Haiku Poetry Exploration

Name:

Date:

🌸 Part 1: Understanding Haiku

What is a Haiku?
Haiku is a traditional Japanese poetry form that captures a single moment or feeling in nature. It follows a special 5-7-5 syllable pattern across three lines.

1. Which of these describes the correct haiku structure?

5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables

7 syllables, 5 syllables, 7 syllables

5 syllables, 5 syllables, 5 syllables

2. What themes are commonly found in haiku? (Check all that apply)

Nature and seasons

Feelings and emotions

Long stories with many characters

A single moment in time

3. Read this traditional Japanese haiku:

An old silent pond... (5)
A frog jumps into the pond, (7)
splash! Silence again. (5)

What image does this haiku create in your mind? ________________________________

🇳🇿 Part 2: Comparing Cultures

New Zealand Haiku: While following the same 5-7-5 structure, NZ haiku often feature native birds, landscapes, and Māori cultural elements.

4. Compare these two haiku:

Japanese:
Cherry blossoms fall (5)
Pink petals dance on spring breeze (7)
Beauty fades away (5)

New Zealand:
Tui's liquid song (5)
Echoes through the native bush (7)
Dawn breaks over hills (5)

What is similar about these haiku? _________________________________________

What is different? ____________________________________________________

5. Which New Zealand elements could work well in a haiku?

Pohutukawa trees

Kiwi birds

Southern Alps

All of the above

✍️ Part 3: Writing Your Own Haiku

Word Bank: Use these words to help create imagery in your haiku:
Nature: mountain, ocean, forest, rain, sunshine, wind, waves
NZ Wildlife: kiwi, tui, pohutukawa, kauri, fern, kaka
Feelings: peaceful, joyful, quiet, gentle, wild, fresh

6. Plan your haiku by choosing a theme:

My haiku will be about: _______________________________________________

7. Write your original haiku below. Remember the 5-7-5 syllable pattern!

Line 1 (5 syllables):

Line 2 (7 syllables):

Line 3 (5 syllables):

8. What imagery or feeling were you trying to create?

9. Share your haiku with a classmate. What did they like about it?