Haiku Exercise 1: brief 3-line nature poem with two juxtaposed images

The Haiku Seasons: Poetry of the Natural World by William J. Higginson. A classic introduction to Haiku. Haiku Mind: 108 Poems to Cultivate Awareness and Open Your Heart (2008) by Patricia Donegan. 108 remarkable haiku by Japanese and Western poets, with small essays to show how such brief poems can show us how we can approach our lives.

Haiku exercises from a Poetry Seminar
given at UCSC November 2009 by J. Zimmerman

Your first three haiku:

• Exercise 1: brief 3-line nature poem with two juxtaposed images.
• Exercise 2: brief 3-line nature poem with two juxtaposed images using '5-7-5' syllable count.
• Exercise 3: brief 3-line senryu: the 'human nature' poem.

Exercise 1: preliminaries for your brief 3-line nature poem with two juxtaposed images

A haiku is a breath-sized "nature" poem whose subtext communicates feelings.

"It's hard to tell you how I am feeling. Perhaps if I share with you the events that made me aware of these feelings, you will have similar feelings" (Higginson, 1985).

"Haiku ... record those moments which for some mysterious reason have a peculiar significance" (Blyth, 1949).

"Haiku should be as simple as porridge" (Jack Kerouac).

Initial goal:

• Write at least THREE haiku-like poems through three exercises:
  • Exercise 1: brief 3-line nature poem with two juxtaposed images.
  • Exercise 2: brief 3-line nature poem with two juxtaposed images using '5-7-5' syllable count.
  • Exercise 3: brief 3-line senryu: the 'human nature' poem.
• Learn and apply THREE core attributes of a "classical" haiku.
  • Exercise 1 notes: comments and books on writing haiku.
  • Exercise 2 notes: comments and books on the history of haiku.
  • Exercise 3 notes: comments and timeline on the history of haiku.
• Explore history of linked verse and the rise of haiku and senryu.
• Share resources: books, journals, web sites, places to submit work.

Exercise 1:
brief 3-line nature poem with two juxtaposed images

• To get started on your first 3-line poem, use this as your first line:

  autumn loneliness ...

• Notice that this is very few syllables, only a couple of words.
• Think of an image that denotes someone or something you are missing, e.g. a place in nature you went with them, or would like to be with them.
• After the given line ("autumn loneliness") write two lines about your own image. Try to make the lines "short-long-short" with the second line a little longer than the given line and with the third line about the same length as the given line ... but don't sweat it.
• Keep the poem open: omit yourself (the "I").
• Here is a brilliant example (reprinted by permission):

  autumn loneliness ... over the dunes spent blossoms scatter in the wind [Michael Sheffield (Geppo 34:5, p.4, 2009)]

  Notice that not only does Sheffield's poem include a kigo and a second and powerful juxtaposed image, but it also uses the challenging '5-7-5' syllable count. It is relatively rare for an English-language haiku to use that many syllables without feeling padded or forced.

  It sets a high bar for our next poem, Exercise 2: a brief 3-line nature poem with two juxtaposed images using '5-7-5' syllable count.

Writing and Enjoying Haiku: A Hands-On Guide (2003) by Jane Reichhold, whose many skills include a keen sense for the writing and appreciation of haiku. This book includes useful guidelines on writing haiku and related forms. In the Palm of Your Hand, Steve Kowit. Highly recommended. Brimming with clear and practical exercises, Kowit's book is the best 'How to' book to help you start writing poetry. My favorite chapter is about Awful Poems, where Kowit leads us cheerily through the frequent mistakes that appear in our poems, with exercises to correct them. The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms, Edited by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland.

Jump-start your poetry with ideas from our writing exercises.

Other exercises: Index. "Alien". Haiku. Spell casting. Write a poem like Billy Collins.

Highlights of Poetry. Poetry index. Books on Writing Poetry.

Books of Poetry Form. Highlights of Poetry. Index of poetry. How to Write Your Poetry. How to Listen to Poetry. Recommended books on Reading Poetry.

Log of books read.

Poetry exercises with poetry forms: Forms of skaldic verse. Haibun. Haiku. Hay(na)ku. Rengay. Tanka. Concrete. Ghazal. Lai. Pantoum. Rondeau. Rubáiyát. Sestina. Sonnet. Terza rima. Triolet. Tritina. Villanelle.

Other poets: Billy Collins and exercise. Franz Wright. J. Zimmerman. J. Zimmerman (haiku). J. Zimmerman (tanka). Jack Gilbert. Jorie Graham. Karen Braucher. Len Anderson. Li-Young Lee. Linda Pastan. Nordic Skalds. Richard Hugo's Triggering Town. W.S. Merwin. Adam Zagajewski.

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