So lovely outsideDon’t want to be working nowHere’s help from Wootey

Haiku

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What Is a Haiku?

The word ‘poet’ comes from the Greek word ‘poietes’, which means ‘someone who makes or creates things'.

Not all poems have to rhyme.

Haikus are very short, non-rhyming poems.

They were invented hundreds of years ago in Japan, and are still very popular today.

Matsuo Basho, who lived in Japan over 300 years ago, is one of the most famous Haiku poets.

He said that to write Haiku you need to have the eyes and heart of a child.

A haiku is usually three lines long. Here is an example:

This late summer nightthe narrow new moon swims up:

an octopus eye.

Its first line has 5 syllables, the second has 7 syllables, and the third has 5 -making a total of 17 syllables.

Haikus traditionally include at least one word or phrase that refers to a season or time of year. This part of the haiku is known as a kigo.

Snow deepens outside.Sleepy student, wakeful mouse –

both nibble their books.

In this haiku, “snow deepens” is a kigo. It shows that the poem takes place in the wintertime.

The third line is normally a comment, observation or summary about the whole theme of the haiku.

Take a look at these Haiku poems.What do you notice?

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Help!!

What is a syllable and how do I count them?

A syllable is simply the number of sounds in a word.

The word WATER has two sounds so two syllables : "WA" and "TER"

To count the syllables, you can say the words out loud and clap every time you hear a sound, or why not try this trick:-

• Put your hand close under your chin, leaving a 1cm gap.

• Now say the word WATER and count how many times your chin touches your hand. This should happen twice.

• Once when you say "WA" and once when you say "TER“

• Each time your chin touches your hand, that's a syllable!

Can you count the number of syllables in these words?

BIG

BROTHER

SISTER

TOMORROW

DANGER

ASSEMBLY

When you write a haiku, you have to remember to put your hand under your chin and keep trying different sentences until you find one that has all the syllables you need.

This will take time and practise!!

Let’s have a go!

Summer

hot sunshine holiday

games

sandswimming warm

Let’s have a go!

Summer

hot sunshine holiday

games

sandswimming warm

Summer

Summer

Haiku poems are simple: they tell us something about nature and about one little moment in time taken from real experience.

They are about compassion – both for our planet and for people.

That’s why they are such a good way of describing the unusual world we are living in at the moment.

Some of you have already had a go, and the results are spectacular as well as extremely thoughtful ☺

Let’s have a go!

Here’s my little effort!

Zoom Skype or FaceTimeThese are our new companionsTogether apart

Does it fit the haiku format?

Take a look: can you see how the final lines are a reflection on the whole theme of the poem?

Simon and Oliver Tomaszewski

The third line of your haiku can also contain a surprise: it might have an "ahhh!" moment, like Oliver and Simon’s do, which wakes your reader up.

Now I would like as many of you as possible to write a Quarantine Haiku!

1. Choose a theme based on the world we are living in at the moment.

2. Brainstorm words and phrases.3. Select two or three which fit

together.4. Play around with them until they

fit the 5-7-5 syllable format.5. Repeat the process: a haiku is so

short you can try to write it over and over again!

Remember

You are all poetsAlthough you may not know itThree lines but no rhymes!

Plenary

The End