Haiku is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities: ⁕The essence of haiku is "cutting". This is often represented by the juxtaposition of two images or ideas and a kireji between them, a kind of verbal punctuation mark which signals the moment of separation and colours the manner in which the juxtaposed elements are related. ⁕Traditional haiku consist of 17 on, in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5 on respectively. Any one of the three phrases may end with the kireji. Although haiku are often stated to have 17 syllables, this is inaccurate as syllables and on are not the same. ⁕A kigo, usually drawn from a saijiki, an extensive but defined list of such words. Modern Japanese haiku are increasingly unlikely to follow the tradition of 17 on or to take nature as their subject, but the use of juxtaposition continues to be honoured in both traditional and modern haiku. There is a common, although relatively recent, perception that the images juxtaposed must be directly observed everyday objects or occurrences. Wikipedia [ - ]

Haiku is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities: ⁕The... [ + ]