Haiku Musings

Most people understand what haiku is. And most will tell you that a true haiku poem must have a certain pattern of syllables and lines. For example, the first line will get 5 syllables, the second 7, and the third 5 again. This is all well and good but it's not necessary at all! In fact, most modern haiku in the western world no longer adhere to this structure. I for one think that's a good thing! Let's look at some haiku examples to see why.

Haiku Example #1:

steady spring rain --
a tree takes shape
at dawn

The above haiku poem is from one of my favorite poets, Bruce Ross. Notice that the 5-7-5 rule does not apply here. Also notice that the poem is still a haiku. Why?

Click here to read the rest of this article!