How To Write a Haiku In 10 Steps

Haikus are perhaps the most well known types of Japanese poetry that poets all over the world have now adopted. The form haikus take is that of a three liner, seventeen syllable brief poem that can be said in one breath. And its content is usually an expression of a natural phenomenon with inlaid philosophy. Here is how you can write a haiku in 10 steps.

Read a lot of haiku poetry for familiarization

First of all, it is necessary to know what a haiku is. Many books have been written about haiku poetry, but even more important than those are collections of haiku poetry. Anyone can know what a haiku is, but reading it extensively familiarizes you with the form and content and exposes you to the world of haiku, broadening your horizons.

Clear your mind

As important as it is to have read haikus to know intimately what they are, it is equally important to get out of thinking ruts before you actually write one. The reading of haikus deepens your understanding should settle into your unconscious, leaving your conscious free for ideation and originality. Your mind should be empty when you write it.

Wait for inspiration to strike

Inspiration to write any poetry, especially the haiku form which demands poignance in its brevity, comes always from within. You cannot conjure it up. But since haikus are traditionally inspired from natural phenomena, taking a long walk might help. Or just observing and meditating on the world without by distancing yourself from your awareness of yourself can help.

Observe the seasons and their characteristics

Haikus are closely connected to seasons. Usage of words that depict seasons is one way to do that. Othertimes, the explicit name of a season points to its temporal frame. Basically, it’s integral to observe seasons and their changes before writing haikus. The physical changes in the environment and the emotions they evoke are essential to haikus.

Describe it in exquisite sensory detail while allowing for a deeper meaning

Here comes the actual task of writing the haiku. The most important thing to remember at this point is the sensory detail that requires. You need to describe the visual with concrete, grounding words and capture scents, sounds, textures and tastes too. If you can layer it with a philosophy, however random, it’s a cherry on top.

Write it down in three lines without worrying about the syllable count

Once you know ‘what’ you’re going to talk about, we come to the ‘how’. Since Japanese haikus are three liners with seventeen syllables, many English writers imitate that. But since the Japanese language is longer than English, ideally the syllable count should be lesser. But it’s best not to worry about that at this point and stick to three lines, with preferably an elongated second line.

Edit out any pronouns and personal verbs

One characteristic of haikus that differentiates it from other forms of poetry is its impersonality. Haikus demand that you separate yourself from your ego and refrain from making yourself the central subject of the poem. You need to simply state what happens in the world around, without emphasizing on your subjective feelings and emotions.

Polish the words by reading it out loud

The haiku is meant to be said in one breath, so reading it out loud can help you decide if the current word selection is appropriate. If not, you can add or subtract words or use synonyms. You can also make the words more poetic at this stage, after the initial inspiration fades away.

Ensure that the structure adheres to the norm

There is no escaping it – haikus have traditional structures and to write one, you need to adhere to them. Most writers of haikus today don’t take syllable requirements very seriously because they find it ‘restrictive’ in English. But having the middle line be longer than the first and last and ensuring that the poem is as brief as possible by omitting anything superfluous helps.

Note the haiku down

Haikus emphasize form and structural aesthetics over verbal aesthetics. Thus, once you’re done, noting the haiku down with central alignment is the way to immortalize it forever.

Also Read: 10 Best Websites To Read And Share Poetry