How to Write Good Haiku

A lot of people think haiku is the lazy person's poetry -- but they're wrong (and I daresay ignorant). Haiku is an art all its own. It relies on formula, but also style. And it's important to add your own flourishes to really make it your own.

Haiku are composed of 17 moras (syllables, in English). There are five syllables on the first line, seven on the second, and five on the third.

Often times, nature is mentioned in the first line. Here is an example of a traditional haiku by Matsuo Basho:

fuji no kaze ya,
oogi ni nosete,
Edo miyage

Translation:

The wind of Mt. Fuji,
I've brought my fan!
A gift from Edo

As you can see, wind, a force of nature, is mentioned in the first line. That's a very classic way to begin a haiku. But it can be modernized.

Below, I've written my own haiku. I hope you enjoy it.

The snow falls sweetly,
I wonder why my cold heart beats,
It must be your love

I still use a natural element in the first line, but the tone of my haiku is completely different. What does it say to you? How do you interpret it?

The thing is: I put my own spin on it. I used my own words. You can still write poetry that follows strict formatting and be original at the same time. So, give it a go and see what you turn up with.