The first time when I read a haiku, I felt so mesmerized with the sheer brilliance of expression it could hold in such laconic yet beautiful way. The three lines evoking profound and heartfelt emotions.

I wondered how simple a moment can be captured with just few words and that too in such a way that it stays with the reader with their own experiences and interpretations. I felt heard and seen in the realm of words.

After reading a few haiku online by a poet, I felt compelled to write one as well. And I got to learn so much from already published and newly emerging poets as well in the haiku community, which further developed my interest and enthusiasm towards this poetry.

And I will be forever grateful to find my voice and my soul in this form of poetry.

This traditional form of Japanese poetry is not just about its structure but also the way it carries the essence of living, creating, and breathing in a moment.

Haiku is generally known for its simplicity, vivid imagery, and deep connection to nature, but it can also hold a lot of emotion and meaning.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you write and fall in love with the beautiful art of writing haiku. (I’m in no way a master, just sharing what I learned on this journey)

Step 1: Simply understand the structure of Haiku

People are generally familiar with the 5-7-5 structure of haiku which is not entirely wrong but mostly not strictly followed. Why ? Because Japanese haiku count the sounds and not syllables as we do in English.

As the haiku poet, Michael Dylan Welch wrote in his post, “In Japanese, they actually do not count syllables, but sounds, which is why even the word “haiku” itself counts as two syllables in English, but three sounds in Japanese.“

Thus, it is quite a debatable topic. But let me mention how the 5-7-5 structure looks like for a complete beginner:

  • First line: 5 syllables
  • Second line: 7 syllables
  • Third line: 5 syllables

Haiku can be one line, two lines or three lines as well. But brevity is important, do not waste words unnecessarily explaining.

Though one should not limit themselves in the syllable and structure rather find the right words to express in a simplistic manner.

Revise. Revise. And revise. Cut any extra words !

Here you can read more about the myth of 5-7-5 structure- https://www.graceguts.com/essays/urban-myth-of-5-7-5

Step 2: Choose your subject

Haiku focuses on nature and seasonal changes, capturing the subtle moments of the world around us.

But it never states anything as it is but implies as it relies on senses, the sense of touch, smell, what you can see, hear and taste.

So when choosing a subject, do not state it as it is, rather express the feeling it evokes, your simple observation, and your own perception.

For example- This haiku by Natsume Sōseki

before the white chrysanthemum
the scissors hesitate
a moment

Observe how gently it talks about the internal conflict and the transient beauty and fragility of life through the white chrysanthemum. A moment of hesitation, a pause, a reflection on one’s action and the profoundness of it all. So much expressed in the three lines.

So when you write your haiku-

  • Think about a specific moment or observation around you.
  • Use imagery that appeals to your senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch).
  • Natural imagery makes one relate to it and also expresses the experience of an individual poet too.

I would like to give you an example of this haiku of mine published in Cattails haiku journal (Oct 2022 ) which was also included in the anthology Haiku 2023 (100 poems by 100 poets) from Modern Haiku Press edited by Scott Metz & Lee Gurga.

twilight downpour
under the old banyan
another storyteller

Here’s the link if you wish to visit the Cattails Haiku Journal – https://www.cattailsjournal.com

And here you can find the Haiku 2023 anthology– https://www.modernhaiku.org/mhbooks/Haiku2023.html

(I will be only mentioning my own published work and the famous poets’ work available in the public domain as examples to avoid any copyright.)

Step 3: Using Kigo (the seasonal words)

Kigo is the seasonal word in Japanese poetry. It associates with the reference of season in a poem thus the atmosphere and the overall experience and feeling that it evokes.

Observe the Kigo in this poem by Basho–

first day of spring
I keep thinking about
the end of autumn

Kigo words for each season are extensive. But I’m mentioning a few just so that you get the idea how a seasonal word is incorporated. For example-

  • Summer Kigo– short night, south wind, evening lull, cutting grasses, river frog, green plum, little cuckoo, bamboo shoots, straw mats etc.
  • Autumn Kigo– remaining heat, long night, mackerel clouds, Milky Way, flower garden, straw bundles, haystacks, rice sparrows, evening clear cicada, red leaves, chrysanthemums, bush clover etc.
  • Winter Kigo– Indian summer, short day, clear and cold, winter moon, icicles, fireplace, wild ducks, sea cucumber, withered lotus etc.
  • Spring Kigo– yellow dust, thin ice, spring lantern, cherry blossoms, camellia, dandelion, departing ducks, remaining snow, spring mountains etc.

Here’s a detailed list of Kigo words for your ease.

https://www.thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/files/original/d22bc15ada2b14fa309f849c3fddab5f.pdf

Although, in modern Haiku Kigo is now not just limited to Japanese Kigo, but one’s own cultural and geographical seasonal words as having a Kigo reference is the soul of a haiku and one can connect with the shared experience.

Senryu is the other counterpart of Haiku that deals with human nature and the experiences which requires no Kigo.

I would also like you to read this essay which talks in depth about the Kigo in Haiku which further talks in detail about the modern Haiku writing.

https://www.graceguts.com/essays/up-with-season-words

Step 4: Using Kireji (cutting words)

The kireji is a “cutting word” in Haiku that creates a pause or adds emphasis. It breaks the haiku in two parts.

In English, we use punctuation like a dash or ellipsis.

The kireji gives the haiku a sense of closure or separation between two contrasting ideas or images. It gives a structure to the haiku.

Simply in English, a haiku has one line fragment and two lines phrase to make it well structured three lines poem. Jane Reichhold’s “phrase & fragment” theory is one of the most essential elements in writing English Haiku.

A fragment provides the image and gives a pause which is later interconnected in the next following two lines of phrase.

For example- This haiku by Yosa Buson, translated by Robert Hass (I also read translation by William Higginson)

evening wind—
water laps
the heron’s leg

The “evening wind” in L1 works as a fragment followed by the phrase in L2 and L3 that connects the whole image painting the scene in front of our eyes.

Observe the Kigo in L1, the “evening wind’ and the Kireji with the em dash.

I found this essay to be beautifully explaining the cutting lines in Haiku by Paul Miller –

https://www.modernhaiku.org/issue48-2/MH48-2-Miller-OnCutting.pdf

Step 5: Juxtaposition

Jane Reichhold’s “phrase & fragment” theory also explains how beautifully the juxtaposition is used to write a haiku.

For a good juxtaposition, the one part of haiku should not have any direct connection to the other part. But both part should be read independently and should make sense.

And later it should have resonance in larger picture when read together.

See, this haiku by woman Haiku poet Chiyo-ni–

at the crescent moon
the silence
enters the heart

This haiku pulls the reader into the silence of watching the crescent moon and the profound quiet of heart and the stillness that surrounds both outwards and inwards overcoming the chaos within.

The next example of juxtaposition in this haiku of mine published in Cattails, Oct 2020 issue.

rainbow. . .
the shadows of me
scatter as one

Another haiku of mine was published in the Stardust Haiku Dec 2021, issue 60, observe the juxtaposition !

ocean fog
seeing through
the clarity

Juxtaposition is the one beautiful way of expanding the nature of a haiku in a more meaningful way. And it is very commonly observed in haiku writing.

This essay by Ferris Gilli, The Power of Juxtaposition is an insightful read further elucidating the use of juxtaposition.

https://thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/files/original/846d25ebac13bdfc15a337c905c9376e.pdf

Step 6: Simplicity and brevity in Haiku

One of the most important aspects of haiku is its simplicity.

  • You don’t need adjectives and any kind of unnecessary words. It is the reader’s work now to interpret the image according to their own experiences.
  • But remember, it should not be too ambiguous, vague or abstract that it completely deviates from its meaning.
  • You should be clear and concise in your language.
  • Always aim for clarity in your description.
  • Use simple language.
  • The beauty of a haiku lies in its restraint.
  • Good contrast and juxtaposition enrich your haiku.
  • There are no rhymes as such in Haiku but literary devices like alliteration, assonance can be observed. Although metaphors are not used.

Talking about the techniques, this article by Jane Reichhold is very enlightening.

https://www.ahapoetry.com/h_t_techniques.html

Step 7: Write, write and write ! Revise, revise and revise !

Now when we have covered few basics, the only suggestion I have is to write a lot, read a lot and revise your poems a lot.

If you feel its not working, try shifting few lines here and there. Change the flow, add another Kigo, structure differently.

Let a poem rest, come back to it in a week or few days. Look at it with fresh perspective.

Haiku could be anything, about a moment of quiet reflection, the fleeting nature of life, or the beauty of nature’s impermanence.

It is your own creativity and later the reader’s perception to it.

So enjoying the process is foremost important.

Step 8: Share your haiku to journals, online magazines, blogs and social media !

Once you’ve written your haiku and you feel satisfied, share it with others.

If you receive any constructive criticism, embrace it and try to implement it without leaving your own authenticity. With time you will find your own voice in this form of poetry.

You can also keep it to yourself as a moment of personal reflection as the process of writing and reflecting on a haiku can be deeply rewarding. It helps you understand yourself better, cultivates mindfulness and seeing the extraordinary in ordinary moment. You become more aware.

After writing your haiku, take a moment, read it again. Does the imagery feel clear? Is the structure intact? If something doesn’t flow quite right, try shifting or rephrasing the lines.

Read a lot of haiku ! There are several online journals, magazines, blogs and books.

Final Tips for Writing Haiku:

  • Practice regularly
  • Stay true to the moment
  • Read other haiku both classic and contemporary
  • Revise and cut any extra words
  • Enjoy the process

Writing a haiku is an art of simplicity, balance, and mindfulness.

Sharing this beautiful essay : Becoming a Haiku Poet

https://www.graceguts.com/essays/becoming-a-haiku-poet

I hope this simple post helps you in your journey of writing. I tried to explain what I could in my understanding about the beautiful art of writing haiku.

Before I go, here’s another one of my poem published in Chrysanthemum issue 34, April 2025 (with a German translation in the Journal )

desert sand 
the soft glow of sun 
before it fades

Share your experience of haiku 🙂

Happy writing!