Have you heard of a haiku? A haiku is a simple poem that is usually three lines and about nature. They were started in Japan. They seem to be coming up in my life in many different places lately. Hazel's class is working on writing them and there was one in Ship of Dolls. Then there is today's book, Write Your Own Haiku for Kids, by Patricia Donegan.
Traditionally a haiku is 17 syllables. Usually there is five syllables in the first and last lines and seven in the middle one. This book gives a bit of history as well as what a haiku is and then gives the seven steps to writing a haiku.
Then there are five projects to try. Each has the kid writing a haiku. The first project as well as the steps share many haiku examples. Donegan emphasizes not to stress about the syllables as much as the flow. Here are some I wrote.
a touch of purple
against the white snow on ground
spring is arriving
yellow daffodils
wave at me in the warm breeze
bunny hops away
brown mud everywhere
touches of green bursting on trees
warmth will come soon
soft warm black and white
sitting on me blocking computer
Fluffy on me while I'm at computer
purrs loudly at me
sweetness in the air
tiny purple blowers bloom
bees buzz all around
sleds go up and down
snowball fights are raging too
angels in the snow
little thorny plantsWe have been having so much fun working on these. I cannot wait to try some of the other projects with her. Have you ever written a haiku? They are fun to write and read! Be sure to check out this fun book to get you started.
sweet, plump, juicy berries
for my hungry tummy
