> http://www.empirezine.com/haiku/1.htm
> Seventeen . . . seventeen . . . seventeen: the words echo in the halls
> striking fear in the hearts of haiku students and sensei alike. Poets
> are
> assailed by well meaning fans and critics chanting the haiku mantra:
> "five-seven-five". With every poem, haiku poets are presented with the
> opportunity (or cursed with the responsibility) to explain their art
> form.
> Of the many conceptions and misconceptions about haiku, the one most
> often
> discussed is the syllable count.
The 5-7-5 thing is of course valid for Japanese haiku (actually they're technically not syllables, but...), but "haiku" in languages other than Japanese by definition are not *real* haiku, so I guess that any poems with 3 short lines will do.
Glad to see the subject has changed to poetry; it's a nice change.
Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org __________________________________ Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe. -- Attr. to Alfonso the Wise, King of Castile