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.

The first line 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, and it was the opening part of a longer poem called Renga.

Hokku was composed to comment on nature.

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

The Old Pond

Old pond…

a frog jumps in

water’s sound.

 Let’s weave a story around his poem above.

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

In the poem's second line, the frog leaps into the pond, which 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', may be seen as a refreshing moment 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 countries such as Britain, America, and Australia.

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

 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.

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