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| Haiku |
| The summer river-- the end of a red iron chain soaks in the water --Yamaguchi Seishi |
| If the white herons had no voice they would be lost in the morning snow --Chiyo |
| A tree frog softly begins to trill as rain drops spatter the new leaves --Rogetsu |
| Snow whispering down all day long, earth has vanished leaving only sky --Joso |
| On the temple's great bronze bell, a butterfly sleeps in the noon sun --Buson |
| Behind me the moon brushes shadows of pine trees lightly on the floor --Kikaku |
| Well! Hello down there, friend snai! When did you arrive in such a hurry! --Issa |
| Traditional Haiku is verse written in three lines with a total of seventeen syllables--five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. The subject matter of Haiku is primarily nature. Haiku poetry details or makes an observation of one image or aspect of nature using simple, concise, yet vivid and powerful language. In Haiku, there is no abstraction, use of metaphor, rhyme, or editorialization. |
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| For a brief history of Haiku and bios on such masters as Basho, click here: |
| Read the work of Haiku masters such as Buson, Issa, and Basho as well as the Haiku of others here: |
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| To WRITERS |
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| To SELECTIONS |
| A white chrysantemum hold it before your eyes no dust --Basho |