19 Haiku Examples With Explanations
Discover 19 haiku examples with explanations that help you write your own beautiful haikus.
Sometimes, it takes work to feel inspired and creative. But reading haiku poems can really help. Haikus are short poems that talk about nature.
This blog post will show you:
- More than 17 haiku examples, with 5-7-5 syllable patterns, that have inspired thousands of poets.
- How they can inspire you to make your haiku, just like the over 10,000 haikus shared by poets online each month.
- And help you feel more connected to nature and much more.
- You'll see how other poets capture moments in nature, emotions, and fun through the haiku poetry.
Let's explore into the haiku examples 5-7-5:
Haiku about Nature
1. “A Poppy Blooms” by Katsushika Hokusai
I write, erase, rewrite
Erase again, and then
A poppy blooms.
In his poem "A Poppy Blooms," Katsushika Hokusai compares writing poetry to things in nature. He wants to say that creating something beautiful takes effort.
The poem compares writing to nature, where things grow and die in cycles. Just like a poppy flower, a poem requires many drafts and revisions before it finally blooms.
Despite the difficulty, perseverance leads to beauty.
Inshort, he says writing is like planting a flower. You try, you might mess up, but if you keep trying, something amazing can grow!
2. “The light of a candle” by Yosa Buson
The light of a candle
Is transferred to another candle —
spring twilight.
This haiku uses three lines to capture a simple yet symbolic scene.
The poem describes the act of transferring a flame from one candle to another. The image takes place during "spring twilight," a time of transition from day to night.
On the surface, it shows sharing a light source. But the poem suggests something deeper.
Sharing knowledge or resources, like the flame, benefits everyone involved, even if it seems like the first candle loses something.
It's a celebration of connection and growth, just like the changing seasons.
3. “In the Moonlight” by Yosa Buson
In pale moonlight
the wisteria’s scent
comes from far away.
This haiku uses three lines to create a peaceful, sensory image
The poem describes a scene under a pale moon. The speaker smells the sweet scent of wisteria flowers, but the final line "comes from far away" adds a surprising detail.
The scent of the wisteria, even though it seems close under the moonlight, is said to come "from far away." This suggests it might be a memory or a reminder of another place or time. The pale moonlight could also contribute to a sense of nostalgia.
4. “Cherry Blossoms” by Kobayashi Issa
cherry blossoms
fall! fall!
enough to fill my belly
This haiku uses three lines to describe a delightful scene with cherry blossoms.
The poem talks about lots of cherry blossoms falling down. The person speaking is really excited, saying "fall! fall!" to describe how many petals are falling.
At the end, they say, "enough to fill my belly," which is funny because you can't really eat cherry blossoms in Japan.
The message is about finding joy in the simple pleasures of nature.
The speaker is so filled with wonder by the falling blossoms that it feels like they could eat them up. It's a celebration of the beauty and fleeting nature of cherry blossoms.
5. “The Earth Shakes” by Steve Sanfield
The earth shakes
just enough
to remind us.
This short poem uses three lines to show the Earth's power. The ground shakes, "just enough" to be a reminder. It doesn't say what of, but suggests we shouldn't forget nature's strength, even with small tremors.
6. “Lily” by Nick Virgilio
Lily:
out of the water
out of itself
This haiku uses three short lines to create a vivid image of a lily.
It says the lily is coming out of the water and growing. The words "out of itself" mean it's changing or showing its beauty.
It's like saying the lily is growing up and becoming beautiful. You can think of it as the lily coming out of its shell and showing the world how pretty it is.
It's a short poem that makes you think about growth and beauty.
Haiku Poem Examples for Students
7. “A Caterpillar” by Matsuo Bashō
A caterpillar,
this deep in fall –
still not a butterfly
This haiku uses three lines to describe a caterpillar in the fall season.
The poem focuses on a caterpillar in the fall. Fall is a time of change and preparation for winter.
The caterpillar, however, "still not a butterfly," seems resistant to this transition. It hasn't formed its chrysalis yet, which is a necessary step for transformation.
The message is about the struggle of change and the yearning for growth.
The caterpillar represents the desire to become something new, but the approach of winter suggests a possible delay or struggle in that transformation.
8. “O Snail” by Kobayashi Issa
O snail
Climb Mount Fuji,
But slowly, slowly!
This haiku is just three lines, directly addressing a snail.
The poem seems to have two layers of meaning. On the surface, it encourages a snail to climb the massive Mount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan.
Obviously, this is an impossible task for a slow-moving snail.
The deeper message is about perseverance and taking things at your own pace. Even though the snail will never reach the summit, the act of slowly climbing is what matters.
It reminds us that even small efforts can have value, and that slow and steady progress is better than no progress at all.
9. “The Old Pond” by Matsuo Bashō
An old pond
A frog jumps in
The sound of water.
Matsuo Basho is a super famous Japanese writer, kind of like the Shakespeare of haiku poetry! Famous Haiku poems are short and try to capture a feeling or image in just a few words.
Basho's most famous haiku is called "The Old Pond." It's kind of like a riddle. Imagine a quiet old pond, all still and peaceful. Suddenly, a frog jumps in! SPLASH! The poem doesn't tell you much else, but it makes you think about how even in calm places, things can change in an instant.
The message is that beauty can be found in quiet moments, which also come and go, just like the sound of the frog in the pond.
Haiku Poem Examples about Life
10. “The lamp once out” by Natsume Soseki
The lamp once out
Cool stars enter
The window frame.
This haiku uses three short lines to paint a simple picture.
The poem describes what happens when a lamp is turned off. Darkness fills the room, but then through the window, you can see cool stars shining!
This suggests that by removing the artificial light, something beautiful is revealed - the natural light of the stars.
The message is about seeing things in a new light. Sometimes, removing something familiar allows us to appreciate something else we might have missed before.
Darkness can reveal the beauty of the stars, and perhaps difficulty or challenges can reveal new opportunities or ways of seeing the world.
11. “I was in that fire” by Andrew Mancinelli
I was in that fire,
The room was dark and somber.
I sleep peacefully.
This haiku uses three short lines to create a haunting image.
This haiku offers two interpretations.
It could describe someone finding peace after a traumatic event (fire), or a transformation (fire as a metaphor) leading to a peaceful state.
The short poem leaves the meaning open to the reader's experience.
12. “Everything I touch” by Kobayashi Issa
Everything I touch
with tenderness, alas,
pricks like a bramble
This haiku uses three short lines to express a feeling of emotional pain.
The poem describes the speaker reaching out with "tenderness," perhaps trying to connect with someone or something.
However, "alas," (an expression of sadness) everything they touch "pricks like a bramble." A bramble is a thorny bush, so the feeling is one of being hurt or rejected.
The message is about the pain of seeking connection and being rebuffed. The speaker wants to connect with tenderness, but keeps experiencing emotional pain in return.
It's a sad reflection on the difficulty of finding love or acceptance.
13. “In a Station of the Metro” by Ezra Pound
The apparition of these faces
in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.
This haiku uses three lines to compare people in a metro station to something unexpected.
The message is open to interpretation, but here are two possibilities:
The poem suggests finding beauty in everyday things. Even a crowded and impersonal place like a metro station can hold unexpected beauty, like the delicate petals clinging to a dark branch.
The petals on a branch are beautiful but also temporary. They will eventually fall away, just like the faces in the crowd will disappear as the people move on. This interpretation highlights the transitory nature of life and encounters.
Haiku Poems For Kids
14. “Red Dragonfly” By Yosa Buson
Red dragonfly
Settles on a green reed stem
Summer afternoon.
This haiku about summer by Yosa Buson captures a peaceful moment in summer. The poem paints a picture of the red dragonfly resting on the green reed stem.
It's like the dragonfly is taking a break from flying around in the hot summer sun.
Buson shows us that beauty can be found in everyday things, like a colorful dragonfly taking a moment to relax.
It's a reminder to slow down and appreciate the little things around us, especially on a sunny summer day!
15. “White Heron Stands” By Kobayashi Issa
White heron stands
In the green of the rice fields
Motionless.
This haiku by Kobayashi Issa is like a cool snapshot of something amazing in nature!
The poem is like a surprise! You're looking at the green field and BAM! You see this big white bird standing there, not moving a bit.
It's like a fun game of finding hidden things in nature.
Issa is also reminding us to be patient, just like the heron.
Herons wait quietly for fish to swim by. Sometimes you have to wait calmly to get what you want!
Easy Haikus
16. “The Taste of Rain” by Jack Kerouac
The taste
of rain
– Why kneel?
Jack Kerouac's rain poems are a collection of haiku-like observations about nature during rain.
The poems celebrate the simple beauty of rain and the natural world. Through short, vivid images, Kerouac shows the wonders of rain (birds bathing, bees working), its power (heavy rain), and the cycle of life it supports (worms, dead flies).
He encourages us to slow down and appreciate these everyday moments to find wisdom and wonder.
17. “After Killing a Spider” by Masaoka Shiki
After killing
a spider, how lonely I feel
in the cold of night!
This haiku uses three lines to describe a feeling after an action.
The poem describes the speaker killing a spider and then feeling lonely and cold in the night.
The poem says that sometimes when we try to get rid of something small and seemingly unimportant, it can actually make us feel worse.
Maybe the spider was the only other living thing the person saw that night, or maybe killing it made them realize how quiet and empty things felt.
It's kind of a reminder that even small creatures can have a place in the world, and that hurting them might not solve the problem we think it will.
Funny Haiku Poems
18. “Haiku Ambulance” by Richard Brautigan
A piece of green pepper
Fell off the wooden salad bowl:
So what?
This short poem describes a tiny event: a green pepper piece falls out of a wooden bowl.
The poem ends with "So what?" which kind of shrugs and says "This doesn't matter much."
It's like saying some things in life are just small happenings, and that's okay. Not everything needs to be a big deal.
Modern Haiku
19. “I kill an ant” by Kato Shuson
I kill an ant
and realize my three children
have been watching
This haiku uses three lines to describe a moment of sudden self-awareness.
The poem starts with a simple action: "I kill an ant."
The second line adds a surprise: "and realize my three children." This suggests the speaker wasn't aware the children were watching.
The final line, "I have been watching," reveals the true impact of the action.
The message is about the weight of our actions, especially on those who observe us.
The speaker might have killed the ant without thinking, but the realization that their children were watching makes them consider the message they've sent.
It's a reminder to be mindful of our actions, especially around children, as they learn by observing.
Other Interesting Articles:
- Top 10 Sonnet Examples Explained With Structure
- 9 Steps for Writing Effective Free Verse Poems
- Acrostic Poem: History, Definition and Examples
- Rules of Writing an Elegy Poem
Summing up
This article explored 17 haiku poems and their meanings. By reading these short and insightful poems, you can gain inspiration to write your haiku with the help of a AI haiku maker and appreciate the beauty of nature around you.
Understanding the different kinds of haiku can help you find the style that best captures your creativity.
