Haiku Poems With Metaphors? Top 50 Best Answers

Which idiom is so meta that it actually forms the basis of puzzles? The answer: a metaphor.

As Milan Kundera wrote in The Unbearable Lightness of Being: “Metaphors are dangerous. Metaphors are not to be trifled with.” Paradoxically, however, they are an inescapable part of our daily lives – which makes it all the more important to understand exactly how they work.

To help you, this article provides a list of 97 metaphor examples to show you what they look like in the wild. But if you have a moment, let’s learn a little more about what a metaphor is.

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a literary device that imaginatively draws a comparison between two dissimilar things. It does this by stating that thing A is thing B. Through this equation method, metaphors can help explain concepts and ideas by colorfully relating the unknown to the known; the abstract to the concrete; the incomprehensible to the comprehensible. It can also be a rhetorical device that specifically appeals to our sensibilities as readers.

To give you a clue, here are some examples of common metaphors:

“Bill is an early riser.”

“Life is like a highway.”

“Her eyes were diamonds.”

Note that metaphors are always non-literal. As much as you love to greet your significant other with a war hammer in hand (“Love is a battlefield”) or bring 50 tanks of gas with you every time you go on a date (“Love is a journey”), that probably isn’t the case happen in reality. Another spoiler alert: No, Katy Perry doesn’t literally think you’re fireworks. Rather, these are all instances of metaphors in action.

How is a metaphor different from a simile?

Simile and metaphor are both idioms that establish similarities between two things. However, the devil is in the details. Unlike metaphors, similes use how and how to make the comparison direct. For example, “Life is like a box of chocolates” is a parable. But when you say, “Life is a highway,” you set a metaphor in motion.

The best way to understand how a metaphor can be used is to see it in action – luckily we have plenty of metaphor examples for you to peruse.

The ultimate list of 90+ metaphor examples

Metaphors pervade the entire spectrum of our existence – so we’ve turned to many mediums to dig them up, from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the old Backstreet Boys’ discography. For metaphor examples, feel free to jump to the section below that interests you.

Literature Poetry Everyday Expressions Songs Movies Famous Quotes

literature

Metaphors in literature are drops of water: as essential as they are omnipresent. Writers use literary metaphors to evoke an emotional response or to paint a vivid picture. In other cases, a metaphor can explain a phenomenon. Given the amount of nuance involved, an example of metaphor in a text can sometimes deserve as much interpretation as the text itself.

Metaphors can make prose more muscular or images more vivid:

1. “Fatigue is a thin blanket of bullet holes.” “If so, Matthew De Abaitua

2. “But it’s just two lovers holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their clasped hands a starfish leaping through the darkness.” “Rabbit, run, John Updike

3. “The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold gliding nearer and nearer to the world’s threshold.” – Lord of the Flies, William Golding

4. “Bobby Holloway says my idea is a circus with three hundred arenas. Right now I was two hundred and ninety-nine in the ring, with elephants dancing, clowns spinning carts and tigers jumping through rings of fire. It was time to step back, leave the main tent, get some popcorn and a coke, rest, cool down.” – Seize the night, Dean Koontz

Writers often turn to metaphors to describe people in unexpected ways:

5. “But soft, what light breaks through that window? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!” – Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare

6. “Who had they been, all those mothers and sisters and wives? what were they now Moons, empty and faceless, gleaming with borrowed light, spinning loyally around a greater sphere. “Invisible,” Faith said softly. Women and girls were so often invisible, forgotten, afterthoughts. Faith herself had used it successfully, hiding in plain sight and leading a double life. But she had been blinded by the spirit’s very same invisibility and was only just realizing it.” “The Tree of Lies, Frances Hardinge

7. “‘I’m a shark, Cassie,’ he says slowly, drawing out the words as if he’s speaking to me for the last time. Looking into my eyes with tears in his eyes like he’s seeing me for the last time. “A shark that dreamed of being a man.” “The Last Star, Rick Yancey

8. “Her mouth was a fountain of joy.” – The Tempest, Kate Chopin

9. “The parents, in particular, viewed Matilda as nothing more than a scab. A scab is something you have to put up with until the time comes when you can pull it off and flick it away.” — Matilda, Roald Dahl

10. “Mr. Neck rushes into class, a bull chasing thirty-three red flags.” — Speak, Laurie Anderson

11. “‘Well, stay away from her because she’s a rat, if I’ve ever seen one.'” — Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

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Metaphors can help “visualize” a situation or put an event into context:

12. “But now, O Lord, you are our father, we are the clay and you are our potter; And we are all the work of your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8

13. “He could hear Beatty’s voice. “Sit down, Monday. Watch. Delicate as the petals of a flower. Light up the first side, light up the second side. Everyone becomes a black butterfly. Beautiful or? Light the third page from the second and so on, chain smoking, chapter after chapter, all the silly things the words mean, all the false promises, all the second-hand notions and worn-out philosophies.’” – Fahrenheit 451 , Ray Bradbury

To amuse and tickle the brain, metaphor examples sometimes compare two extremely different things:

14. “Delia was a pretentious cake with condescending frosting, and honestly I was on a diet.” “Lamentation: The Fairy Queen’s Deception, Maggie’s stepfather

15. “The Sun was an infant who stubbornly refused to go to bed: it was after eight-thirty and still light.” – Flaws in Our Stars, John Green

16. “If mind were pins, the man would be a veritable hedgehog.” “Fly by night, Frances Hardinge

17. “What’s that?” he asked not too kindly. ‘A circus?’ ‘No, Julius. That’s the end of the circus.” “I see. And these are the clowns?’ Foaly’s head poked through the door. ‘Excuse me for interrupting your extended circus metaphor, but what the hell is that?’ ‘Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer

18. “Using a metaphor in front of a man as unimaginative as Ridcully was like throwing a red flag at a Bu — like saying something very annoying to someone who was upset about it.” “Lords and ladies, Terry Pratchett

Metaphors can help frame abstract concepts in a way that readers can easily understand:

19. “My thoughts are stars that I cannot place in constellations.” – Faults in our stars, John Green

20. “If you can look into the seed of time and tell which grain will grow and which will not, then speak to me.” – Macbeth, William Shakespeare

21. “Memories are bullets. Some whiz by and just scare you. Others will tear you open and leave you in pieces.” “Kill the dead, Richard Kadrey

22. “Wishes are thorns,” he told himself sharply. They’re not good for us, they just stick in our skin and hurt us.” “A face like glass, Frances Hardinge

23. “‘Life,’ wrote a friend of mine, ‘is a public performance on the violin, during which one must learn the instrument along the way.” “A room with a view, E. M. Forster

24. “There was an invisible chain of nuns stretching before her along the mad winding road, each bead a golden second.” “Cuckoo’s song, Frances Hardinge

25. “All the world is a stage, and all men and women but players.” – As you please, William Shakespeare

poetry

Particularly prominent in the realm of poetry is extended metaphor: a single metaphor that spans all or part of the work. Also known as conceit, it is used by poets to develop an idea or concept in great detail over the length of a poem. (And we have some metaphor examples for you below.)

If you want an idea of ​​the vital role that metaphor plays in poetry, look no further than what Robert Frost once said: “They have graduate night schools now. Why? Because they don’t know when they’re being fooled by a metaphor. Education through poetry is education through metaphor.”

Poets use metaphors directly in the text to explain emotions and opinions:

26. She must make him happy. It has to be his favorite place in Minneapolis. You’re a gift shop where he goes to remember how much people miss him when he’s gone. – “Unrequited Love Poem”, Sierra DeMulder

27. She is all states and all princes, i. Nothing else is. Princes only play us; in comparison, all honor is mime, all wealth is alchemy. – “The Rising Sun”, John Donne

28. I was watching a girl in a sundress kissing another girl on a park bench and just as the sunlight fell perfectly on both of their hair I thought to myself how bravely beautiful it is that sometimes the sea wants the city , even when told he was destined for the coast all his life. – “I saw a girl in a sundress”, Christopher Poindexter

Extended metaphors in particular explore and promote major themes in poetry:

29. All our words are but crumbs falling from the feast of the Spirit. Thinking is always the stumbling block of poetry. A great singer is the one who sings our silence. How can you sing when your mouth is filled with food? How shall your hand be raised in blessing when it is filled with gold? It is said that the nightingale pierces his chest with a thorn when he sings his love song. – “Sand and Foam”, Khalil Gibran

30. But a BIRD that stalks through its narrow cage / Can seldom see through its fury bars / Its wings are clipped and its feet are bound, so it opens its throat to sing. – “Bird in a cage”, Maya Angelou

31. Two paths diverged in a forest, and I – I took the less traveled one / And that made all the difference. – “The Path Not Taken”, Robert Frost

32. Marriage is not a house or even a tent, it is before, and colder: the edge of the forest, the edge of the desert, the edge of the receding glacier, where we grieve and marvel that we have survived even so far have, learn to make fire – “apartment”, Margaret Atwood

33. These poems are not alive: it is a sad diagnosis. Their toes and fingers grew well enough, their small foreheads bulging in concentration. If they failed to walk around like humans, it wasn’t for lack of motherly love. – “Stillborn”, Sylvia Plath

34. Hope is the thing with feathers / That sits in the soul / And sings the melody without the words / And doesn’t stop at all. – “Hope is the thing with feathers”, Emily Dickinson

Daily Expressions

Here are some food for thought (35): You’ve probably used a metaphor (or more) in your daily speech today without even realizing it. Metaphorical expressions spice up the English language by helping us to clearly illustrate and pinpoint what we want to say. As a result, metaphors are ubiquitous in our common vocabulary: you might even be drowning in a sea (36) of metaphors as we speak. But before we jump on the shark, let’s get to our list of metaphor examples (37).

38. Love is a battlefield.

39. You gave me something to chew on.

40. He’s just blowing off steam.

41. This is music to my ears.

42. Love is a good wine.

43. She is a thorn in my side.

44. You are the light in my life.

45. He has the heart of a lion.

46. ​​Am I talking to a brick wall?

47. He has ants in his pants.

48. Beauty is a fading flower.

49. She has a heart of stone.

50. Fear is an animal that feeds on attention.

51. Life is a journey.

52. He’s a late bloomer.

53. He’s a lame duck now.

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Songs

Metaphors are an essential tool in any copywriter’s toolbox. From Elvis to Beyonce, songwriters use them to instinctively connect listeners to images and paint a picture for them. More often than not, they find new ways to describe people, love — and of course, breakups. So if you’re thinking, “It’s so sad that Alexa is playing Titanium,” you’ve come to the right place. Here are some examples of metaphors used in songs.

54. You’re nothing but a hound / Crying all the time – “Hound Dog,” Elvis Presley

55. You are a fallen star / You are the getaway car / You are the line in the sand / If I go too far / You are the swimming pool / On an August day / And you are the perfect thing to say – “Everything”, Michael Bublé

56. ‘Cause baby you’re fireworks / Come on, show ’em your worth / How you shoot across the sky – “Fireworks,” Katy Perry

57. I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose / Fire away, fire away / Ricochet, you take aim / Fire away, fire away / You shoot me down but I won’t fall, I’m Titan – “Titanium,” David Guetta

58. Life’s a Highway / I Want to Drive It All Night / If You Walk My Way / I Want to Drive It All Night – “Life’s a Highway,” Rascal Flatts

59. She’s a Saturn with a sunroof / With her brown hair blowing in the wind / She’s a soft place to land / And feels good to know / She’s warm conversational – “She’s everything,” Brad Paisley

60. I’m a Marquise Diamond / Might make even that Tiffany jealous / You say I give it a hard time / So bad, so bad / Make you never want to leave / I won’t, I won’t-” Good for you,’ Selena Gomez

61. Remember the walls I built

62. Have I ever told you that you are my hero? / You are everything, everything I wish to be / Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle / ‘Cause you’re the wind under my wings / ‘Cause you’re the wind under my wings – “Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette midler

63. You are my fire / The only desire / Believe when I say I want it this way – “I want it this way”, Backstreet Boys

64. Your Body Is A Wonderland / Your Body Is A Wonder (I Use My Hands) / Your Body Is A Wonderland – “Your Body Is A Wonderland,” John Mayer

65. I walk on sunshine (Wow!) / I walk on sunshine (Wow!) / I walk on sunshine (Wow!) / And doesn’t it feel good – “I walk on sunshine”, Katrina and the waves

66. If You Want To Be With Me / Baby, There’s A Price To Pay / I’m A Genie In A Bottle / You Gotta Rub Me Really – “Genie in a Bottle,” Christina Aguilera

67. If God is a DJ, life is a dance floor / Love is the rhythm, you are the music / If God is a DJ, life is a dance floor / You get what you get, it’s all how you get it use – “God is a DJ”, P!nk

68. If this town / is just an apple / then let me have a bite – “Human nature,” Michael Jackson

69. I just want to be part of your symphony / Will you hold me and not let go? – “Symphony”, Clean Bandit

70. My heart is a stereo / It’s beating for you so listen carefully / Hear my thoughts in every note – “Stereo Hearts”, Gym Class Heroes

71. I am the sunshine in your hair / I am the shadow on the ground / I am the whisper on the wind / I am your imaginary friend – “I’m already there”, Lonestar

movies

Movies can add a different angle to the concept of a metaphor: being a visual medium, certain objects on the screen actually represent what the filmmaker intends them to represent. Of course, the same principle applies – there is still a direct comparison. It’s just that we can now see the metaphor examples with our own eyes.

Movies can make visually clear comparisons between two elements on screen:

72. “What beautiful blooms we have this year. But look, this is late. I bet when she blooms she’ll be prettiest of all.” – by Mulan

73. “Love is an open door. can i say something crazy Will you marry me? Can I say something even crazier? Yes!” – by Frozen

Metaphors are used in dialogue to allow characters to express themselves:

74. “You are the incarnation of television, Diana. Indifferent to suffering, insensitive to joy.” -Network

75. “Life is an ascent. But the view is great.” – Hannah Montana: The Movie

Famous quotes

Did you know that as early as 427 BC Plato used metaphors to express his thoughts? Since then, some of our greatest minds have continued to turn to metaphor when illuminating ideas in front of the general public – a practice that has become particularly prominent in political speeches and pithy jokes. Here is an example of how famous quotes have incorporated metaphor examples in the past.

76. “All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” -Albert Einstein

77. “A clear conscience is an ongoing Christmas.” -Benjamin Franklin

78. “America has thrown its cap over the wall of space.” -John F. Kennedy

79. “I don’t condone political jokes; I’ve seen too many of them get elected.” -Jon Stewart

80. “Conscience is a man’s compass.” -Vincent van Gogh

81. “In the depths of winter I have finally learned that within me lies an invincible summer.” -Albert Camus

82. “Time is the moving image of eternity.” -Plato

83. “Every person is a school subject. That’s more of a metaphorical way of putting it, to be clear, those you love are few and those you loathe are many.” “Michael Bassey Johnson

84. “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers

85. “Life is little more than a loan shark: it charges a very high rate of interest for the few pleasures it allows.” – Luigi Pirandello

86. “America: In the face of our common perils, in this winter of our need, we remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue let us once more brave the icy currents and endure whatever storms may come.” -Barack Obama

87. “Bolshevism is a ghoul descending from a pile of skulls. It’s not a policy; it is a disease. It’s not a creed; it’s a plague.” -Winston Churchill

88. “Books are mirrors of the soul.” -Virginia Woolf

89. “My life has an excellent cast, but I can’t figure out the plot.” – Ashleigh Brilliant

90. “I feel like we’re all in a super crappy escape room with really obvious cues like ‘choose’ and ‘believe women’ and ‘don’t put kids in cages’.” – Natasha Rothwell

91. “I travel the world and I’m happy to say that America is still the great melting pot – maybe more of a thick stew than a melting pot, but you know what I mean.” – Philipp Glas

92. “Life is a long journey in a short journey.” — James Lendall Basford

93. “What then is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonymies, anthropomorphisms: in short, a sum total of human relationships that are poetically and rhetorically exaggerated, metamorphosed, embellished and, after long use, appear fixed, canonical, and binding on a nation.” -Nietzsche

94. “Life is a foreign language: all men pronounce it wrong.” – Christopher Morley

95. “Dying is a wild night and a new path.” – Emily Dickinson

96. “And your flesh shall be a great poem.” -Walt Whitman

And as a bonus gift, here’s one final road metaphor from one of our brightest philosophers. Let Calvin have the last word:

Calvin & Hobbes. Image: Bill Watterson

Have we forgotten one of your favorite metaphors? Do you have any other metaphor examples for us? Leave them in the (non-metaphorical) box below and we’ll add them directly.

by Ferris Gilli

An effective juxtaposition in haiku creates a connection between two images, the combination of which is stronger and more revealing than either image alone.

Reading and writing haiku go hand in hand. Those who don’t know how to explore a poem beyond the superficial imagery are unlikely to write a meaningful haiku. To get the best out of the work of others, we must be willing to “read between the lines.” Because not all readers have exactly the same life experiences, a haiku can evoke associations that are unique to each reader. Therefore, different readers may discover different connections. That is a good thing.

Most haiku written in the classical style contain two parts side by side, with each part containing an image. Ideally, the images are fundamentally different and independent of each other, and each image represents a different subject. The different images in a poem can contrast with each other. Their placement emphasizes the difference between them, as in this haiku by Paul W. MacNeil:

Jacaranda flowers

the twin tracks

of a car

The flowers and the car tracks seem unrelated. The haiku contrasts flowers that are part of nature with tracks left by an artificial vehicle. Seeing these two images side by side makes me realize that products of human existence are often found in the midst of nature, and vice versa. Nature sprouts from cracked asphalt, forms a coral reef over a sunken ship, or nests on window sills between concrete and steel skyscrapers.

Juxtaposed images can be different objects or circumstances that are being compared. Such images often work together to create a mood. One image can enhance the other image, or the combination can improve the overall tone of the poem. Readers may discover subtle similarities or unexpected associations between images, as in this haiku by Maria Steyn:

the slow drip

honey on bread. . .

late autumn sun

find the cut

In general, haiku are edited in the traditional structure using a juxtaposition of different images, with a clear, recognizable pause between the two parts. Writers of Japanese haikus use a kireji, or “cut word,” to separate the parts. Authors of English-language haiku do not use cutting words; instead we use construction and punctuation to bring about the pause. Ideally, we write the haiku in such a way that there is an understandable caesura regardless of the punctuation.

Sense and natural speaking rhythm determine the cut. A strong, natural pause occurs in each of the following haiku by Mary Lee McClure and Peggy Willis Lyles:

summery daydreams —

the weasel

a passing pigeon

sweet peas

tremble at the trellis

the “I want” of the bride

Each haiku breaks off where the first part ends. Sometimes poets underscore the pause, as seen in these poems by Timothy Hawkes and Francis Masat:

40th birthday —

he’s just starting

to change color

a little girl

observe a cocoon. . .

wing

If the punctuation were omitted in this haiku, the caesuras would remain. Punctuation visually indicates and emphasizes the natural pauses, but does not create them. Even without punctuation marks, the following haiku are cut:

evening quiet

the trembling song

of a distant loon

milky scent

of calf’s breath

morning mist

If a haiku is not cut clearly, there may still be a pause. Although the next poem doesn’t have a hard rest, I sense a gentle rest at the end of the first line:

after communion

I touch the sunlight

in her hair

Some haiku, although containing a broken pause, show the “spillover” effect. This can occur when the unwritten subject (or actor) in one part of a poem is not the same as the written subject in another part of the haiku; in other words, if the poem contains a dangling modifier. Dangling modifiers are usually introductory phrases that suggest, but do not name, an actor. When the haiku begins with such a modifier, readers expect the subject of the haiku to name that actor. If it isn’t, the modifier will dangle, causing a spillover effect. In these cases, it is risky to assume that the punctuation distinguishes the two subjects in the reader’s perception:

say mercy –

the spotted dog stares

with a roast beef

Such a talented dog! It could be argued that common sense tells us that the author or another person says mercy, certainly not the dog. But when there is a spill over from the first line into the second line in the reader’s perception, even for a moment, that moment of distraction can be enough to spoil a mood and diminish the reader’s resonance. The poet should strive to avoid the possibility of confusion or unintentional humor.

In order to achieve meaningful juxtaposition, each part of a haiku must have no fundamental connection with the other part. Each part must be clearly understood independently of the other part. We cannot contrast a thing with itself. Putting two parts of the same thing side by side is not a meaningful juxtaposition. For a haiku to contain more than one level of meaning, the juxtaposition of its two parts must create an impact beyond what the reader first sees or understands. A haiku resonates when the reader discovers an unexpected relationship or association between two different things in the poem. A comparison between clearly related things within the same subject often gives the haiku no resonance. Limiting a poem to a single object or subject usually precludes discovery on the part of the reader. For example:

wavy

in a slipper

the kitten is sleeping

This verse addresses only one subject or main image: a sleeping kitten. This is the same kitten in a two-part cut haiku juxtaposing the kitten with a different, independent image:

rising wind

the kitten is sleeping

curled up in a slipper

Explaining the difference between a two-part haiku and a one-picture haiku may seem complicated at first. Another illustration should make the difference clear. This is a verse with only one picture:

glittering

in a blue bowl

fresh lemons

It’s a beautiful picture, but there’s nothing to evoke a sense of discovery, nothing beyond the first impression of a pretty picture. True, there are literally two different types of objects in the verse, but they are part of the same subject. The main image (and theme) is “Lemons in a Bowl”. Adding another, different image to create a two-part poem:

clear sky

fresh lemons shimmer

in a blue bowl

The two parts stand side by side. By combining the cloudless sky with the lemons in a blue bowl, I offer an indirect comparison. This allows readers to discover the subtle similarities between the sun in the big blue sky and the small “suns” against the blue of a bowl. Although heaven and lemons in a bowl are very different things, I hope that when readers see the combination in one poem, they will discover the beauty of heaven repeated in small, earthly objects.

This haiku by Peggy Willis Lyles resonates through the juxtaposition of different or unrelated imagery:

lunchtime whistle

Icicles drip

shattered light

The last two lines evoke a beautiful mental image, but there is more to the haiku than the initial perception of beauty. A whistle and icicles have nothing to do with each other; but because of their powerful combination in this haiku, I feel like the wailing of the whistle shattered the whole air. I will never again hear a noon whistle without thinking of this one, imagining shattered air and light.

The fallacy of immediate juxtaposition

There’s a common notion that when a poet has a good image, he can snatch another image from anywhere, put it next to the first, and aha, instant juxtaposition. Indulging in this “piñata” juxtaposition is not the way to write meaningful haiku. Juxtaposition alone cannot guarantee the success of a haiku. The combination of different images must be effective for the poem to resonate. When their juxtaposition is successful, the two parts of a haiku work together to evoke a sense of renewed awareness or allow the poet to share a mood or emotion with readers.

The space between

The truth of a haiku mostly lies in what is not written. Paul W. MacNeil describes it this way: “I tell you that it is in the space between [the parts], this space created by the break or the cut, that haiku are found.”

When we read a haiku, the discordance of its imagery catches our attention; but to find the resonance and the truth inherent in the poem, we go deeper. By entering into a partnership with the author, we enter an imaginary gap between the different parts of the haiku; then we intuitively fill in the unsaid. Insight and inner meaning lie not in the words we see on the page but in what the juxtaposition of images implies. In the following haiku by John Wisdom, I am struck by the irony of the first line, which is contrasted with the rest of the poem:

Harvest Moon —

Migrant children eat the bread

thrown to the crows

Migrant workers move from harvest to harvest according to the fruit and vegetable season. A harvest moon portends the abundance of food that comes with the season. But in stark contrast, these migrant children are eating discarded bread off the floor. What truth lies in the space between the parts? The children can have plenty of food, such as freshly picked fruit and vegetables and also homemade bread. But maybe the kind of bread they’re used to is very different and not as appealing as the kind thrown to the birds. However, the truth (or insight) found in Harvest Moon that resonates with me the most is that people can go hungry even in the midst of plenty. The juxtaposition of wisdom allows readers to discover more than one level of meaning.

Haiku as a genre is unique in that a poem’s resonance is created through a partnership between poet and reader. Like wine declared delicious by the vintner but not yet tasted by the diners, the poem’s inherent essence cannot be fully explored until people other than the author have read it.

The moments of insight for writers and readers come through the same process. The original “Aha!” usually occurs when the author discovers an unexpected relationship between two different things. The connection for the person reading the resulting haiku is made when he or she discovers an unexpected relationship between two different things in the poem – in other words, between the two parts of the haiku. Using Lyles’ poem, we will examine how this poet-reader partnership works:

Wind chimes fell silent

a stirring from within

the doll

If we read each part on its own, it makes sense without the other part. But we do know that the poet had a reason for putting them side by side. Even if the images are fundamentally different, we will find that their juxtaposition gives us a new awareness. Now let’s enter the haiku and see where the poet takes us.

Lyles first focuses on the absence of sound. There are wind chimes, but they are quiet. As soon as I read the first line, I feel the silence. Then a soft rustling. . . Ah, the doll! The poet’s perfect concentration causes me to be still, holding my breath so that I can hear the stirring of a small creature preparing for rebirth. Two different images – wind chimes and a doll – and neither has anything to do with the other. But juxtaposed, these disparate images work together to take me right into the moment and beyond. Though concrete and immediate, this haiku as a whole evokes a powerfully mystical mood. I imagine Mother Nature stopped the wind so the creature inside the chrysalis could continue its metamorphosis without being distracted by the ringing and clinking of bells. The word “silent” suggests the poet’s sense of awe and invites me to share it. The poem gives me a new awareness of the constant interplay of nature and human nature.

Lyles initiates a partnership with me (and other readers) by briefly expressing her haiku experience. She doesn’t talk about her emotions, but shows what she actually observed. Through rich concrete imagery, the poet invites me to delve into her experience, discover different levels of meaning in the poem, and share her awe at an event in nature. I become her partner because I’m eager to “read between the lines” and find the subtle truths.

A skilled poet can achieve resonance with a poem on a single theme. However, since it is difficult to create resonance without effective juxtaposition, I advise beginners to first learn how to write two-part haiku that juxtapose carefully chosen, independent images. Poets who have learned how to make haiku sound through juxtaposition are better able to judge the quality of single-subject haiku, whether such poems were written by themselves or by others.

The real juxtaposition of entities, events, or conditions present in a single, specific experience evokes emotion and insight in the poet. At this point, the experience becomes a “haiku moment.” Although it follows that the same juxtaposition informs the resulting poem, not all poets work from this premise. But if a haiku expresses the author’s newfound consciousness and resonates with readers, does it matter how the poem was realized? This question spurs lively debates among haiku writers. I believe the answer cannot be checked, but lies within each individual, according to the poet’s haiku experience and goal. However, this much remains constant: whether the juxtaposition is there in the first place, or whether the poet stitches images from separate experiences together into a single haiku, the images must work together to create resonance.

the female cardinal

lowers her crest

twilight rain

**

Poem Credits: Gilli, Ferris: “Milky Scent: Modern Haiku 35:3. “the female cardinal” Frogpond XXVI:3. Hawkes, Timothy: “40th birthday” Acorn No. 11 Fall 2003. Lyles, Peggy Willis: “sweet peas” The Heron’s Nest III: 7. “wind chimes hushed” and “noon whistle” Saki Chapbook #8: THIRTY-SIX TONES . Masat, Fran: “a little girl” The Heron’s Nest IV: 7. McClure, Mary Lee: “summer daydreams” The Heron’s Nest IV: 7. MacNeil, Paul W.: “jacaranda flowers” The Heron’s Nest II:5. The quote “I say so . . . that haiku are found,” from MacNeil, Paul W., Haikuforum Seminar on “Traditional” Renku in English, “Q & A: 3a,” 9 Feb 2000. Steyn, Maria: “the slow drops,” Acorn no. 11, Fall 2003 Wisdom, John W.: “Harvest Moon” The Heron’s Nest II: 11.

Editor’s Note: Ferris Gilli is a well-known American author of haiku and related forms. She is an editor for The Heron’s Nest and was also a haiku editor for Treetops (World Haiku Review). Her 12-hour haiku guide Exploring Haiku has been translated into Romanian and is used in the Romanian school system. Ferris lives in Marietta, Georgia, in the United States.

Portions of this article, which appears with her permission, originally formed a lesson on the World Haiku Review website.

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) composed about 1000 haiku poems during his lifetime while traveling through Japan. His writing The Narrow Road to the Deep North is the most famous collection of haiku in Japan.

Among the haiku poems, I would like to introduce you to 10 famous examples of his “Sabi” works, including “Old Pond and Frog”, “Cicada” and his death poem.

Related post

The haiku poems are shown in original Japanese 5-7-7 syllables and translated into English three-line style to see the meaning.

Haiku began to gain widespread acceptance outside of Japan in the early 20th century. In English-speaking countries, the form was popularized by Imagists like Ezra Pound and later by Beat poets like Allen Ginsberg.

Traditionally, haiku writers have focused on expressing emotionally suggestive moments of insight into natural phenomena. This approach was consolidated and popularized by the 17th-century poet Bashō, many of whose haiku reflected his own emotional state in communicating with nature. After the 19th century, haiku themes expanded beyond natural themes.

The haiku is a Japanese poetic form consisting of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. The haiku evolved from the hokku, the first three lines of a longer poem known as a tanka. The haiku became a form of poetry in its own right in the 17th century.

summary

Haiku, unrhyming poetic form composed of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively. The haiku first appeared in Japanese literature in the 17th century as a terse response to elaborate poetic traditions, although it was not known by the name haiku until the 19th century.

The term haiku is derived from the first element of the word haikai (a humorous form of renga or connected verse poem) and the second element of the word hokku (the first stanza of a renga). The hokku that set the tone of a renga had to mention themes such as the season, the time of day, and the predominant features of the landscape in its three lines, making it almost a poem in its own right. Hokku (often referred to as haikai) became known as haiku in the late 19th century when it was completely relieved of its original function of opening a verse. Today the term haiku is used to describe all poems that use the three-line, 17-syllable structure, even the earlier hokku.

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Originally, the haiku form was thematically limited to an objective description of nature, suggestive of one of the seasons, and eliciting a specific, albeit unspoken, emotional response. The form became popular early in the Tokugawa period (1603-1867) when the great master Bashō elevated hokku to a highly refined and conscious art. He began writing what was considered this “new style” of poetry in Edo (now Tokyo) in the 1670s. Among his earliest haiku is one

A crow got out;

Nightfall in autumn.

A crow has perched on a withered branch; Nightfall in autumn.

Bashō subsequently traveled throughout Japan and his experiences became the subject of his verses. His haiku were accessible to a wide cross-section of Japanese society, and the wide appeal of these poems helped establish the form as the most popular form in Japanese poetry.

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After Bashō, and particularly after the 19th-century revival of haiku, his range of subjects expanded beyond nature. But the haiku remained an art of expressing a lot and suggesting more with as few words as possible. Other outstanding haiku masters included Buson in the 18th century, Issa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Masaoka Shiki in the late 19th century, and Takahama Kyoshi and Kawahigashi Hekigotō in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the turn of the 21st century there were said to be a million Japanese composing haiku under the guidance of a teacher.

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A poem written in the haiku form or a variation thereof in a language other than Japanese is also referred to as a haiku. In English, the haiku composed by the Imagists were particularly influential in the early 20th century. The form’s popularity beyond Japan increased significantly after World War II, and today haiku are written in a variety of languages.

The poems on this list represent the works of the masters of the haiku form as they arose in Japan and examples of how haiku developed in the English language. Authors as diverse as Matsuo Bashō, Jack Kerouac, and Ezra Pound have experimented with the form.

Introduction to the haiku form

A haiku poem is a three-line form of Japanese poetry. The first and last lines of the poem have five syllables, and the second or middle line has seven.

Haiku are often interested in common themes and themes. Nature is the most famous haiku subject, including depictions of plants, animals, and the changing of the seasons. Sometimes there are two opposing images in the poem, especially in traditional haiku. What appears in the first two lines and what follows in the third. Here the juxtaposition is often used. Readers should not be surprised to find other examples of literary devices and figurative language, including the use of similes.

Theme: nature

Period: 17th century

Meaning: The beauty of nature and simple moments in everyday life.

Considered one of the four great haiku masters, Matsuo Bashō’s poem “The Old Pond” is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn more about what haikus can do. This particular poem reads as follows:

An old still pond A frog jumps into the pond – splash! Silence again.

When a writer deals with a short poem consisting of very few words and even fewer lines, each word is carefully examined. In this translated version of the Japanese original, the repetition of “silent” or “silence” is noticeable. This helps create a peaceful mood and tone. The speaker is thoughtful and clear as he watches the frog and then studies the sound and the silence that follows.

Theme: The beauty of nature

Period: 19th century

Meaning: Creation is a complex process that goes through phases.

Katsushika Hokusai learned from Bashō, and his influence can be felt in one of Hokusai’s most popular haikus, A Poppy Blooms. The poem reads:

I write, erase, write erase again, and then a poppy blooms.

The same type of repetition is used in this poem despite the length of the lines. It draws the reader’s attention to the words “write” and “paraphrase”. The simple language and the implied repetition of this action give the poem great weight. It speaks to the process of creating and learning and to qualities like perseverance and determination. Added to this is the traditional visual language of nature with the blooming “poppy”, a clear metaphor for the successful creation of written works.

Springtime Ocean by Yosa Buson

Theme: nature/sea

Period: 18th century

Meaning: Conveys the beauty and simple power of the “springtime ocean”.

Written in the 18th century, this beautiful haiku depicts the movement of the ocean. The English translation, supplemented by Miura Diane and Miura Seiichiro, reads:

Spring ocean Gently swaying all day long.

The Well Bucket by Kaga Chiyome

Theme: community

Period: 18th century

Meaning: Community is an integral part of everyday life.

The English translation is:

The well bucket is taken by the morning glory Go to a neighbor for water.

This short poem was written by the relatively unknown author Kaga Chiyome. She is known for her nature-based haiku, which often speaks of flowers. She died in 1775 and is far less widely read than other Japanese poets of the time.

Spring Passes by Matsuo Bashō

Topic: change/transformation

Period: 17th century

Meaning: Spring will always come and bring beautiful changes in nature.

The English translation is:

Spring passing, birds mourn, fish weep with teary eyes.

Another of Bashō’s beautifully evocative poems, “Spring is Passing,” conforms seamlessly to the rhyme scheme associated with sonnets. He speaks of the passing of spring while also speaking more deeply about the end of life. The “birds are crying,” he adds, and the fish’s eyes are “with tears.” There is a very charming use of personification in these lines that might encourage a reader to think of these creatures as humans or representatives of humans rather than just animals.

Theme: Beauty of nature, especially at night.

Period: 18th century

Meaning: An appreciation for the natural world and the ways different atmospheres transform it.

The English translation is:

In the pale moonlight~ the scent of wisteria comes from far away.

Buson wrote in the 1700s and is a popular master of the form. In this poem, the poet engages with traditional imagery and uses the standard metric pattern. The lines speak of “moonlight” and how it changes the sight and experience of wisteria, a flowering vine-like plant.

Its color and “scent” seem “far away” due to the atmosphere in which it exists. The mood of this piece is wistful and reflective, allowing the reader to have a moment of stillness in their life.

Topic: The importance of all living beings

Period: 19th century

Meaning: Regardless of life, it is important in a broader sense.

Here is the English translation:

How lonely I feel in the cold of the night after killing a spider!

Shiki is credited today with reviving haiku formation and allowing it to flourish again in another century. This particular poem is one of his best. It is reading:

As with many haiku, the subject matter and imagery in these lines are relatable. With just a few words, the poet can paint a clear picture of a dark, cold, and lonely night. The speaker thought killing the spider was the right thing to do, but now he’s even more alone. This sonnet should inspire a reader to consider the spider as a symbol. But a symbol of an even more important consideration.

The West Wind Whispered by R.M. Hansard

Theme: nature

Period: 19th century

Meaning: The natural world is alive in a way that is comparable to human experience.

The west wind whispered, And touched Spring’s eyelids: Her eyes, primroses.

This English-language haiku was the winner of an 1899 haiku competition in Great Britain. It was one of the first of its kind. The poem uses nature as its main theme, as does many of the most famous haiku ever written. It also embodies the “west wind,” another feature of haiku writing that is very common.

Plum Blossom Temple by Natsume Soseki

Theme: nature

Period: 19th and 20th centuries

Meaning: Appreciation of beauty and strangeness in the natural world.

Here is the English translation:

Plum Blossom Temple: Voices rise from the foothills

Soseki, who died in 1916, wrote fairy tales in addition to haikus. Of his many publications, this haiku is one of his best. The lines speak to mysterious and strange images, all still connected to nature. A reader will likely leave this poem wondering what a “Plum Blossom Temple” is and who owns the votes.

Topic: Mistakes and the consequences of life

Period: 18th century

Meaning: No matter how kind or affectionate one is, it is still possible to encounter nothing but cruelty.

The English translation is:

Unfortunately, everything I touch with tenderness stings like a bush.

Another famous haiku poet, Issa, is responsible for some of the best examples of traditional Japanese haiku. His poetry is clever and sometimes lighter than the works of other writers.

In these three lines he makes a simple and hyperbolic statement about tenderness, human nature and perception. Its narrator describes an effort to touch with tenderness. Every attempt fails and leaves nothing but prickly undergrowth. This could refer to romantic relationships, friendships, or just general good deeds in everyday life.

frequently asked Questions

What is the most famous Japanese haiku? There are many famous Japanese haiku. These include “In the moonlight” by Yosa Buson, “The Old Pond” by Basho and “After Killing a Spider” by Masaoka Shiki. What is a haiku example? A haiku is a three-line poem that focuses on the use of a specific number of syllables. The first and last lines contain five syllables, the second line seven. For example, “The Old Pond” by Basho and “Everything I Touch” by Kobayashi Issa. Can a haiku have six syllables? The strictest haiku follow the 5-7-5 pattern. But there are one-, two-, and four-line variants that deliberately experiment with syllable order, themes, and more. Why is haiku important in Japan? Throughout history, haiku has played an important role in Japan. These short poems capture many Japanese people’s perspectives on nature, philosophy, art and emotions. What does haiku mean in Japanese? The word “haiku” comes from the longer Japanese phrase “haikai no ku” which means “light verse”. How do I write a haiku? To write a haiku, you need to choose a topic, probably one related to the natural world, and think of how you might describe that topic in a few words. Write down important images that come to mind and see if you can combine these images in the 5-7-5 format.

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poetic means: metaphor and simile

Metaphor and simile are techniques often used in poetry.

A simile is when one thing is described as something else, like “her smile was as warm as the sun” or “my dog ​​is like a jumping bean.” Parables often use the word “like” or “like” to compare one thing to another.

A metaphor, on the other hand, is when one thing is described as something else, such as “her eyes were crystal blue lakes” or “his mood was a winter storm.”

Each of these poems contains at least one metaphor or simile.

[NOTE: For all poets whose poems are mentioned in this article, I apologize in advance for my criticism. Thank you for being brave enough to post your work for others to see.]

As simple as haiku seems to be, writing strong, compelling, and memorable haiku is actually very difficult. Because of its apparent ease and simplicity, beginners tend to make common mistakes when writing haiku. They throw convention overboard or simply use form to express their own feelings.

This page is dedicated to identifying and correcting these errors. Below are the top 5 haiku bans. The source of these errors is usually an overemphasis on expression and an underemphasis on sharing. Check these prohibitions to see if you commit them in your own haiku.

Don’t #1: Don’t use a haiku to describe an idea, story, or feeling

Many aspiring haiku poets use haiku as a clever and concise way to express their thoughts and feelings, or to describe a story or concept. They see haiku as a shorthand way of expressing something complex. For example, look at this poem:

And he was perfect.

Makes me smile, dizzy, happy.

He was never mine.

This poem simply focuses on how the poet feels and thinks about another person and highlights an unrequited love. Although the concept may be interesting, the poem itself is not captivating because it leaves nothing to the imagination.

The purpose of the haiku is to share a brief moment or event so that the reader can bring it to life in their mind (and thus experience the same feelings) without having to physically experience what the author is expressing in the poem . The above poem, on the other hand, does not focus on making the reader feel the same as the poet, but instead focuses on simply expressing the poet’s own feelings.

This mistake is probably the biggest of all haiku mistakes and also the most common. Don’t focus on your feelings or ideas: just focus on a single moment or experience you want to share with your reader.

Don’t #2: Don’t use direct idioms

Another mistake budding poets make is to take poetic devices they are accustomed to using in other forms and put them in haiku. The most dangerous for the haiku is an idiom. An idiom is any word or phrase that does not use the language literally and contains metaphors, similes, and hyperbole.

In general, there are two types of idioms: direct and indirect. Direct idioms directly capture the reader’s imagination. As the reader reads it, he or she focuses on the idiom itself. In haiku, the use of direct idioms can be risky, as they distract the reader from imagining the experience shared in the poem, stimulating him or her to think intellectually about the connection between the different images in the poem. For example, consider the following poem:

without you i am

Like the tree in winter

withered all alone

Although the poem is very interesting, the explicit simile here draws us away from the experience itself (if there is one) and provokes us to reflect on the relationship between the poet’s feelings and the image of the tree, rather than actually allowing us to feel what he feels. Again, this haiku mainly focuses on expressing how the poet feels rather than provoking a special connection between him and the reader.

Indirect idioms, on the other hand, can be powerful tools. An indirect idiom does not directly capture the reader’s imagination, but rather enhances it. For example, many haiku mention singing crickets, cicadas, frogs, and birds. Consider this famous poem by Basho:

an old temple

shelter for the night –

a nightingale sings

With this poem, we don’t have to study or think about the image of a singing nightingale to imagine the experience. Even if we don’t know the song of the nightingale, we can easily replace the sound with our own idea of ​​bird song. Rather, the image of the nightingale song helps to enhance our experience and make it easier to imagine the scene: the poet arrives at an ancient temple, decides to take shelter there, and hears a nightingale chirping in the background.

To summarize, avoid using direct phrases as they distract the reader from engaging with the experience and consider using indirect phrases in your haiku.

Don’t #3: Don’t use vague, ambiguous, difficult, or verbose language

A common mistake made by beginners in haiku is to use either complex or unstimulating words to describe an experience, or to describe something that is itself complex or vague. In either case, the end result is usually confusion. For example, think of this poem:

Forest green shimmers

a hidden warrior of a night

against the bad guy

It is possible that there is depth in the content of this poem, but the picture being described is so unclear that it is difficult to tell what the poem is about. What does “hidden” mean here? “Glows” forest green at night? What is meant by “the bad”? The poem leaves too many gaps to sound poetic.

The purpose of haiku is to be easily accessible to the reader. The reader should be able to form a quick picture of the experience expressed in the poem. Ancient haiku poets did this by referring to seasons or the sounds of certain animals in their poems. Since everyone was familiar with the seasons and these animals, the imagery was very relatable.

Of course, this is not to say that vagueness and ambiguity are not tools that can be used in haiku. Take Shiki’s haiku, for example:

autumn clear –

the smoke of something

goes to heaven

The difference between the vagueness in this poem and the vagueness in the “forest green” poem is that the vagueness in the shiki poem is part of the experience to be imagined. We can relate to seeing smoke in the sky but not knowing what is creating it. It is much more difficult to refer to “the hidden warrior of the night” or “the evil one”.

Essentially, in haiku you need to focus on using words that touch the senses. These words are the most accessible to our imagination. Avoid words that require too much thought and contemplation.

Don’t #4: Don’t use unnecessary details

Another common mistake budding haiku poets make is verbosity and redundancy. Some poets repeat themselves to reinforce a particular image. That’s fine when the repetition gives the poem a different impact, but when it comes to communicating a detail that’s already known, it gets overdone. Consider this haiku:

bright sun autumn morning

smiling faces friendly chats

Autumn leaf keeps falling

Is the second “fall” (before “leaf”) necessary here? Isn’t it already mentioned in “Autumn Morning”? Yes, if we omit the word “leaf” wouldn’t that already remove the need for the word “fall” to be in the poem at all? Can’t we also assume that friendly conversations – at least when we imagine them – are accompanied by smiling faces? To reduce the redundancy in this poem, perhaps we can rewrite it like this:

bright morning:

friendly conversations

like a leaf falling

This new version doesn’t try too hard to give the reader a sense of the scene. This is a key feature of any haiku: effortlessness. A haiku becomes too difficult when a poem contains too many words and images. Avoid vocabulary and redundancy at all costs.

Don’t #5: Don’t make haiku too long

Beginners love to stick to the idea that haiku should follow a 5-7-5 syllable count. But essentially, the 5-7-5 syllable count is a misinterpretation of traditional Japanese haiku. In traditional Japanese haiku, a poem is divided into three parts. The first part has 5 onji, the second has 7, and the third has 5 again.

However, an onji is not the same as a syllable. An onji is simply a single phonetic sound. This can be one syllable, but also shorter than one syllable. Think of the digraph “ch” in English. “Ch” would count as an onji in Japanese, but for us “ch” would not be a syllable. For example, I can say “change” and I wouldn’t consider the sound “ch” to be a separate syllable. But in Japanese, the sound “ch” would count as a separate onji. Onji are not necessarily pronounced as distinctly as one syllable, but they are counted and can be much shorter than an English syllable.

In other words, the Japanese requirement for the 5-7-5 onji count is much shorter than the 5-7-5 syllable count. Most of the time the syllable count is 5-7-5 too long.

The correct requirement for haiku, in both Japanese and English, is that when the haiku is spoken, it should be said in one breath. This tells us that haiku are meant to be absorbed quickly, while it takes time to notice an unusual or unique occurrence.

So don’t make your haiku too long. Don’t try to fold 5-7-5. Just keep the flow of the poem smooth and short enough to say in one breath.

style of haiku poetry

What is a haiku? It is a three-line, beautifully descriptive form of poetry meant to be read in one breath. Read in Japanese, most traditional haiku would have five syllables or sounds in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the last. The Academy of American Poets claims, “As the form evolved, many of these rules—including the 5-7-5 practice—were routinely broken. However, the philosophy of haiku was preserved: concentration on a brief moment in time; a use of provocative, colorful imagery; the ability to be read in one breath; and a sense of sudden enlightenment and enlightenment.

Michael Dylan Welch, adjunct poetry professor at the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, shares this view, stating, “Most Western literary haiku poets have rejected the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. … The poem derives its energy from the intuitive or emotional leap that takes place in the space between the two parts of the poem, in the gap of what is consciously omitted… The art of the haiku is to fill that very gap manage to leave something out and linger in the cut that separates the haiku into its two energizing parts.”

Haiku poetry traditionally deals with abstract or natural subjects, including seasons, months, animals, and even the smallest elements of nature, down to a blade of grass or a drop of dew.

While a haiku is no longer required to cover natural subjects, most often it is used as a celebration of nature. And although modern haiku still focus on simple but sensual language that evokes a brief moment in time and a sense of enlightenment, the structure can be looser and traditional rules ignored.

So, whether you decide to play by the traditional rules of haiku writing or write freely is entirely up to you.

by Megan Arkenberg

Most readers and writers of modern haiku are familiar with the traditional literary techniques of this form; the subtleties of juxtaposition, the emotions of wabi and sabi,1 the irony and exaggeration found in Senryu.2 Other literary devices such as metaphor and personification have a rich history in English-language poetry but are neglected—even discouraged English haiku. But to ignore these and other unusual haiku techniques such as allusion and visual poetry is to ignore much of the form’s history and literary potential.

The most common argument against metaphor and personification is that haiku should be an objective record of things experienced and not an opportunity for the poet to demonstrate his or her technique. What this doesn’t take into account is that we don’t all experience reality with perfect objectivity—everyone, including haiku writers, perceives certain experiences in illogical and improbable ways. This is especially true for the first impression.

heaped

in the buttercup

blue sky

Charles Patrick 3

strawberry

another red tongue

on my

Jan Reichhold 4

The use of metaphors in haiku assumes conscious comparisons:

under cherry trees

Soup, salad, fish and everything…

flavored with flower petals

basho

…to an extremely close juxtaposition where one of the haiku images can be viewed as renaming the other image:

on a bare branch

a crow lands

autumn twilight

basho

freshly fallen snow

Opening a new package

of typewriter paper

Nick Avis5

Other haiku show a strong figurative sensibility but make no specific comparison. In the following example, Christopher Herold introduces an image that could not be taken literally, but does not specifically rename it:

returning quail

Call us now

of which he speaks

Christopher Herold6

Another figurative haiku tool is to depict a distorted but easily understood perception of the world—for example, by confusing cause and effect. Sense switching, the simultaneous gathering of sensory information through multiple senses, is another example of this:

call home –

the color of the mother’s voice

before her words

Hilary Tann 7

Dusk…

his voice

dark purple

Ludmila Balabanova 8

Personification, the attribution of human qualities to non-human things, seems to be less common in haiku than metaphor. The most likely reason for this is the inherent lack of subtlety in personification—it is difficult for the haiku author to “disappear” when he or she has intentionally distorted the reader’s view. A successful personification in the haiku allows the poem to speak for itself; it comes from an instant connection in the poet’s mind rather than from intentional ingenuity.

songbirds

at the edge of the freight yard

couple two cars

Jeffrey Winke9

By combining the qualities of human and non-human things, personification can emphasize the “oneness” of the world and encourage a sense of compassion:

Don’t hit the fly!

look how he wrings his hands

wring your feet!

issa

A step from personification to forging a conscious bond between author and reader is the technique of allusion. Japanese poetry uses a device called honkadori, in which a modern poem references and builds on an older one through quotations or the names of famous places and characters. In modern English haiku, an allusion can be as simple as mentioning the title or author of a famous work to create a similar atmosphere:

A page from Shelley

brightens and dims

with passing clouds

Rod Willmot 10

read basho,

the sad tones

from Coltrane’s horn

Karl Rossiter 11

light the way

to Walden Pond –

my bedside lamp

Ebba story 12

In this last example, the allusion also functions as a riddle; The last line shows that the narrator is not near Walden Pond but is reading Thoreau’s work.

There is a kind of subgenre of allusion in English haiku made up of references to specifically Japanese culture:

Escaped …

that you

Issa?

Raymond Roseliep13

Haiku has a unique relationship with allusion because it’s easy for a reader to quickly compose a response to a favorite poem. The same imagery can appear in dozens of haikus, each containing the poet’s personal and unique perception. Consider the following haiku and basho’s furu ike 14:

frog pond —

a leaf falls in

without a sound

Bernhard Lionel Einbond 15

old pond

a frog rises

belly up

Marlenberg 16

Some allusions are culturally specific; For example, the following two haiku may be more difficult to understand for non-Catholics and those unfamiliar with Martin Buber’s I and You respectively. This detracts somewhat from the universality of the haiku, but pays off in the closer bond initiated readers experience with the poem.

Ash Wednesday –

the joints between the paving stones

lined with confetti

Max Verhart 17

downpour:

my I-you

t shirt

Raymond Roselip 18

Finally, the allusion can consist of sentences and ideas from the general literature:

lying –

I tell him I’m not looking

for a prince.

Alexis Rotella 19

A literary device characteristic of modern English haiku is visual or concrete poetry. While concrete poetry has existed almost as long as the printing press, 20 Marlene Mountain introduced the concept of the “unloud haiku” with her 1977 poem Labium. Typically, the goal of concrete haiku is to fuse visual forms with verbal imagery:

v i

O

l t

e

Marlenberg 21

O

n

e

s

sm

s to

fm a k

o o c i

u k k n

r e s g

Jeffrey Winke22

Other concrete haiku convey a sense of action and change, such as B. the leap of a frog or the hop of a rooster:

O

r g

f frog

Marlenberg 23

floor

My neighbor’s rooster jumps when I throw

Marlenberg 24

What all these literary devices have in common is the goal of transferring an experience or perception from the haiku writer to the reader. The rich literary tradition of the English language makes it difficult for many poets to express an experience without involving literary devices – and that is perfectly acceptable. As objective as the genre tries to be, haiku is a form of poetry, and poetry is the communication of one human mind with another — complete with its attendant visualizations, comparisons, and improbable imagery.

**

footnotes

1 Wabi, the “solitude” of living in nature: sabi, “lean” or “withered”. Leonard Koren defined wabi-sabi as an aesthetic that recognizes the beauty of the “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.”

2 A humorous or satirical haiku.

3 From The Haiku Anthology, 3rd edition (edited by Cor van den Huevel), W W Norton & Company, 1999.

4 From Writing and Enjoying Haiku by Jane Reichhold, Kodansha International, 2002.

5 From the haiku anthology.

6 Ibid.

7 From dust of summers (Jim Kacian, editor) The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku, 2007.

8 ibid.

9 From Thirds by Charles Rossiter, William Schmidtkunz and Jeffrey Winke. Distant Thunder Press, 1985.

10 From the haiku anthology.

11 by thirds.

12 From the haiku anthology.

13 Ibid.

14 Furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto: most commonly translated as old pond / a frog jumps into / the sound of water.

15 From the haiku anthology.

16 Ibid.

17 From the dust of summer.

18 From the haiku anthology.

19 Ibid.

20 “Anagram” appeared in George Herbert’s The Temple in 1633.

21 From marlenemountain.org.

22 by thirds.

23 From the haiku anthology.

24 Ibid.

Editor’s note: Megan Arkenberg is a college student in Wisconsin, United States. Her haiku and tanka have appeared in Simply Haiku, Modern English Tanka, Daily Haiku, and dozens of other places. She also writes science fiction and fantasy and is the editor of the fantasy ezine Mirror Dance and the historical fiction ezine Lacuna.

This article, which appears here with the kind permission of the author, originally appeared on this website.

style of haiku poetry

What is a haiku? It is a three-line, beautifully descriptive form of poetry meant to be read in one breath. Read in Japanese, most traditional haiku would have five syllables or sounds in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the last. The Academy of American Poets claims, “As the form evolved, many of these rules—including the 5-7-5 practice—were routinely broken. However, the philosophy of haiku was preserved: concentration on a brief moment in time; a use of provocative, colorful imagery; the ability to be read in one breath; and a sense of sudden enlightenment and enlightenment.

Michael Dylan Welch, adjunct poetry professor at the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, shares this view, stating, “Most Western literary haiku poets have rejected the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. … The poem derives its energy from the intuitive or emotional leap that takes place in the space between the two parts of the poem, in the gap of what is consciously omitted… The art of the haiku is to fill that very gap manage to leave something out and linger in the cut that separates the haiku into its two energizing parts.”

Haiku poetry traditionally deals with abstract or natural subjects, including seasons, months, animals, and even the smallest elements of nature, down to a blade of grass or a drop of dew.

While a haiku is no longer required to cover natural subjects, most often it is used as a celebration of nature. And although modern haiku still focus on simple but sensual language that evokes a brief moment in time and a sense of enlightenment, the structure can be looser and traditional rules ignored.

So, whether you decide to play by the traditional rules of haiku writing or write freely is entirely up to you.

Haiku began to gain widespread acceptance outside of Japan in the early 20th century. In English-speaking countries, the form was popularized by Imagists like Ezra Pound and later by Beat poets like Allen Ginsberg.

Traditionally, haiku writers have focused on expressing emotionally suggestive moments of insight into natural phenomena. This approach was consolidated and popularized by the 17th-century poet Bashō, many of whose haiku reflected his own emotional state in communicating with nature. After the 19th century, haiku themes expanded beyond natural themes.

The haiku is a Japanese poetic form consisting of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. The haiku evolved from the hokku, the first three lines of a longer poem known as a tanka. The haiku became a form of poetry in its own right in the 17th century.

summary

Haiku, unrhyming poetic form composed of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively. The haiku first appeared in Japanese literature in the 17th century as a terse response to elaborate poetic traditions, although it was not known by the name haiku until the 19th century.

The term haiku is derived from the first element of the word haikai (a humorous form of renga or connected verse poem) and the second element of the word hokku (the first stanza of a renga). The hokku that set the tone of a renga had to mention themes such as the season, the time of day, and the predominant features of the landscape in its three lines, making it almost a poem in its own right. Hokku (often referred to as haikai) became known as haiku in the late 19th century when it was completely relieved of its original function of opening a verse. Today the term haiku is used to describe all poems that use the three-line, 17-syllable structure, even the earlier hokku.

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Originally, the haiku form was thematically limited to an objective description of nature, suggestive of one of the seasons, and eliciting a specific, albeit unspoken, emotional response. The form became popular early in the Tokugawa period (1603-1867) when the great master Bashō elevated hokku to a highly refined and conscious art. He began writing what was considered this “new style” of poetry in Edo (now Tokyo) in the 1670s. Among his earliest haiku is one

A crow got out;

Nightfall in autumn.

A crow has perched on a withered branch; Nightfall in autumn.

Bashō subsequently traveled throughout Japan and his experiences became the subject of his verses. His haiku were accessible to a wide cross-section of Japanese society, and the wide appeal of these poems helped establish the form as the most popular form in Japanese poetry.

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After Bashō, and particularly after the 19th-century revival of haiku, his range of subjects expanded beyond nature. But the haiku remained an art of expressing a lot and suggesting more with as few words as possible. Other outstanding haiku masters included Buson in the 18th century, Issa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Masaoka Shiki in the late 19th century, and Takahama Kyoshi and Kawahigashi Hekigotō in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the turn of the 21st century there were said to be a million Japanese composing haiku under the guidance of a teacher.

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A poem written in the haiku form or a variation thereof in a language other than Japanese is also referred to as a haiku. In English, the haiku composed by the Imagists were particularly influential in the early 20th century. The form’s popularity beyond Japan increased significantly after World War II, and today haiku are written in a variety of languages.

What is imagery? Transcript (English and Spanish subtitles available in video)

By Peter Betjemann

Click HERE for the Spanish transcript.

In both literature and everyday communication, many sentences contain imagery. Figurative language makes meaning by asking the reader or listener to understand something based on its relationship to another thing, action, or image. Figurative language can be contrasted with literal language, which describes something explicitly rather than by reference to something else.

Here is a very simple example. Let’s say I want to describe how I went rafting down an Oregon river. I could say, “Our raft was bumping through Class IV rapids and I was scared.” That’s a very literal way of describing my experience.

Or I could say, “Our raft bucked like wild broncos as we shot through walls of water, my heart pounding in my chest.” That’s a very figurative and much more evocative way of characterizing the experience.

In the pictorial version, I used a simile (“our raft bucked like a wild bronco”) and two metaphors (one: “we shot through walls of water” and two: my heart “pounded” in my chest). You can find Oregon State videos that teach you similes and metaphors, as well as two other types of imagery that have complex names but are not difficult to understand, metonym and synecdoche. I recommend you watch all four videos together as the similarities and differences between simile, metaphor, metonym and synecdoche give you a great overview of how figurative language works to characterize all types of living experiences.

More resources for teachers:

Other terms referenced in this video are explained in the links below.

“What is a metaphor?”

“What is a parable?”

“What is metonymy?”

“What is a synecdoche?”

“What is a vehicle and a tenor?”

A good type of story to explore these different types of figurative language is an allegory in which two stories—a literal story and a figurative story—are superimposed. Consider the story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which contains all four of these terms.

Writing Prompt: Identify at least one metaphor, simile, synecdoche, and metonym in Hawthorne’s story. When you have completed these tasks, identify the vehicle and tenor of each figurative language example. Finally, write a brief explanation of how these vehicles and tenors work together (or perhaps against each other) to create allegorical meaning in this story.

Interested in more video lessons? Watch the full series:

Many people have trouble distinguishing between simile and metaphor. A look at their Latin and Greek roots provides an easy way to tell these two closely related idioms apart. Parable comes from the Latin word similis (meaning “similar, similar”), which seems appropriate since the comparison indicated by a simile typically includes the words like or similar. Metaphor, on the other hand, comes from the Greek word metapherein (“to transfer”), which is also appropriate since a metaphor is used in place of something. “My love is like a red, red rose” is a simile and “Love is a rose” is a metaphor.

Examples of similes in a sentence

But Dickens finds the unexpected detail, the vivid simile. Think of Joe Gargery in Great Expectations, “with eyes of such a very indecisive blue that they seemed to have somehow mingled with their own white.” Or in David Copperfield, Dora’s cousin “in the life guards, with so long legs that he looked like someone else’s afternoon shadow”. — James Wood, New Republic, After the internship year, physicians assume greater responsibility for directing patient care. dr Shockcor in West Virginia offered a homely simile: “It’s like working in a factory putting doors on cars. I’m now responsible for putting the doors on properly, whereas as an intern I had to make sure I had a door in my hands and didn’t miss a passing car.” – Michael Harwood, New York Times Magazine, “She’s like that fierce as a tiger” is a simile, but “She is a tiger when she is angry” is a metaphor. What do you think of the author’s use of the simile?

Recent examples from the internet There is a common simile, a metaphor, Sandy, about the difficulty of turning an aircraft carrier around. — CBS News, September 1, 2021 Wright transforms Caravaggio’s theatrical chiaroscuro lighting technique, popularized in the 16th and 17th centuries as a religious parable for spiritual enlightenment, into a metaphor for rational enlightenment. – Los Angeles Times, July 13, 2021 But despite your choice of simile, there’s no question that the cicada is a bizarre-looking animal. — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, May 14, 2021 And this sort of parable — comparing small culinary blunders to glaring disasters — has become the definitive literary vehicle of restaurant criticism. — Theodore Gioia, The New Republic, Dec 16, 2020 The Harry Potter series is often the parable of choice for many my age and younger. —Luther Ray Abel, National Review, September 17, 2020 An effective parable must feel appropriate to the situation. – Gary Gilson, Star Tribune, August 29, 2020 This parable becomes more and more literal as the story progresses. – Megan Evershed, The New Republic, July 9, 2020 Horace scrolls through pages, expanding similes beyond their relevance, circling back to topics already covered. — Gregory Hays, The New York Review of Books, May 27, 2020 See more

These example sentences are automatically selected from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word “simile”. The views expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.