An old form of poetry from Japan, the haiku is very simple. Each haiku contains three lines. Line one is made up of five syllables, line two is made up of seven syllables, and line three is made up of five syllables. 5, 7, 5.
There are many ways to count syllables. The way I was taught is to say the words slowly and clap at the same time. With this method, the word "yes" is one clap, or one syllable. The word "hello" is two claps, or two syllables.
Another method, one that I just learned, is to rest your chin on your hand, and say the words (perhaps a bit slower than normal). Each time your chin "drops," or pushes down on your hand, that is one syllable. Remember, though, that some words will produce a more dramatic "chin drop" than others, so you may want to sound your words out a bit more than usual.
If you are still unsure about your syllable count, try an online syllable counter, such as syllablecounter.net. I used it while writing this post, and it did a pretty good job.
Set your haiku up in your notebook like this:
(5)
(7)
(5)
This just serves as a reminder of how many syllables should be in each line.
According to Google, some common haiku themes include nature, animals, or emotions. For example:
(5) Leaves blow in the wind
(7) Shivering in the crisp air
(5) Fall is coming fast
(5) Tail wagging, crazy.
(7) Tongue hangs out, panting, happy.
(5) Doggie, my best friend.
(5) My mind swirls angry.
(7) I breathe deep, slow. In and out.
(5) My mind, now calm waves.
I am certainly not a haiku master by any means, but these were kind of fun to write. If you are interested in learning more about haikus, check out these neat posts I have compiled:
Prompts:
Write a haiku featuring a specific season. Let your reader know the season with a symbol. For example, daffodils for spring, lemonade for summer, colourful leaves for autumn, or snow for winter.
Write a haiku about your pet. Perhaps you will write about the feel of your pet's fur, a quirky habit your pet has, or something annoying your pet will not stop doing.
Write a haiku portraying an emotion. Use some sort of imagery (like swirling for anger or confusion) to show your emotion. You can also try using colours (red for anger, or yellow for happiness and joy).
Happy writing, friends! Wishing you a happy New Year as well.