Posted
on April 17, 2015
Way
back in 2011, I informed everyone that December 22 is National Haiku Poetry Day.
However,
in 2007 Sari Grandstaff registered April 17 as an “unofficial”
National day, and in 2012 is was publicized as a part of a project
for The Haiku Foundation.
And
of course, why not celebrate both dates?
April
is National Poetry Month in the United States,
so celebrating haiku poetry during the month seems like a great idea.
This short poetry form originated in Japan and normally has 3 short
lines with the syllable pattern 5-7-5.
Most
haiku are inspired by some aspect of nature: a gorgeous glimpse of a
dew-decked spider web, perhaps, or the bright colors of some fallen
leaves.
Because
they are so short and structured, and because they are usually about
nature, haiku poems are easier for most people to write than a more
general assignment like, “Write a poem.”
It's
worth noting that many people writing haiku in English don't follow
the strict 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Also, many of our examples of
Haiku poems are translations that of course do not in all cases have
the same numbers of syllables.
Here
is an example from the first great poet of haiku, Basho Matsuo
(1600s):
Autumn
moonlight—
a
worm digs silently
into
the chestnut.
And
this is from Yosa Buson (1700s):
Light
of the moon
Moves
west, flowers' shadows
Creep
eastward.
Finally,
I really like this Kobayaski Issa haiku (early 1800s):
O
snail,
Climb
Mount Fuji,
But
slowly, slowly!
- KidZone suggests writing “What am I?” haiku such as this riddle:
What Am I?
Green
and speckled legs,
Hop on logs and lily pads
Splash in cool water.
Hop on logs and lily pads
Splash in cool water.
Also
on this date:
Plan
ahead:
Check
out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
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