No one has time to write epic poems-- it’s finals week. So let’s scale back our length and talk about a short and sweet poetic form: the haiku.
Haiku are one of the easiest forms to remember. The only rule is that it must have a 5-7-5 syllable structure. Everyone knows this one. But to be honest, I couldn’t name a haiku before writing this blog post. Damn my euro-centric education. So I did some heavy duty research (lol no I did a few google searches) and here’s what I have to share. The most-cited example of a haiku is by Matsuo Basho: “An old silent pond... A frog jumps into the pond, splash! Silence again.” Simple, but effective. Here’s another few I really liked: “From time to time The clouds give rest To the moon-beholders.” - Matsuo Basho “Light of the moon Moves west, flowers' shadows Creep eastward.” - Yosa Buson “Don’t weep, insects – Lovers, stars themselves, Must part.” - Kobayashi Issa And here’s one that every student can relate to: “I Want To Sleep” by Masaoka Shiki. “I want to sleep Swat the flies Softly, please.” A lot of traditional haiku have natural themes. They capture a fleeting moment of beauty. So in the midst of the flurry of stress that is finals, take a moment, capture some beauty. Scribble a poem in the margins of your chemistry notes. It’s as simple as 5-7-5. A Finals Week Haiku: A quiet commons Fresh sunlight soft on the ground Unseasonal warmth. Written by Megan G.
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