Zen Haiku and the Art of Kensho

Tips for Writing Haiku

Here are some tips for writing haiku, especially Zen haiku as I have presented it here.

Avoid writing a three-line sentence. Most haiku are written in fragments or phrases. Two fragments (two lines) work together as a connected phrase, the third is often a contrast, stark interruption, or conclusion apart from the other two lines (kireji).

The contrast, shift or clash is called kireji in Japanese, or juxtaposition in English. The juxtaposition (positioning together) of two seemingly unrelated concepts is used to reveal a deeper, sublime relationship that is key to the kensho of the moment. The kireji may come in the first line, middle or last, as long as it grabs the attention of the reader in its separation from the rest of the poem.

Haiku are often written in small case. Some may start with an initial capital. They do not usually use other common poetic devices such as rhyme, assonance, consonance, alliteration, and on.

Haiku is not written about the past or future, it is in the moment and it captures the moment.

The word, phrase or concept in the haiku that reveals to us which season is represented is called the kigo. For instance, "field of white wheat" tells me it is harvest time, "cicadas" tells me it is summer, and on.

Use strong, concrete imagery and language to show the moment rather than to tell the reader about it. This will allow the reader to experience the moment for themselves. For instance, do not tell the reader you are happy, instead show the reader in such a way that they experience that moment of happiness too.

Strive for the truly unique moments. Simple routine moments can be boring, such as a snapshot of a scene, a statement of obvious cause-and-effect, or any other mundane observations that do not have any real striking or remarkable contrast that stirs deep thinking and captures kensho.

When you first begin writing in this form, you will probably write some mediocre or even bad haiku. Fear not. That is a necessary part of the growing process. The way to get better in your skill at writing haiku is to read the haiku of recognized masters, learn from them how to capture kensho in words, and then go for it, just start writing. You'll get better with practice.