The Haiku Form

The haiku form was first discovered by English-speaking visitors to Japan about a hundred years ago. For centuries, the haiku was often an aid to meditation and spiritual enlightenment among Zen Buddhists. But since then, the haiku has become more than just a tool to reach enlightenment, it has also become one of the West's more popular forms of artistic expression.

The seventeen-syllable form is explored in Joan Giroux's new book The Haiku Form. In this book, Giroux discusses the elegance of the haiku and its evolution as a distinct poetic form. From discussing such literary antecedents and variations as waka and renga, to also addressing the difficulties of writing haiku in English, Giroux's The Haiku Form is a helpful source to turn to if you are deciding to take up the centuries old art form.