At first glance, a haiku seems impossibly simple. Just three lines? Seventeen syllables? What is there to analyze?
However, the brevity of the form means that every single word is critical. A master haiku poet implies a vast world of emotion, philosophy, and history in the space between the lines. Learning how to analyze a haiku poem is about learning how to "read the silences."
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to pull apart and analyze a haiku, followed by famous haiku poems with explanation.
The 4 Steps to Analyzing a Haiku
1. Identify the Kigo (Season Word)
The first thing you should look for in a traditional haiku is the kigo, or season word. This word instantly sets the stage, tone, and emotional backdrop.
- Spring words (cherry blossoms, melting snow) imply rebirth, youth, and fleeting beauty.
- Summer words (heat, thunderstorms, cicadas) imply energy, vibrancy, or oppressive stagnation.
- Autumn words (falling leaves, harvest moon, geese) imply wistfulness, aging, and preparation for an ending.
- Winter words (bare branches, frost, silence) imply death, stillness, or quiet endurance.
2. Locate the Kireji (The Cut / Juxtaposition)
A haiku is usually built on the juxtaposition of two distinct images. The kireji (cutting word or punctuation mark) acts like a fulcrum between them.
Find the dash (—), colon (:), or ellipsis (...) in the English translation. Then ask yourself: How does the image before the cut relate to the image after the cut? Are they contrasting in size (a huge mountain vs. a tiny snail)? Are they contrasting in motion (a still pond vs. a jumping frog)?
3. Step Back and Look at "The Leap"
The space between the two juxtaposed images is called "The Leap." It's where the magic of the poem happens.
If line 1 says "Cold winter night" and line 3 says "I miss my mother," the connection is obvious. That's a bad haiku. A good haiku leaves the connection abstract. Why did the poet place this image next to that image? What emotional truth are they trying to express without saying it directly?
4. Strip Away "The I"
A traditional Japanese haiku strives for "ego-less-ness" (a concept borrowed from Zen Buddhism). Notice how few classic haikus use the words "I," "me," or "my." When analyzing the poem, focus on the objects themselves. How does the objective presentation of the world create a subjective feeling in the reader?
Famous Haiku Poems With Explanation
Let's put these four rules into practice and analyze three of the most famous haikus ever written.
1. Matsuo Basho's "The Old Pond"
(Read more about the history of haiku and Matsuo Basho)
The old pond—
A frog jumps in:
Plop! Sound of water.
Analysis:
- The Kigo: "Frog" (Spring). This creates an expectation of life, activity, and new beginnings.
- The Cut: The dash after "pond" and the colon after "in."
- The Juxtaposition: Basho contrasts the ancient, eternal stillness of the "old pond" with the explosive, sudden, and temporary action of the "jumping frog."
- The Meaning: Instead of philosophizing about eternity vs. fleeting moments, Basho simply places them side-by-side. The "plop" (sound of water) is the exact moment eternity is broken by the present moment, only to return to silence a second later.
2. Yosa Buson's "The Peony"
Plucking the peony—
I stand there,
absent-minded.
Analysis:
- The Kigo: "Peony" (Late Spring / Early Summer). Peonies are massive, incredibly beautiful, but very fragile flowers that lose their petals quickly.
- The Cut: The dash after "peony."
- The Juxtaposition: The action of removing beauty vs. the psychological state of emptiness.
- The Meaning: Why is the narrator absent-minded? By picking the gorgeous flower, he has essentially killed it. The poem captures that sudden, hollow feeling of regret when you destroy something beautiful just to possess it.
3. Kobayashi Issa's "World of Dew"
This world of dew
Is a world of dew,
And yet, and yet.
Analysis:
- The Kigo: "Dew" (Autumn). Dew symbolizes the transience of life—it evaporates as soon as the sun hits it.
- The Background: Issa wrote this poem shortly after his young daughter died.
- The Meaning: As a devout Buddhist, Issa theoretically understood that life is temporary (a "world of dew"). He knows he is not supposed to be attached to the physical world. "And yet, and yet"... his human grief overrides his religious philosophy. The repetition of "world of dew" sounds like a mantra he is desperately trying to believe, but the final line is a heartbreaking admission of his pain.
Conclusion
The next time you read a haiku, slow down. Don't just read the 17 syllables and move on. Look for the season, locate the cut, and sit in "The Leap." Analyzing a haiku is like unpacking a tiny puzzle, and the emotional resonance you find inside can be staggering.