Haiku Poetry
Area
Reading, writing and literature
Duration
2 sessions
Dimension of the advised group of students
One group of 20-30 people divided in small groups of 4
Specific objectives
- To recognize types of literature
- To understand how emotions can be expressed through poetry
- To express themselves through creative writing
- To be able to compose a haiku
Needed Materials
- Copies of poems and of planning sheets
- Construction paper
If the training is organized online one communication platform will be necessary.
Software
- One online communication platform, such us: Zoom, Google Meet, Webex,
etc.
- In person, no software is needed.
Description
Poetry writing is an under-appreciated pursuit which can be a deeply pleasurable
way of considering life – sharing poignant moments through haiku is rewarding for
both writer and reader. We present here some ways of creating a “poetry culture” to
encourage this kind of communication. The goal is to develop in more young people
the delight of composing haiku, and the confidence to submit and share their work.
Clearly, young people are just as capable of writing truly excellent haiku as adults. So,
there is no need to look to dumb down the resources or examples presented. One
basic definition of a haiku poem is: a personally significant moment conveyed by one
or two images and presented in a small number of words. The essence is the same
whether written by young people or adults.
The most amazing quality of haiku is its ability to open us to the biggest subjects with
just a few words about something small. As such, it can short snippet into the minds
of our creative youth. The touching of the reader – who may be of a different age and
nationality to the writer – comes through employing the senses and emotions, rather
than intellectual generalities.
The first criterion for haiku, then, before any concerns with technique, is sincerity.
Students are risk of demotivation might find it hard to express themselves with
honesty, so pairing them up with someone else for their first creation or asking them
to write about a landscape first might be good ideas. Nevertheless, personal
expression can be extremely motivating for undervalued or underprivileged
participants.
Procedure on how to put in practice
Introduction to Haiku
Duration: 60 minutes
No of participants: small groups
Methods used: group discussion, collaborative writing
Competences developed: critical thinking, reflection, reading comprehension, writing
skills
Step-by-step description:
1. Read examples of haiku poems and ask participants to brainstorm ideas
about what they think a haiku is.
2. Tell the group briefly about the history and characteristics of haiku.
3. Ask participants in groups to find syllables by giving them a list of words and
discuss how many syllables are in the words.
4. Give them examples of haikus and ask them to check if they fit the
characteristics. Also ask them to reflect on what part of nature the Haiku is
referring too. (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal).
5. Ask participants to go outside (both if meeting in person and online) and
concentrate on what we hear, see, smell, and possibly feel. As they come
back, ask them to close their eyes and write down their observations.
6. After receiving the planning sheet, ask students in groups to share their list of
words to describe what they felt outside. With the list, write three sentences
about their observations. After that, ask participants to remove unnecessary
words from the sentences to fit the proper format of Haiku poetry.
7. Ask participants to write the final poem on construction paper and draw
images in connection to the poem.
Debriefing question: Read your poems to the rest of the group. Discuss the type.
