How Do You Create A Non-Traditional Haiku Poem?
A Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry which most of us have heard of one way or another. Maybe in passing while in elementary school or in depth in Jr. High. Either way, you know of it, but do you remember how to write it? Further more, are you aware that there is the more traditional type of Haiku and a non-traditional form? Well, now you do! Traditional Haiku originated in Japan and had 17 sounds in the poem. The topic of the poem was nature or an event in nature/environment. The focus was very specific and narrowed down. One well known poem by Matsuo Basho is: old pond… a frog leaps in water’s sound. This is very specific, and tells you an action through very few words. In the US, the traditional form of Haiku is most often taught as a form using 3 lines with 5/7/5 syllables. The misconception is that there are 3 lines to a Haiku, with 5/7/5 syllables. The traditional sounds of Japanese Haiku would actually be about 15-17 syllables. In the 20th Century, American writers began to ma
