Haiku | Poetry | Writing

5 Reasons Why I Write Haiku

and why you should too

When composing a verse let there not be a hair’s breath separating your mind from what you write; composition of a poem must be done in an instant, like a woodcutter felling a huge tree or a swordsman leaping at a dangerous enemy. ― Matsuo Bashō

What is a Haiku and where does it come from

Born in Japan, haiku is a short poem, consisting of three lines, and 17 syllables, or “on” (音), or morae.

A traditional haiku has 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the last, making the 5–7–5 structure.

Usually written about Nature, modern haiku can be about anything.

It had been written, in one form or the other, for many centuries. But it gained popularity because of two Japanese masters: Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) and Uejima Onitsura (1661–1738).

Previously known as hokku (opening stanza of the traditional Japanese poem), it was only in the 19th century when Masaoka Shiki coined the term Haiku.

Japanese haiku is written in one vertical line, while western haiku consists of three lines.

Few Examples

Few haiku examples (written by me) are as follows.

In the scared flowers I can see from my window winter is coming…

When you rage you are thunderstorm but when you smile you become rainbow

The best-known Japanese haiku is Bashō’s “old pond”:

古池や蛙飛び込む水の音 ふるいけやかわずとびこむみずのおと (transliterated into 17 hiragana) furu ike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto (transliterated into rōmaji)

This separates into on as: fu-ru-i-ke ya (5)ka-wa-zu to-bi-ko-mu (7)mi-zu-no-o-to (5)

Translated: old pond frog leaps in water’s sound

Five reasons Why I write Haiku

Five reasons why I love writing haiku are as follows.

1. It helps me say more with less. Writing is an art within itself, but to say more with less is the holy grail every writer is after. Haiku writing helps me learn that.

2. It forces me to find elegance around me. Beauty is one of those many things we often take for granted. Writing haiku forces me to look around and find beauty in everything.

3. Due to the 5–7–5 constraint, I gain focus and structure. It forces me to think and choose my words wisely, to transform my emotions into words, without any filter.

4. It helps me connect with Mother Nature (and be more spiritual). Writing about Nature is satisfying. Being a poet, when I write about Autumn, Spring, or the beauty in the world, it fills my soul with enormous joy.

5. Since English is my fourth language, writing haiku forces me to choose the most suitable words. When I run out of vocabulary, I use google and thesaurus more and learn new words. It, as a result, helps me be better at writing.

Take away for you

If you want to gain focus, find beauty in whatever you see, learn how to say more with less, connect with mother nature, and be better at writing — start writing haiku.

Consumed by Love, Salam seeks Nature’s help to transform emotions into words that touch souls. He writes about Love, Writing, and Humor, among other things.