flower during the summer, can subtly indicate the season.
Create a subject shift. In keeping with the idea that haiku should
contain two juxtaposed ideas, shift the perspective on your
chosen subject so that your poem has two parts. For example,
you could focus on the detail of an ant crawling on a log, then
juxtapose that image with an expansive view of the whole forest,
or the season the ant is currently inhabiting. The juxtaposition
gives the poem a deeper metaphorical meaning than it would
have if it were a simple, single-planed description
3). Use sensory language
Describe the details. Haiku are comprised of details observed by
the five senses. The poet witnesses an event and uses words to
compress that experience so others may understand it in some
way. Once you have chosen a subject for your haiku, think about
what details you want to describe. Call the subject to mind and
explore these questions:
o What did you notice about the subject? What colors,
textures, and contrasts did you observe?
o How did the subject sound? What was the tenor and
volume of the event that took place?
o Did it have a smell, or a taste? How can you accurately
describe the way it felt?
Show, don't tell. Haiku are about moments of objective
experience, not subjective interpretation or analysis of those
events. It's important to show the reader something true about
the moment's existence, rather than telling the reader what
emotions it conjured in you. Let the reader feel his or her own
emotions in reaction to the image.
o Use understated, subtle imagery. For instance, instead of
saying it's summer, focus on the slant of the sun or the
heavy air.
o Don't use cliches. Lines that readers recognize, such as
"dark, stormy night," tend to lose their power over time.

Think through the image you want to describe and use

inventive, original language to convey meaning. This
doesn't mean you should use a thesaurus to find words
that aren't commonly used; rather, simply write about what
you saw and want to express in the truest language you
know.

4). Become a Haiku Writer

Be inspired. In the tradition of the great haiku poets, go outside
for inspiration. Take a walk and tune in to your surroundings.
Which details in your environment speak to you? What makes
them stand out?
Practice. Like any other art, haiku takes practice. Bash, who is
considered to be the greatest haiku poet of all time, said that
each haiku should be said a thousand times on the tongue. Draft
and redraft every poem until the meaning is perfectly expressed.
Remember that you don't have to adhere to the 5-7-5 syllable
pattern, and that a true literary haiku includes a kigo, a two-part
juxtapositional structure, and primarily objective sensory
imagery.
Communicate with other poets. For serious students of haiku, it is
worthwhile to join organizations such as the Haiku Society of
America, Haiku Canada, the British Haiku Society, or one of the
many similar organizations elsewhere in the world. It is also
worthwhile to subscribe to leading haiku journals such as Modern
Haiku and Frogpond to learn more about the art form.
References
Becoming a Haiku Poet - Graceguts. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://sites.google.com/site/graceguts/essays/becoming-a-haiku-poet
Dogwood Blossoms: An Electronic Journal of Haiku Hackett, J. (1969).
The way of haiku: An anthology of haiku poems. Japan Publication Inc..
How to Write a Haiku Poem - Haiku Examples. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-a-haiku.html

NGA | Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird-and-Flower Paintings by Ito

Jakuchu (17161800). (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.brooksbookshaiku.com/haikupoets/gurga.html
The Art of Haiku Poetry Higginson, W. and Harter,P. The haiku handbook
- How to write, share, and teach haiku. Kodansha International, ISBN: 47700-1430-0-9 Ueda, M. Matsuo basho. Kodansha International, ISBN:
0-87011-553-7. compiled by Nancy Walkup and Pam Stephens
Welcome to with words. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.withwords.org.uk