Haiku Examples (5-7-5), Classic and Modern
The fastest way to learn haiku is to read them. Here are examples to study: a few classics everyone should know, and many more from the poets we publish.
A good example does two things at once: it shows the 5-7-5 form in action, and it shows why the form matters. Read each of these slowly. Notice the turn between the two images, and how the poem never explains itself.
Classic haiku
These are the poems most readers meet first, the touchstones of the form, from the Japanese masters.
an old silent pond…
a frog jumps into the pond—
splash! silence againMatsuo Bashō
o snail
climb Mount Fuji,
but slowly, slowlyKobayashi Issa
a summer river being crossed
how pleasing
with sandals in my handsYosa Buson
Haiku about nature and the seasons
Most classical haiku carry a season word. See how a single image, a crow or a first snow, sets the whole poem in a time of year.
on a bare branch
a crow has settled—
autumn nightfallMatsuo Bashō
the first cold shower—
even the monkey seems to want
a little coat of strawMatsuo Bashō
Modern haiku from our pages
Haiku is a living form. Below are recent haiku from the poets we publish, each linked to its own page. For thousands more, read the free online issues.
Ancient willows dance
as passionate winds blow fire
a naked tree rebornShahnaz Thahir
Verdant souls entwine
Middlemist Red blooms deeply
West London at nightLorraine Cipriano
old gardener stops,
watches a thin jet trail pierce
his bare, gnarled mapleJohn Donoghue
red-winged blackbird’s flight
among the summer rainfall
a blue sky promiseJoanna Ashwell
spring chicken again
on well-trodden forest path
rose hip flashes redNatalia Danjon
Looking down I see
the face of a singing bird
how easy you sleepPeter Gibson
pink roses and Jasmines
blossomed in your curly hair -
like a spring's deep breathGeorge Zoumpoulakis
Lava bubbling hot
Seeking any crack to blow
Peace obliberatedLori Gay
Seafoam on my toes
Kelp wrapped around my ankles
Morning’s worries goneVictoria M Johnson
nightly reflections
moonlight spills liquid silver
across the waterRachel Zempel