# No, you're not writing haikus **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 30, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629 "2008-01-30T19:40:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/1 "2008-01-30T19:40:56Z")
A haiku does not mean Seventeen syllables No other constraints ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/2 "2008-01-30T19:43:58Z")
I just always check If it scans to the tune of _Moonlight in Vermont._ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/3 "2008-01-30T19:44:37Z")
**Polycarp** : It does in English. The rules are much more complex For Japanese lit. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/4 "2008-01-30T19:44:50Z")
From my reading about Basho, a haiku is meant to be about an environment, isn’t it? The old pond A frog leaps Plop. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/5 "2008-01-30T19:46:00Z")
Not as far as I’ve know. It’s meant to be focused on a particular emotion. Just to prove how different and rebellious I am, I will not include a haiku in this post. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/6 "2008-01-30T19:47:04Z")
Here we go - from [Wiki-P](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku) > [@](#): > > A haiku traditionally contains a kigo (season word) representative of the season in which the poem is set, or a reference to the natural world. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/7 "2008-01-30T19:49:26Z")
I would agree with **Dr. Drake**. **Polycarp** thinks S/He’s smarter than “us”. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/8 "2008-01-30T19:53:29Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Drake] **Polycarp** : It does in English. The rules are much more complex For Japanese lit. [/QUOTE] I shall not argue further. **Drake** ’s descriptivism wins out. Sad-eyed, I slink away. Fight poetic battles With **Eddy Teddy Freddy**. I shall not disturb you. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/9 "2008-01-30T20:07:44Z")
There once was a carper named **Poly** , who wrote haikus on a trolley \<\*\*\* Error: Syllable Limit Exceeded \*\*\*\> ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/10 "2008-01-30T20:18:57Z")
Chubby Hubby, Bo- vinity Divinity, and Chunky Monkey ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/11 "2008-01-30T20:33:00Z")
But anyone could just bang out a bunch of words and put them in lines. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/12 "2008-01-30T20:39:03Z")
There’s a vile old man Of Japan, who roars at whores “Where’s your bloody fan?” ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/13 "2008-01-30T20:43:02Z")
To fully comform, A seasonal reference: Fuck you, wintertime! ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/14 "2008-01-30T20:48:25Z")
I wrote a haiku That controverts the O.P. But I eated it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/15 "2008-01-30T20:49:27Z")
First five syllables, Then seven, then five again. Blah blah fucking blah. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/16 "2008-01-30T20:51:34Z")
[QUOTE=Borborygmi] I wrote a haiku That controverts the O.P. But I eated it. ☹ [/QUOTE] You eated Haiku? Winter kitten looks skywards With huge sad blue eyes. ---
**Author:** ![FarmerChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@FarmerChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarmerChick)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/17 "2008-01-30T20:55:13Z")
ha ha HAIKU!! pardon me, I have a cold ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/18 "2008-01-30T20:55:18Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] You eated Haiku? Winter kitten looks skywards With huge sad blue eyes. [/QUOTE] Teh eated haiku Makes wind in teh froze flat place I can has summer? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/19 "2008-01-30T21:00:40Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] Teh eated haiku Makes wind in teh froze flat place I can has summer? [/QUOTE] Can not has summer. Maybe can has cheezeburger? This too is denied. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629/20 "2008-01-30T21:02:33Z")
My dearest Summer, please slip on some winter ice and have a nice fall. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-youre-not-writing-haikus/435629.md?page=2)