HAIKU

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE HAIKU Meditative nuggets Brief descriptions or observations of

nature or everyday life Less in syllabic count and more in the

way it connects us with our senses

They end their flightone by one—

crows at dusk.—Buson

The crane’s legshave gotten shorter

in the spring rain.—Basho

Misty grasses,quiet waters,

it’s evening.—Buson

Crescent moon—bent to the shape

of the cold.—Issa

old pond . . .a frog leaps in

water’s sound—Basho

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HAIKU

Examine the literal world of the senses: what you can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.

Use concrete details to ground the haiku in a specific moment.

Observe nature and link it to human nature. Write in the present tense. Make every word count: no adverbs, few adjectives, no

conjunctions if you can help it. Strong, simple language. No rhyme. No metaphors or similes. A form consisting of three short lines: the first and third

about the same in length, and the second one slightly longer.

YOUR WRITING ASSIGNMENT Go outside, or at least somewhere you can

see outside Observe nature List things you can see, hear, taste (?),

feel/touch, smell—try to find at least 5 Indulge one of your observations to be

written as Haiku three short lines: the first and third about the

same in length, and the second one slightly longer.

SEE YOU IN 20 MINUTES

REFERENCES Atwell, Nancie. Lessons that Change

Writers. Heinemann, 2002.