Learning to write a haiku is fun and easy!
What is a haiku? The haiku originated in Japan and is a verse (poem) written in three lines. The haiku does not rhyme. Instead, the haiku sets a mood or portrays a feeling or scenery.
The entire haiku is composed in 17 syllables. The first line contains five syllables, the second line has seven syllables, and the third and final line has five syllables. 5-7-5.
Here is an example:
Old tomcat sitting (5 syllables)
Watching autumn leaves blow by (7 syllables)
Wishing they were mice (5 syllables)
To begin writing your own haiku, choose a subject. For example, choose your favorite animal or even your favorite food.
Next, write your subject at the top of your paper. Think about your subject. My subject was my eldest cat, an old tomcat. To write a haiku about him, I thought about what he likes to do. I then counted out the syllables for each line of my haiku.
One of my favorite uses for the haiku is to write about a holiday or season, such as autumn, and then use the haiku on note cards to friends and family. Write out a simple haiku for thank-you cards and get well cards.
There are also many other ways to use your haikus. You can write a number of haikus and make them into your own book. For example, Halloween (Samhain) is a favorite autumn celebration in the United States. To make your own haiku book about Halloween, write out a list of words related to this holiday: ghosts, goblins, autumn leaves, masks, and black cats. Choose your favorite words from your list and write a haiku for each word. Write your haikus in your book and illustrate it.
