Have you ever heard of the haiku?
It is the shortest poem in the world. It has only three lines. In Japanese the lines have 5,7, and 5 syllables. But in those short lines, you can understand the poet's ideas and feelings.
There is one important point about the haiku. It usually has a kigo, or a season word.
The haiku was born in Japan in the fourteenth century. In the seventeenth century Basho established the haiku as a poetic form.
One of Basho's most famos haiku goes like this:
Furu-ike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto
Compare this with its English version:
The old pond;
A frog jumps in,-
The sound of water.
What is the season word in this haiku? It is of course “frog.” It is season word for spring.
Season words are typical of the haiku. For example, we use “cicada” for summer, “moon” for fall, and “snow” for winter.
These words often expand the readers' imagination.
Today the haiku is becoming more popular in many other coutries. In 1988, there was a haiku contest for children in Canada.
One of best haiku of that contest goes like this:
Like a fresh springs breeze,
The children on bicycles
Ride along the street.
