Haiku: Saying more with a few words.

Haiku poems are a form of poetry that originated in Japan. They are known for expressing a lot using very few words. Haiku is written in three lines, following a 5-7-5 pattern.

A 5-7-5 pattern means the first line in a Haiku poem has five syllables, the second line contains seven syllables, and the third line has five syllables. However, the syllable structure may differ when translating from Japanese to English because English syllables don't always match Japanese sounds.

Originally, Haiku was called Hokku, the opening part of a Japanese poetry form called Renga.

The Renga is a poem written by various poets. Poets take turns to write a stanza. The poets are guided to base their writings on the current season, the time of day, and the natural atmosphere.

Matsuo Basho was a famous 17th-century Japanese poet and Haiku master. His haiku poems have been translated into English. Hasho's poems focus on the beauty of nature, leaving vivid images in the reader's mind.

The Old Pond

Old pond…

a frog jumps in

water’s sound.

Basho's poem, Old Pond, may not refer to an actual pond but is used as a metaphor for himself or his subconscious mind.

In the poem's second line, the frog's leap into the pond may be interpreted as an interruption in Basho's thoughts, perhaps during one of his travels across Japan, where he draws inspiration for his poetry.

The poem's last verse, 'water's sound', can be interpreted as a moment of refreshment for Basho.

The splash caused by the frog as it jumps into the water is music to the poet's ears, a much-needed distraction from his tiredness or exhausted thoughts.

The Haiku has influenced English poetry in Britain, America, and Australia.

Ezra Pound, an American postmodern poet, wrote a poem in 1913 titled In a Station of the Metro, in this style.

Pound wrote the poem based on his experience in an underground metro station in Paris. The station was so busy that he only caught a glimpse of the faces that moved past him hurriedly. Pound compared the faces to ghostly apparitions.

In the poem's second line, he again compares the faces with petals on a wet black bough. It seems Pound had a surreal experience with these faces.

In a Station of the Metro

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;

Petal on a wet, black bough.

See my version of Haiku below,

 Friend & Foe

 A wind may be kind,

 Blowing to you that one thing,

 An evil, to be wise.

  Love Strong.

Don’t be shy, taste love,

 Play the strings with depth and a smile,

 Mould it to outlive the sun.