Are Haikus Always 5, 7, 5?

Answer

In short, no. Haikus traditionally have three lines with a 5, 7, 5 syllable pattern. But that’s not an ironclad rule. (Yay!)

There are other elements of the haiku format that are far more important to poets and scholars.

• Kigo. This is a word that sets the poem in a specific season. It can be literal such as summer or suggestive like snow.
• KISS. (Keep is it short, sweetie). Haikus are laconic, a fancy word for brief and to the point.
• Kireji. Known as the “cutting word,” the kireji is a critical term that splits the poem into two parts. Sometimes punctuation or line breaks are used instead of a word.
• The Deep Factor. Haikus are not shallow, thank you very much. They thrive on depth and meaning. Haikus are all about using symbols as metaphors. 

Examples

Here are some examples from the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.

Implied Story

the long road
boughs of white blossoms
light the way

Helen Baker
North Vancouver, British Columbia

From these lines, the reader can imagine that the author has a long evening walk ahead of her, one which is made delightful by the chance to pause and admire the cherry blossoms.

Montage

In film, a montage refers to a sudden cut from one image to another to create tension or a sudden insight for the viewer.

a winter blizzard
I turn my calendar
to cherry blossoms

Marilyn Potter
Toronto, Ontario

In the preceding haiku, we “cut” from the blizzard outside to the poet’s action inside.

Symbolism

Occasionally, a haiku will use recognizable symbols to add to its meaning.

street hockey
young boys shoot cherry petals
into the net

Terry Ann Carter
Ottawa, Ontario

The mention of street hockey helps to establish the cherry blossoms as a Canadian, and not just Japanese, subject matter.

Making It New

One of poetry’s functions is to enable its readers to view the world with fresh eyes.

glistening on
the field’s dew
cherry blossom light

Candis Rooker
Vermilion, Ohio

By concentrating on the reflection of cherry blossoms in the dew, this haiku allows us to see both the field and cherry trees anew.

Way of Life

Through a careful selection of images, a haiku can recapture an important point of view or even an entire outlook on life.

cherry blossoms
I fold my résumé
into a crane

Barry Goodmann
Hackensack, New Jersey

So…

As you can see, these examples do not follow a strict 5, 7, 5 format. In the last haiku, the first line, “cherry blossoms,” only has four syllables. The second line, six. And the third line, 4. 

But that doesn’t matter because these poems embrace other “rules” or elements such as brevity and kigo, that make them haiku.

If you want to learn more about this form of poetry, I suggest the following links. Happy reading and writing!

• Your Dictionary
• Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
• Poets.org

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