It’s March Spring Forth month! Spring is my favorite season of the year. Leaves sprout on trees, flowers bloom, and weather is warmer (at least in Oklahoma). I went for a refreshing walk the other day and the air felt serene.
For Spring Forth month on the blog, I’m encouraging everyone to let their voice bloom. Even if it’s posting something on social media, sharing in comments on the blog, or taking a small step toward your writing goal. Let’s share!
Today, let’s share a haiku!
You might be thinking, how do I write a haiku?
Good news, it’s only three lines and they don’t need to rhythm. (Yikes, that sentence nearly did.)
Haiku is poetry that became popular in Japan centuries ago. (I read that they originated as far back as the 9th century.)
Since then, it’s evolved.
General rules (not stringent) about haiku:
- Traditional Japanese haiku required three lines with 5-7-5 moras. Moras are another name for a sound unit similar to a syllable. Moras can’t be translated into English, so syllables is used in English. We use five syllables on the first line, seven on the second, and five on the third.
- Modern haiku no longer requires the 5-7-5 rhythm.
- Most haiku’s use nature references along with seasonal.
- Many take two juxtaposed subjects divided into two parts.
Japanese poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) was considered a haiku master. Here’s one of his popular haiku’s translated into English:
An old silent pond
A frog jumps onto the pond
splash! silence again.
Here’s mine (inspired by a mahogany tree near my balcony).
Barren winter tree
stripped of its glorious robe
beautifully naked
That haiku doesn’t have two juxtaposed subjects, so here’s the modified one that does:
Barren winter tree
birds their daily hymns sing
life cycle continues
What about you? Please share your haiku either in Comments below or on one of my social media channels:
Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Contest:
My virtual assistant Dee and I will select a winner. The winner will receive a free journal! And as a bonus, I’ll share a few submissions on my social media channels.
Featured Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay.