haiku

noun

hai·​ku ˈhī-(ˌ)kü 

plural haiku or haikus

: an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having in English three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively

… with the declaration of war, I was not sure what the coming spring portended. So two weeks after Pearl Harbor, I wrote in haiku: Beyond mind's torment, / Reach out and grasp a sprig of / The flowering quince.

—Toyo Suyemoto

also : a poem in this form usually having a seasonal reference

I translate haiku in one line because most Japanese haiku writers, both standard and nonstandard, treat it as a one-line form and adjust its prosody accordingly. … It has long been a tradition to present haiku in non-Japanese languages as tercets…

—Hiroaki Sato

[Tonya Foster] does not write fully traditional haiku (free-standing, improvisational, about the seasons).

—Stephanie Burt

Jacob Harris, senior software architect at The New York Times, has developed an algorithm to find accidental haikus in the paper, from the mundane: "The one thing to be / careful about is trimming / the broccoli rabe," to the poetic: "The buzzing of a / thousand bees in the tiny / curled pearl of an ear."

—Annalisa Quinn

compare tanka

Note: A haiku is an unrhymed Japanese poetic form that in English usually consists of 17 syllables arranged in three lines containing five, seven, and five syllables, respectively. A haiku expresses much and suggests more in just a few words. The form first emerged in Japanese literature in the 17th century (though it did not become known by the name haiku until the 19th century) when Bashō, a Japanese poet considered by many to be the greatest practitioner of the form, elevated it to a highly refined art. A poem written in the haiku form or a modification of it in a language other than Japanese is also called a haiku. The Imagist poets of the early 20th century helped popularize the form in English.

Did you know?

A haiku is an unrhymed Japanese poetic form that consists of 17 syllables arranged in three lines containing five, seven, and five syllables, respectively. A haiku expresses much and suggests more in the fewest possible words. The form gained distinction in the 17th century, when Basho, a Japanese poet considered the greatest practitioner of the form, elevated it to a highly refined art. It remains Japan’s most popular poetic form. The Imagist poets (1912–30) and others have imitated the form in English and other languages.

Examples of haiku in a Sentence

He has written many beautiful haiku.

Recent Examples on the Web

Here’s the etymology, this time as a haiku: From Old English roots, Healf, meaning half or part, Divide, share in two. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

For those who missed it, a haiku: Think big but act small Amplify humanity Measure the results The news below. —Byandrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024

The award-winning work, told through a mix of free verse and haiku, offers a poignant and nuanced look at a young person growing up Black in the nineteen-sixties and seventies, finding herself through the art of writing. —The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024

Think of each video as a haiku—concise, impactful and memorable. —Paul Getter, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Japanese

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

haiku

noun

hai·​ku ˈhī-(ˌ)kü 

plural haiku

: a verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing five, seven, and five syllables respectively

also : a poem written in this form