Haiku (俳句) is a form of Japanese poetry,a revision of the older 19th century 句, hokku, the opening verse of a linked verse form, haikai no renga. A haiku contains a special season word representative of the season in which the renga is set.Japanese haiku are typically written as a single line, while in English haiku are usually separated into 3 lines.Hokku is used for verses that are written, if only theoretically, as opening verses of haikai no renga;
Japanese haiku is, today, a 17-syllable verse form consisting of three metrical units of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.
Some early haikus from Bashō:
古池や蛙飛込む水の音
Furu ike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto
Old pond
Frog jump-in
Water sound
初しぐれ猿も小蓑をほしげ也
Hatsu shigure saru mo komino wo hoshige nari
the first cold shower;
even the monkey seems to want
a little coat of straw.
[At that time, Japanese rain-gear consisted of a large, round hat and a shaggy straw cloak.]
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