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Literature vocabulary · Genres and Forms

Haiku

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In literature, haiku means: A brief Japanese poetic form, often linking a natural image with a moment of perception.

In Turkish: haiku

How it is used

Use for the Japanese form and adaptations. English haiku do not always follow a strict 5–7–5 syllable count.

Example sentences

  1. Her haiku places a melting snowflake beside the warmth of a child's hand.

    Two concrete images capture a brief sensory encounter.

  2. The translator kept the haiku brief instead of adding words to reach seventeen syllables.

    The translation favors concentrated perception over a forced syllable count.

Common collocations

  • write a haiku
  • haiku sequence
  • poemA single piece of writing in lines, often with a regular rhythm or rhyme, that expresses an experience, feeling or idea through carefully chosen language.
  • imageryDescriptive language that appeals to the senses, such as sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, so that readers can picture or feel what is described.

More terms: Genres and Forms

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