Traditionally, writers of haiku have focused on expressing emotionally suggestive moments of insight into natural phenomena. This approach was solidified and popularized by the 17th-century poet Bashō, many of whose haiku reflected his own emotional state when communing with nature. After the 19th century, haiku subjects expanded beyond natural themes.
What are haiku traditionally about?
What is a haiku?
The haiku is a Japanese poetic form that consists of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. The haiku developed from the hokku, the opening three lines of a longer poem known as a tanka. The haiku became a separate form of poetry in the 17th century.
