Japanese Haiku Poetry Resources
The Japanese Haiku Poetry References, Resources and Links Separated by Age
Haiku is a special kind of Japanese poetry that is very distinctive. They are typically very short but evocative poems. The skill behind writing haiku is in being able to express a thought in a very minimalistic way. A Japanese author and poet named Masaoka Shiki is thought to have developed haiku in the late 1800s. By the early 1900s, the appeal had caught on with English speakers as well, and several poets such as Paul Reps started to write their own English versions of haiku. When written in English, haiku usually follow a few standard rules. The poems should be no more than three lines, totaling a maximum of seventeen syllables. It is also common to integrate a reference to the seasons in the poem. Read on for some great resources for all age groups and then try writing your own haiku!
Second Grade
Third Grade
- Japanese Poetry Lesson Plan – A class plan to teach young students about Japanese culture through poetry.
- Haiku with Binky Barnes - Join everyone’s favorite aardvark, Arthur, and his friends to learn more about haiku!
- Nature Haiku – Skim through some examples of haiku by students, written on the subject of nature and Spring.
Fourth Grade
- Haiku By Kids – Stuck for ideas? Browse through this list and have a look at haiku written by other kids.
- Haiku Worksheets – Print and download these worksheets to help young students analyze and write their own haiku.
- Haiku Planner Worksheet (PDF) – Use this grid-based worksheet to brainstorm words and ideas for haiku.
- Haiku About Nature – Help kids to explore environmental themes through haiku.
- Haikus for Valentine’s Day – Through this fun class activity, students learn to write Valentine’s haikus for their family and friends.
Fifth Grade
- A Haiku Lesson Plan – Through this self-study lesson plan, students learn about haiku and how to write one of their own.
- Mountain Haiku – Read some haiku, written by kids, on the subject of mountains.
- Seasonal Haiku – Haiku is a wonderful way of creating concise and expressive reminiscences of the seasons.
- Illustrating Haiku – Write a haiku poem and bring it to life with drawings or paintings!
Sixth Grade
- Haiku Resources – Browse through several examples, articles and tutorials that focus on haiku.
- Haiku Sounds and Meanings – Learn to analyze the structure of haiku and develop your own short poems.
- Learn to Write a Haiku – Review a number of haiku examples along with this easy introduction on haiku.
- Japanese Paintings and Poems – Learn to make Japanese wind-blown tree designs and decorate them with a haiku.
- Explore Haiku – Students set out on a webquest to learn about the history of haiku and its use in modern times.
Seventh Grade
- Haiku Class Lessons – Students explore the world of haiku over several weeks with a series of lesson plans and class activities.
- A Guide to Haiku – This introduction to haiku is illustrated with examples as well as additional poems by students.
- Haiku for Students – Learn about the rules of haiku and browse through a few examples before trying out the activities at the end.
- Haiku Humor – Read some of the humorous haiku error messages that Japanese programmers added to the computers they were producing.
- What is Haiku? – Introduce students to this unique form of poetry and help them to brainstorm and think creatively.
- Basho and Haiku – Study some examples from one of the most celebrated haiku writers and view a presentation on the subject too.
Eighth Grade
- Poetry in Japan – Learn about Japanese culture by studying their unique style of poetry.
- Take a Haiku Walk – During this activity, students head outdoors and observe nature to derive inspiration for their poems.
- Haiku in the Stars (PDF) – Explore the constellations and learn more about them with haiku.
Ninth Grade
- Haiku Exercises – Stomp out writer’s block with these easy haiku exercises to help stimulate creativity.
- Writing Haiku – Learn and discuss the common themes and styles of haiku.
Tenth Grade
- Composing Haiku – Learn about rules and themes of haiku and follow some easy exercises to write your own poems.
- The Basics of Haiku – A thorough lesson plan guides students through the structures, forms and themes of haiku.
- Hypertext Haiku – Explore the links and relationships between words in a poem with this interesting exercise.
Eleventh Grade
- Teen Haikus – At this site, teens can write and submit their own haiku poems and then vote for the best ones.
- Using the Haiku Eye (PDF) – Students can work in a group with this lesson plan to write haiku poems and compile it together in a book.
Twelfth Grade
- A Guide to Writing Haiku – Learn about the history of haiku and special techniques for writing these poems.
- Haiku Defined- Review the definition of haiku and its composition rules.
- Haiku Theories – Learn how haiku came about and its growing popularity in Western literature.
- Haiku Discussion Guide – Teachers can begin a class discussion by analyzing haiku and browsing through samples of student-submitted poems.
General – Children & Teens
- Word Patterns – Find and analyze the patterns in haiku.
- The Haiku Gallery – View examples of haiku written and illustrated by students.
- Halloween Haiku – Get ready for Halloween with these spooky, bone-chilling poems!
- Sci-Fi Haiku – Sci-fi fans will find all sorts of haiku related to the genre here, from aliens and zombies, to androids and far-off galaxies.
- Harry Potter Haiku – Satisfy your craving for all things Harry Potter with these sharp, witty haiku.
General – Adult & College
- All About Haiku – Learn about kigo (season words) in haiku as well as the aesthetics and forms of this type of poetry.
- Haiku Masters – Read a brief history of haiku and browse through poems of some of the most renowned haiku poets.
- Haiku Articles – Study haiku on a more in-depth level, from phrase theory to metaphors and forms.
- Origins of Haiku – An article on the history and origins of haiku.
- The History of Haiku – Some of the foremost Japanese haiku writers are introduced in this multi-part article.
- Humor in Haiku – Haiku sometimes involves subtle wordplay and puns to induce a quick grin.
- Language Subtleties in Haiku – Choosing the right words in haiku must be done with great care to produce the most economic yet evocative phrasing.
- Season Words – Use this list of season words as a helpful reference when penning your own haiku.
- Haiku and Linguistic Terms – A study of onji and other linguistic terms that are commonly used to evaluate haiku among Japanese poetry critique circles.
(c)Card1616.com