Exploring Haiku Examples: 40 Poems Where Every Word Counts

Haiku is a form of poetry that originated in Japan, celebrated for its concise structure and ability to capture fleeting moments or profound observations, often inspired by nature. Though traditionally adhering to a 5-7-5 syllable pattern across three lines, modern haiku sometimes explore variations while maintaining the core essence of brevity and evocative imagery. These short poems challenge poets to distill complex thoughts or sensory experiences into a focused snapshot.

For centuries, haiku have offered readers a window into different perspectives, inviting contemplation on themes ranging from the natural world to the intricacies of human emotion and existence. Delving into various Haiku Examples Poetry reveals the form’s versatility and enduring appeal. This collection presents 40 such examples, showcasing the depth and beauty achievable within this compact structure, from classical masters to contemporary voices. Exploring these poems allows us to appreciate how simplicity can yield profound meaning and how a few carefully chosen words can create a vivid world in the reader’s mind.

Classic Japanese Haiku Masters

The foundation of haiku as we know it was laid by great Japanese poets, whose works continue to inspire generations.

1. “The Old Pond” by Matsuo Bashō

One of the most famous haiku ever written, Bashō’s piece is a cornerstone of the form.
The old pond;
A frog jumps in —
The sound of water.

This poem perfectly embodies the haiku spirit: a natural scene, a sudden action, and a sensory detail that encapsulates a moment. The simple act of a frog jumping into a pond becomes a profound event, highlighting the interconnectedness of quiet observation and dynamic change in nature.

Haiku illustration featuring a pond and mountains

2. “The light of a candle” by Yosa Buson

Buson, a master known for his painterly haiku, often blended sensory detail with subtle emotional undertones.
The light of a candle
Is transferred to another candle —
spring twilight.

This haiku uses the visual metaphor of transferring light to suggest continuity, sharing, or the quiet unfolding of time during spring twilight. It’s a moment of gentle beauty captured through a simple, human action within a natural setting.

3. “A World of Dew” by Kobayashi Issa

Issa’s work is often characterized by empathy, particularly for the less fortunate, and a deep engagement with the details of everyday life and nature.
This world of dew
is a world of dew,
and yet, and yet.

Written after the death of his child, this haiku is deeply poignant. It acknowledges the transient nature of life (“world of dew”) but resists full acceptance with the sorrowful, lingering “and yet, and yet,” expressing profound grief within a simple structure.

4. “In the moonlight” by Yosa Buson

Buson again uses sensory imagery to transport the reader.
In pale moonlight
the wisteria’s scent
comes from far away.

This poem evokes a strong sense of place and atmosphere through scent and light. The wisteria’s fragrance traveling “from far away” adds a touch of mystery and longing, suggesting unseen beauty or a memory triggered by the scent.

5. “O snail” by Kobayashi Issa

Issa frequently wrote about small creatures, endowing them with personality or using them to reflect on human life.
O snail
Climb Mount Fuji,
But slowly, slowly!

Addressing the snail directly, Issa playfully encourages perseverance on a grand scale (climbing Mount Fuji) but tempers it with patience. It’s a gentle reminder to appreciate the journey and the pace of nature, contrasting the immense task with the snail’s deliberate movement.

6. “I want to sleep” by Masaoka Shiki

A key figure in modernizing haiku, Shiki often wrote from personal experience, including his long illness.
I want to sleep
Swat the flies
Softly, please.

This haiku offers a raw, intimate glimpse into the discomfort and fatigue of illness. The plea for the flies to be swatted “softly, please” conveys a profound weariness and fragility, making the small annoyance a significant burden.

7. “After Killing a Spider” by Masaoka Shiki

Shiki’s direct style often conveyed complex emotions in simple terms.
After killing
a spider, how lonely I feel
in the cold of night!

This poem captures a moment of unexpected regret and loneliness triggered by a seemingly trivial act. The speaker’s emotional state (“lonely I feel”) is juxtaposed with the physical setting (“cold of night”), suggesting that the act of ending a life, even a spider’s, has left a void.

8. “[cherry blossoms]” by Kobayashi Issa

Cherry blossoms are a powerful symbol in Japanese culture, often representing beauty, transience, and celebration.
cherry blossoms
fall! fall!
enough to fill my belly

Issa expresses an almost childlike exuberance and desire for abundance during the cherry blossom season. The repeated “fall! fall!” emphasizes the profusion of petals, and the wish to “fill my belly” humorously conveys an overwhelming delight and greed for the beautiful sight.

9. “[The lamp once out]” by Natsume Sōseki

Sōseki, primarily known as a novelist, also wrote haiku capturing quiet moments and observations.
The lamp once out
Cool stars enter
The window frame.

This haiku beautifully depicts the transition from artificial light to natural starlight. The stars don’t just appear; they “enter” the window frame as if actively taking their place once the competing light source is removed. It’s a moment of quiet awe at the vastness of the night sky.

10. “[The snow of yesterday]” by Gozan

This poem reflects on the impermanence of nature and time.
The snow of yesterday
That fell like cherry blossoms
Is water once again

Gozan connects two symbols of transient beauty—snow and cherry blossoms—highlighting how quickly both melt away. The transformation of snow back into water emphasizes the cycle of nature and the fleeting nature of moments, even those of great beauty.

11. “[Even in Kyoto,]” by Kobayashi Issa

Issa often expressed longing for home or past experiences.
Even in Kyoto,
Hearing the cuckoo’s cry,
I long for Kyoto

This seemingly paradoxical haiku captures the complex feeling of nostalgia. Being in a famous, beautiful place (Kyoto) doesn’t prevent the speaker from longing for a past experience or perhaps a different, remembered Kyoto, triggered by a familiar sound.

12. “[The crow has flown away:]” by Natsume Sōseki

Sōseki uses natural imagery to evoke a sense of completion and quiet aftermath.
The crow has flown away:
Swaying in the evening sun,
A leafless tree

The departure of the crow marks the end of an event or a presence. The focus then shifts to the solitary, “leafless tree” illuminated by the setting sun, creating an image of quiet solitude and the stark beauty of the transition to evening or autumn/winter.

13. “[The first soft snow:]” by Matsuo Bashō

Bashō often found profound meaning in subtle natural events.
The first soft snow:
leaves of the awed jonquil
bow low

This haiku personifies the jonquil leaves, showing them reacting with reverence (“awed,” “bow low”) to the arrival of the first snow. It portrays nature’s quiet acknowledgment of the changing seasons and the delicate power of the snow.

14. “[A caterpillar,]” by Matsuo Bashō

Bashō uses a simple observation of nature to comment on growth and potential.
A caterpillar,
this deep in fall –
still not a butterfly.

Observing a caterpillar late in the season, Bashō captures a sense of anticipation and perhaps frustrated potential. The “deep in fall” context adds urgency, as time is running out for the caterpillar to complete its transformation, reflecting on the timing of growth and change.

15. “[On the one-ton temple bell]” by Taniguchi Buson

Buson creates a powerful contrast between potential sound and present silence.
On the one-ton temple bell
A moonmoth, folded into sleep,
Sits still.

The immense, resonant object (the bell) is juxtaposed with the small, delicate, silent creature resting upon it. This contrast highlights the stillness of the moment and the potential for monumental sound held in check by the presence of the fragile moth.

16. “Childless woman” by Hattori Ransetsu

A student of Bashō, Ransetsu could also capture moments of human emotion.
The childless woman,
how tenderly she caresses
homeless dolls …

This haiku evokes deep pathos through a simple, observed scene. The woman’s tenderness towards “homeless dolls” serves as a powerful image of unexpressed maternal love and longing, finding an outlet in surrogate objects.

17. “[Plum flower temple:]” by Natsume Sōseki

Sōseki uses evocative place names and sounds.
Plum flower temple:
Voices rise
From the foothills

The name “Plum flower temple” itself is poetic. The sound of “Voices ris[ing] / From the foothills” adds a sense of atmosphere and unseen human presence in a serene natural or spiritual setting, suggesting a connection between the temple, nature, and human activity.

Modern Haiku Examples

While traditional haiku remains popular, many poets in English and other languages have adapted the form, sometimes bending the rules to capture contemporary life or different rhythms.

18. “Haiku Ambulance” by Richard Brautigan

Brautigan often played with form and expectation.
A piece of green pepper
fell
off the wooden salad bowl:
so what?

This unconventional haiku challenges the reader. It disregards the 5-7-5 structure and traditional nature themes. The mundane event and the dismissive “so what?” are a commentary, perhaps, on finding significance in the insignificant or the arbitrary nature of focus.

19. “The earth shakes” by Steve Sanfield

Sanfield delivers a stark, impactful message in few words.
The earth shakes
just enough
to remind us.

This haiku uses a natural event—an earthquake—not for descriptive beauty but as a symbolic reminder. The shaking is “just enough” to recall vulnerability or mortality, making a large-scale event personal and introspective.

20. “In a Station of the Metro” by Ezra Pound

Though Pound called this an “Imagist” poem, it’s often cited for its haiku-like qualities.
The apparition of these faces
in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

This poem uses vivid imagery to equate human faces in a subway station with flower petals on a branch. The lack of verbs emphasizes the visual impression and the transient beauty Pound perceived in the fleeting moment of seeing faces in a crowd. It captures a subjective experience rather than a purely objective natural scene.

21. “The Taste of Rain” by Jack Kerouac

Kerouac, a Beat Generation writer, infused haiku with a more vernacular, searching tone.
The taste
of rain
— Why kneel?

This haiku is more philosophical or even spiritual than traditional haiku. Experiencing the simple, sensory pleasure of tasting rain leads to a question challenging conventional religious or deferential attitudes (“Why kneel?”), suggesting that perhaps sacredness is found in direct experience.

22. “Haiku [for you]” by Sonia Sanchez

Sanchez brings warmth and personal emotion to the form.
love between us is
speech and breath. loving you is
a long river running.

This haiku uses natural metaphors (“speech and breath,” “long river running”) to describe love. It feels organic, essential (“speech and breath”), and ongoing, powerful, and life-sustaining (“long river running”). It’s a beautiful example of using haiku for personal expression.

23. “Lines on a Skull” by Ravi Shankar

Shankar offers a darker, more urgent perspective.
life’s little, our heads
sad. Redeemed and wasting clay
this chance. Be of use.

This is a modern haiku that deviates from the 5-7-5 rule and traditional themes. It’s a memento mori, reflecting on the brevity of life and the potential for sadness, contrasting the idea of being “redeemed” with “wasting clay” (our physical form). It ends with a direct exhortation: “Be of use,” urging purposeful living.

24. “[meteor shower]” by Michael Dylan Welch

Welch captures a specific, shared moment.
meteor shower
a gentle wave
wets our sandals

This haiku links a celestial event (meteor shower) with an intimate, earthly detail (wave wetting sandals). The scope moves from the cosmic to the personal, ending on a sensory, shared experience, highlighting how grand natural phenomena often intersect with small, human moments.

25. “[The west wind whispered]” by R.M. Hansard

Hansard personifies nature to describe the arrival of spring.
The west wind whispered,
And touched the eyelids of spring:
Her eyes, Primroses.

This haiku uses personification to create a vivid, almost mythological image of spring’s arrival. The wind awakens spring, whose eyes are revealed as primroses, beautifully linking sensory experience (whispering wind) with visual manifestation (flowers).

26. “[I kill an ant]” by Kato Shuson

Shuson reflects on the impact of simple actions, particularly when observed.
I kill an ant
and realize my three children
have been watching.

Similar to Shiki’s spider haiku, this poem focuses on a small act of killing. However, the impact here comes from the realization that the speaker’s children witnessed it, prompting reflection on parental example and the lessons children absorb from seemingly minor actions.

27. “Over The Wintry” by Natsume Sōseki

Sōseki uses the image of wind and trees to evoke a feeling of futility or loss.
Over the wintry
forest, winds howl in rage
with no leaves to blow.

The wind’s “rage” feels frustrated because the trees are bare (“no leaves to blow”). This creates an image of impotent energy or anger directed at an unresponsive emptiness, perhaps a metaphor for shouting unheard or struggling against a situation devoid of substance.

28. “[Just friends:]” by Alexis Rotella

Rotella captures a moment of unspoken tension.
Just friends:
he watches my gauze dress
blowing on the line.

This haiku uses a simple domestic image (dress on a clothesline) to convey the complexities of a relationship limited to “Just friends.” The semicolon acts as a cut. His gaze on the dress suggests unspoken desire or contemplation, highlighting the tension and unfulfilled potential within the defined boundary of friendship.

29. “[What is it but a dream?]” by Hakuen Ekaku

Ekaku reflects on the ephemeral nature of existence.
What is it but a dream?
The blooming as well
Lasts only seven cycles

This pensive haiku directly questions the reality of life, likening it to a dream. It connects this thought to the blooming of flowers (perhaps cherry blossoms), noting its short duration (“only seven cycles,” often interpreted as days or brief periods), reinforcing the theme of impermanence.

30. “[The neighing horses]” by Richard Wright

Wright uses sound and resonance in his haiku.
The neighing horses
are causing echoing neighs
in neighboring barns

This haiku focuses on sound and its reverberation, creating a sense of interconnectedness across space. The initial sound from the horses triggers responses in other locations, suggesting how actions or expressions can ripple outwards, impacting others.

31. “[Lily:]” by Nick Virgilio

Virgilio’s haiku is known for its stark imagery and use of the “cut” (kireji).
Lily:
out of the water
out of itself

This haiku uses the colon as a powerful cut, following the simple subject “Lily.” The subsequent lines describe the lily emerging from the water, and then mysteriously “out of itself,” suggesting transformation, transcendence, or reaching a state beyond its origins. It’s open to multiple interpretations, typical of effective haiku.

32. “[A raindrop from]” by Jack Kerouac

Kerouac again brings haiku into a more contemporary setting.
A raindrop from
the roof
Fell in my beer

This haiku captures a specific, slightly disruptive interaction between nature and human activity. Unlike traditional haiku that might find harmony, this small natural intrusion affects a moment of leisure, adding a touch of gritty realism or casual observation.

33. “[I was in that fire]” by Andrew Mancinelli

Mancinelli uses intense imagery to describe past trauma and current peace.
I was in that fire,
The room was dark and somber.
I sleep peacefully.

This haiku seems to describe surviving a difficult experience, whether literal or metaphorical (“that fire”). The second line reinforces the hardship (“dark and somber”). The third line provides a contrasting resolution: “I sleep peacefully,” indicating healing, overcoming, or finding peace after turmoil.

34. “[Grasses wilt:]” by Yamaguchi Seishi

Seishi juxtaposes nature and machine.
Grasses wilt:
the braking locomotive
grinds to a halt.

This haiku places the slow, natural process of wilting grass alongside the powerful, mechanical action of a train stopping. The colon after “Grasses wilt” creates a pause, linking the quiet natural image to the sudden, noisy halt of the train, perhaps suggesting the presence of human technology within the natural world or highlighting different forms of ceasing movement.

35. “[losing its name]” by John Sandbach

Sandbach uses the image of a river meeting the sea to reflect on identity.
losing its name
a river
enters the sea

This haiku offers a simple, elegant metaphor for merging with something larger than oneself. The river, with its distinct identity (“losing its name”), becomes part of the vast, undifferentiated sea. It can be interpreted as selflessness, joining a community, or the end of individual existence.

36. “[Everything I touch]” by Kobayashi Issa

Issa often expressed personal suffering or disillusionment.
Everything I touch
with tenderness, alas,
pricks like a bramble

This poignant haiku conveys deep pain and frustration. The speaker’s attempts to connect or be tender (“Everything I touch / with tenderness”) result only in hurt (“pricks like a bramble”). The interjection “alas” emphasizes the sorrow and futility of their efforts to find gentle connection.

These haiku examples demonstrate the enduring power of the form to capture moments, evoke emotions, and offer insights into the world around us and within us. Whether following strict syllable counts or adapting the structure, the best haiku achieve resonance through precision, imagery, and a focus on experience.

Delving into these diverse examples of haiku shows how poets across time and cultures have used this compact structure to explore everything from the turn of seasons and the behavior of animals to profound human struggles and moments of quiet contemplation. Learning about these examples of a haiku can deepen your appreciation for the form’s ability to find beauty, meaning, and emotional depth in the smallest details. Exploring more examples haiku poems offers a pathway to understanding the rich tradition and ongoing evolution of this fascinating type of poetry. The study of haiku, like other poetry formats, invites careful reading and attention to the interplay of form and content.

Beyond reading, engaging with haiku can inspire your own creativity. Many find that trying to write haiku sharpens their observation skills and teaches them the value of precise language. Whether you aim for strict 5-7-5 or a looser interpretation, the discipline of the form encourages focus and clarity.