Here is a round-up of the week’s themes to inspire you to write haiku. I always enjoy the reveal of finding out which theme or themes have made top spot on our daily, weekly and first line renga polls. Do enjoy playing with the prompts and see where they take you. Our helpful guideline is 3 lines of 5/7/5 syllables but this is not a rule so please do experiment.
FINDING JOY IN WINTER (This was our weekly Theme which changes every Saturday)
RESOLUTIONS
REFLECTIONS
LETTING GO
WILD
TRUTH
TEA or CUP OF TEA
WRITE YOUR LIFE IN A HAIKU! (This was also a separate prompt)
MIST
BUTTERFLIES
STORMS
WARMTH
Pick n’ mix free choice (maybe look back over past themes) take no more than 10 minutes to write a haiku
1st Line Renga: LOOKING UP I SEE (Start each haiku with this first line and try different versions, taking time to mull over your options in between)
To inspire you further I am including some advice from two of our members on writing haiku that was posted on THE DAILY HAIKU
From Stan Phillips: “Maybe just read the words of haikuists of old. Basho, Isso and others. See what they write. Equally be inspired by some of the excellent guys on this site. But, when all is said and done, trust yourself and go with your own flow.”
From Keith Evetts advice in haiku form:
In a quiet place
simply start thinking. One thing
leads to another
don’t think ‘poetry’ –
your original thoughts themselves
make the reader think
seventeen syllables
just the maximum number
not a straitjacket
once in a while
we all come up with something
others will enjoy!
4 Comments on “Conversation 12: WRITING HAIKU – First week of Themes from the New Year”
Great text/definition Keith.
Belated ‘Finding joy in winter’ haiku, written for a friend’s birthday, in response to her photos of the wild part of Cumbria where she lives.
Dawn light glimmers through
snow-laden trees on fellside.
Winter beauty blooms.
winter sun breaks through
haze as it moves toward sunset
dancers in the sky
#tea or cup of tea
her Irish mother
served our black tea sweet and strong
first sip brings her back