What are Haiku Poems? Haiku is a special type of Japanese poetry with very exact requirements. These simple and concise poems consist of 3 non-rhyming lines. A true haiku poem has only 17 syllables 5 in the first line, 7 in the second line, and 5 in the third line. Traditional Haikus represent nature. A haiku should contain a kigo, a word that gives the reader a clue to the season.

History of Haiku More than 300 years ago, a young man gave up being a samurai to write poetry. He became known as Basho, a master of haiku. He is considered as the “father” of Haiku poetry. Basho is the Japanese name for “the leaves that covered the hut where he liked to write.”

5-7-5 is lost in translation… kirishigure Fuji wo minu hi zo omoshiroki in the misty rain Mount Fuji is veiled all day-- how intriguing!

Resources for Haiku Practice creating at this website: http://www.pbs.org/parents/creativity/ideas /haiku.html Challenge yourself to create Haiku poems at this site: http://www.kongregate.com/games/Montoli /haiku-hero