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Haiku for Students: Tips on Writing Haiku Poems
A vast majority of people out there have been assigned to write haiku poems for class. As a student, it can often be challenging to write a poem, especially one that is brief yet charged with emotion or thoughts. The following are some helpful tips for students who must write haiku poems.
Be Familiar with the Structure
Traditionally, haiku are written in a 5-7-5 syllable format, but many teachers have altered this restriction. Haiku poems are usually written on one line, but students have also been able to write 3-lined poems. It is important to be clear on the format your instructor requires.
Word Lists: Nouns, Adjective and Verbs
Think about the current season that you are in and make a list of words or phrases that express the season. Begin by writing down nouns, such as plants, flowers and animals of the season. You can also write down adjectives that relate to that season. Once you have the adjectives down, move on to verbs that relate to the season.
- Sample Season: Spring
- Nouns: Daffodils, birds, rain, flower buds
- Adjectives: Fresh, new, pretty, delicious fruit
- Verbs: Blooming, picking flowers, holding hands, nurturing
You can also create word lists for human activities, anything you observe in a given day, etc. You can keep your word list as a point of reference and add on to it any time. The list will help you choose specific words to create the poem.
Read Other Haiku Poems
If you have a favorite haiku poet, read his or her poems and think about how you feel after each one. If you do not have a favorite poet, find some resources that provide samples of haiku poems. Read some of the poems and write down your thoughts, emotions and impressions. Also make note of the structure of the haiku. Some questions to ask yourself are:
- What did the poem make you think about?
- What is happening in the poem?
- How many syllables did the poems have?
Once you do this exercise, you should be able to figure out that haiku poems depict images and make the reader associate certain feelings and thoughts with those images.
Practice Makes Perfect
The only way you can master the art of writing haiku poems is by practicing. By following the guidelines above on a daily basis, you will become more familiar with the structure of haiku poems and how to write them.
