< Let's Make Haiku >

Now that you have learned two rules of haiku -
   (1) Haiku is complete with 5-7-5 syllables
   (2) Haiku appreciates nature and life by means of a season word,
you must be ready to make a haiku right away. I believe that you will know haiku better when you make them yourself.

First of all, please pick up a handy notebook you can always keep with you and a pancil or something to write with. Now describe impressive scene and words in your notebook. Put them in 17 syllables on the spot if you can. Or simpley jot down ideas and chance words for later refinement.
If you are not ready to start off, you may pick up a season word and write down your impr.essions or What you saw or felt in the past in association to it.

Let-s have a small exercise. Here is a Season word ,.Butterfly, and you express in words your_ impressions, ideas and anything associated to a butterfly:

* passing gaiety
* big and beautiful, but weak
* dead in the gathering cold
* desparate flight against the wind
* flying with the wind
* injured wings in late spring
* warmness
* flying freely
* flower fields

These were submitted by mY Students of Eaiku class at a junior high school and fed to our free imagination producing the following haiku:

Passing spring
injured wings
butterfly seen

frozen butterfly
parked on a rock
motionless

warm seasons
world of butterflies
seen flying

open sky
flying butterfly
free

flower friends
flying and playing
world of butterfly

We had a Similar exercise on a rose:

* looks artificial
* beautiful flowers/fresh rose garden
* dazzling red
* thorns
* rose petals opening
* flowers looking soft

Then we jointly made the following haiku:

roses blooming
colours soft
to the eye

petals overlapping
colours deepen
roses blooming

thorns hidden
blooming roses
beautiful

beautiful roses
redness
catching eye

vividly
blooming in abundance
rose gardens

red roses
like artificial flowers
arranged in vase

I suggest that you pick up familiar season words and excercise with them.

Why don't you jot down in the Space below what you feel about a butterfly and the rose, then make a haiku or two?

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