Haiku!

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by Brianna

like!

Thank you, Brianna! Its always nice to get a stamp of approval from a professional!

Originally Posted by monster

I'm interested by your four line format. I thought that Haikus were in a 5 7 5 format, but your 4 line idea allows you other variations on this theme, as the two "orphan" syllables can attach to any of the three 5s, allowing 7 5 5 and 5 5 7 as well as variations on the (5 5 5 2) theme. Or am I just reading them incorrectly?

You are reading them correctly. I have been reading The Essential Haiku by Robert Hass, and following the examples he gives.

The poet Basho wrote in syntax of 5-4-3-5 or else 5-3-4-5. About 30 years after Basho's death, the poet Buson introduced the 5-5-2-5 or the 5-2-5-5 styles which are pretty cool. The 3 line haiku is the most traditional. The ones I have posted here were influenced by the rengu form of Japanese poetry.

Here's a three liner by Basho that I like:

Don't worry spiders,
I keep house
casually.

(I guess a syllable was lost in translation - still nice though)