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Understanding Haiku Poetry

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Understanding Haiku Poetry

Japanese cherry blossoms and pond illustration

📚 Part 1: Understanding Haiku Basics

1. Where do haiku poems originally come from?

China

Japan

Korea

New Zealand

2. What is the traditional syllable pattern for haiku?

3-5-3

5-7-5

7-5-7

4-6-4

3. What do haiku poems usually focus on? (Choose all that apply)

Nature scenes

Moments in time

Long stories

Sensory details

4. Read this famous haiku by Matsuo Bashō:

"An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond—
Splash! Silence again."

Count the syllables in each line and write the numbers:

Line 1: _____ syllables

Line 2: _____ syllables

Line 3: _____ syllables

🌸 Part 2: Identifying Sensory Details

5. In the haiku above, which senses are used? (Choose all that apply)

Sight (seeing)

Sound (hearing)

Touch (feeling)

Smell

Taste

6. Circle the sensory words in this haiku:

"Autumn moonlight—
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut."

7. Complete this sensory word brainstorm. Add two words for each sense that could be used in nature haiku:

Sight: bright, _________________, _________________

Sound: splash, _________________, _________________

Touch: rough, _________________, _________________

Smell: fresh, _________________, _________________

✏️ Part 3: Creating Your Own Haiku

8. Choose a nature scene or moment you remember. Write it here:
9. Now write your own haiku using the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Use sensory details to "show, not tell":

Line 1 (5 syllables):

_________________________________________________

Line 2 (7 syllables):

_________________________________________________

Line 3 (5 syllables):

_________________________________________________

10. Check your haiku:

Does it follow the 5-7-5 syllable pattern?

Does it include sensory details?

Does it focus on nature or a moment in time?

Does it "show" rather than "tell"?

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