Haiku poems should consist of 5 syllabes in first line, 7 in second line and 5 again in last line.
There’s really not much to write about this one, I just wanted to emphasize the fact that because Haiku Poems originated from Japan, it’s hard to include this rule while writing in English or any other language.
Like every rule, don’t stick to it too much and never, NEVER sacrifice your poem just because it doesn’t have 5 syllabes in first line, 7 in second line and 5 again in last line.
Just to stick to our rule of this blog, I will give two examples of poems that don’t abide by this step.
Thomas Grieg
Pond with ice
tadpoles
summer
Quiet around the point: ducks;
up down birches
helicopter

3 comments
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March 7, 2008 at 2:30 pm
How To Write A Haiku In 7 Quick Steps « How To Write A Haiku
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June 23, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Clive Hook
I can’t agree that English makes it difficult to stick to the 5 7 5 structure, with 600,000 words to choose from I think we can find suitable alternatives which still retain the essential simplicity and the sense of incompleteness which is so important in the haiku
My mind focusses
The poem’s story unfolds
New meanings appear
The form shows itself
New words flow to fill the gaps
Letters make pictures
July 27, 2009 at 9:20 am
hiffi
of cousre :}}}}}}}}} ha ha ha