The best thing about teaching students haiku is that the form helps make poetry approachable and quantifiable. It has three short lines and a formula that can be taught using syllabication. If students can learn to count the syllables in words and ensure each line adds up to the required beat count, then they can learn to write a haiku.
Here’s an example I generally open a haiku lesson with:
We can write haiku (5)
about anything, you see (7)
we have a poem (5)
The origins of haiku poetry:
Even though I find haiku an easy way to lead students into writing poetry, I’m careful to make sure students don’t take the form for granted. When I share the origin of the haiku,I share how the form emerged without syllables. I tell them Japanese haikus were written to artfully express brief moments that happen in nature. I tell them how difficult it is to work with this level of compression and illustrate beauty and wisdom in three short lines. And I tell them that writing good haiku poems takes intention, practice, and skill.
For example, “The Old Pond” by Bashō is able to show us a brief moment with a frog to remind us of how animals and nature coexist and how our witnessing their interdependence makes us a part of the moment. Writing about what is witnessed further expands the impact and allows the moment to be shared.
Old pond...
a frog jumps in
water's sound
Getting beyond counting syllables:
When teaching haiku to students, perhaps helping them understand that counting syllables provides a reliable container for the form, but finding and transferring their thoughts and feelings in the lines is always the greater goal. When we give students other things to think about, and other ways to see haiku, we can help them better appreciate the form and give them the tools to compose more meaningful poetry.
How to expand possibilities for haiku:
1. Consider theme: Theme is a great place to start when thinking about writing haiku. Theme provides a way to think about purpose. Instead of thinking about nature as a topic, students can think about what they want to say about nature.
Here's an example of the use of theme in haiku:
Gay kite in the sky (5)
Tugs against tethering string (7)
Birds boast their freedom (5)
-Card
Here the writer expresses an opinion about freedom. The kite is happy it flies but yearns to be free. The untethered birds flies naturally and is free and therefore appear boastful.
2. Consider P.O.V.:
When students make a choice about the point of view for their poem, they are empowered to approach their poems as an actor or an observer. Here’s a sample haiku from a 1st person point of view:
I’m wading deeply (5)
in unfamiliar waters (7)
Confidence afloat (5)
3. Consider structure:
Composing a haiku by using a specific structure can also deepen the meaning and experience of sharing haiku. A haiku can take the form of a list, a definition or even a recipe. Below are three approaches to structure that can help students draft meaningful haiku that are based on their observations or personal experiences.
A. Structure as a story
Line 1: Setting → An old silent pond...
Line 2: An action → a spotted spry frog jumps in
Line 3: Resolution/Reaction or Closing scene → water makes a sound
B. Structure as an experience
Line1: What do you see? → All stones are turned
Line 2: What was the result? → life now unmysterious
Line 3: What does it mean? → Time to let it go
C. Structure as a description
“Haiku [for you]” by Sonia Sanchez
love between us is
speech and breath. loving you is
a long river running.
The bottom line:
There are a variety of ways for students to think about haiku that have nothing to do with counting syllables. By allowing them to learn the origins, approaches, and the evolution of the form, we allow them to see more possibilities and inspire them to want to write poetry that is meaningful for them and their readers.
Yolande Clark-Jackson is a freelance journalist, editor, author, consultant, and educator with over twenty years of classroom teaching experience. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and leads writing workshops for students of all ages.