A Haiku is a short poem consisting of three lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables.
The basic structure of a Haiku poem looks like this:
5 Syllables
7 Syllables
5 Syllables
In many Haiku poems, the third line often points out an observation or makes a strong closing statement about the poem.
Here are some tips for writing your own Haiku poetry:
- Count the syllables of each word you use to make sure you stay within the syllable count for each line.
- A thesaurus can be useful for coming up with similar words with less/more syllables
- Your poem should not have a title
- Suggest, Don’t Tell – The best haiku poems leave the meaning of the poem open to interpretation
- Avoid the use of verbs – Most haiku poems do not use verbs or adverbs, but rather descriptive nouns and adjective
- Study Haiku examples to give you some ideas on how to write and structure your own poem.
Writing Haiku can be a lot of fun and can be a great exercise in writing poetry when you need a little inspiration. Do you have any tips on how to write a Haiku poem? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!