Haiku is a form of poetry which has its origin in Japan. The late fifteenth century saw the emergence of this art form, and since then it has become a popular way of expressing what people think. It was actually part of the poetic form known as Renga. Stanzas by different people were linked together to form a poem. Haiku represents the first three lines of Renga. Called Hokku, in the beginning, the form was renamed as Haiku in the nineteenth century by Shiki Masaoka.
This kind of poetry is very popular in Japan, and you will be able to find many submissions to the daily newspapers, magazines, etc. People express themselves with Haiku. It is a very simple form of expression. Around 10 million people in Japan still continue with Haiku writing. Today the art form has travelled to and is being adopted by other European countries as well. While the world of poetry is facing a slight decrease in the number of followers, Haiku is still managing to remain as popular as it was in the initial stages. Many famous film directors have gained inspiration from Haiku. Sergei Eisenstein, the famous Russian director, has always been inspired by the hints he has picked from Haiku. Likewise, John Lennon has written his song “Imagine “from the motivational quotes in Haiku writings.
Have you wondered why Haiku has become so popular among people?
Analysing the facts presented, we can conclude that there are mainly three reasons.
1: Haiku is short and has a fixed number of syllables
Only the really talented poets can write long poems. Long poetry can be read and also understood by those who have a passion for this. Haiku, on the other hand, is short and expressive. It conveys a deep meaning in a few words. Almost all people can enjoy this form and can also try it out. This is one reason that Haiku impresses a huge crowd.
2: The theme is fixed
There is nothing vague about Haiku. You do not need to decipher hidden meanings. The points are stated frankly and precisely. The theme is mainly about nature and seasons. There is no emotional interpretation of feelings here. You can always find an easy subject to write on. It can be the shift in seasons, the beauty of nature, the influence of a particular season, etc.
3: Haiku poems can be remembered easily
Being only three lines, Haiku is much easier to memorise and recollect. Even foreigners can learn the stanzas easily. This is another factor to the popularity of Haiku. People enjoy writing and reading Haiku as it is much smaller in length. As the length of the poem increases, the attention of the reader wavers and they lose interest, unless they are genuinely into poetic philosophy.
Haiku sayings are been popularised, in various sorts of ways. Nowadays, we can see Haiku sayings being printed on a variety of objects like mugs, bags, clothes, etc. Recently, companies like Yoga King, Jade Yoga, etc. are using haiku sayings on their yoga props. This shows how much people are incorporating Haiku into their daily life.
If you want to explore the wonderful world of Haiku, try browsing sites like www.simplyhaiku.com.
