Haiku should contain a seasonal word or words that suggest a season . Haiku does not use the contrivances of other poetic styles such as rhyme unless it happens naturally . It uses the natural flow of voice patterns. Do not start each line with a capital letter unless this occurs naturally after punctuation . Symbolic reference is often used in interpreting deeper meanings, e.g. reference to a crow may allude to death or a dove to peace.
Some Haiku presents one image superimposed on another.
Haiku is rarely about individuals and does not often use the personal pronoun . One explanation for the emergence of so called Haiku that deviates from the 5,7,5, rule is based in translations from Japanese into English. In Japanese the onji count was 5,7,5, but this was lost in translation, giving rise to the adoption of variations to the syllable count of 5,7,5. Play it safe and abide by the rules outlined above for successful Haiku and Tanka writing. Just type your e-mail address into the box below.