haiku

noun

hai·ku ˈhī-(ˌ)kü

plural haiku

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

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

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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.

Example Sentences

He has written many beautiful haiku.

Recent Examples on the Web Some are as short as haiku, direct, heartfelt, humbling to the reader.

Ellen Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2022 The Japanese may have invented the haiku, but Iranians perfected its cinematic equivalent: a kind of film that plays almost like a poem — short, sweet and disarmingly profound in its simplicity.

Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 Oct. 2022 The brand is inspired by haiku and nature and hails from Berkley, California.

Jacorey Moon, Good Housekeeping, 9 Sep. 2022 Up to six people at a time participate in the four-week sessions, which also include horse identification, grooming, feeding, leading, discussing equine literature, poetry and haiku writing, and making horse treats.

Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 Seiichi Kito co-founded the place in 1903 and slipped into each cookie a haiku, not a prognostication.

Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2022 Senryu is akin to haiku—three unrhymed lines in a five-seven-five-syllable sandwich—but instead of focusing on nature, senryu examines human nature.

Danny Freedman, Outside Online, 8 July 2022 Along with generous tips, the most tangible form of appreciation, Clarke hopes her haiku’s bring joy to the recipients.

Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 23 June 2022 His brother spoke to him through a loudspeaker; his father left him a haiku.

Dan Piepenbring, The New Yorker, 16 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'haiku.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.