Sensory Imagery We have been talking about metaphors, but let’s try an exercise How can you describe colors to someone who is blind?! You can use metaphors and similes!

Color Exercise For example: White is soft as a cloud, is empty like a blank sheet of paper, bright as the moment of an atomic bomb.

What do you already know about it? Haikus What do you already know about it?

Example Learn to write haiku there are rules for syllables wikiHow the rest. The above is not actually a haiku for a number of reasons.

Japanese vs. English Japanese 3 parts: one with 5 sounds, one with 7 sounds, and another with 5 sounds. Sound units are uniformly short, so the poems are much shorter Written in one vertical line Includes kireji (cutting word) that divides the poem into two parts, plus a kigo (season word) that indicates the season. English most often in three lines rather than one it should still have two juxtaposed parts, with one of the parts filling two lines One line is a fragment and the other two lines combine grammatically to become a phrase. A haiku should never have three distinct parts; it should have a maximum of two.

Inspiration for Haiku A haiku is sometimes a meditation of sorts that conveys an image or feeling It should avoid judgment and analysis When you see or notice something that makes you want to say to others, "Hey, look at that," that experience may well be suitable for a haiku. Many people go for walks just to find new inspiration for their poetry (referred to as a "ginko" in Japanese

Include a Seasonal Reference Many haiku are based on nature, but really they are simply referencing the season—not necessarily the same thing

Example Haiku Love is like winter Warm breaths thaw cold hearts until one day the spring comes

Add a Contrast or Comparison Out of three lines, the first part should introduce one idea with the second part quickly changing. The break between the parts could either be after the first or the second line. The idea is to create a leap between the two parts, and to create an intuitive realization from what has been called an "internal comparison." Two parts sometimes create a contrast, sometimes a comparison. Creating this two-part structure effectively can be the hardest part of writing a haiku, because it can be very difficult to avoid too obvious a connection between the two parts, yet also avoid too great a distance between them.

Example Haiku The flightless bird hops Waddle waddle waddle flop And down it tumbles

Use Primarily Sensory Description Haiku are based on the five sense They are about things you can experience, not your interpretation or analysis of those things. To do this effectively, it is good to rely on sensory description, and to use mostly objective rather than subjective words. For instance, instead of saying it's summer, focus on the warm sunlight or heavy air.

Example Haiku Refreshing and cool, love is a sweet summer rain that washes the world.

Example Haiku An afternoon breeze expels cold air, along with the fallen brown leaves.

Practice Choose your topic Write some sensory images connected to your topic Work them into your 5-7-5 format Make sure you have a contrasting or comparing images