Haiku, like other poetry, has a form and a method. Here are some guidelines:
1. Write in three lines of six to twelve words. Make the lines short, long, short.
'tis the first snow
just enough to bend
the gladiolus leaves
--Matsuo Basho
2. A haiku usually has two images, one a fragment of one line and the other image a two-line phrase.
fireflies light
under evening sky
two roses
tree branches
swaying in the breeze
Hawaiian hula
3. Have some element of nature. (Not all haiku are written about nature, but many are.)
old pond
frogs jumped in
sound of water
--Matsuo Basho
4. Use the five senses.
sky after rain
a rainbow seven-colors wide
a duck quacking
5. Haiku does not rhyme.
6. Use verbs in the present tense.
7. Avoid capital letters or punctuation. Only use capitals when referring to days, seasons, and proper names.
8. Avoid the words "I", "you", "he", "she", "it" or "we".
9. Avoid using haiku to express opinions or to tell what emotion the reader should feel.
10. A haiku is not a list.
Basho, M., & Aston, W. G. (1686, transl. 1899). 'Tis the first snow. Retrieved April 20, 2018, from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/'Tis_the_first_snow
Basho, M., & Hearn, L., (1681/6, transl. 1898). Frog Poem. Retrieved April 20, 2018, from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Frog_Poem_(Hearn)
Unless otherwise noted, the haiku in this guide are the work of the author.