Haiku: Classic Japanese Short Poems

The style of haiku-short verse poetry with seventeen syllables structured in three lines-was developed and solidified in Japan 1603-1770. Traditionally read in a monotone voice, the evocative haiku illustrates a single poetic moment or feeling. Succinct and reverent, when written in traditional Japanese each sound character adds to the poet’s message and is difficult to translate stylistically into English. Despite the linguistic obstacles, Haiku presents this strict but flowing art form.