437 Quotes About Haiku

Haiku is not a shriek, a howl, a sigh, or a yawn; rather, it is the deep breath of life.

Real haiku is the soul of poetry. Anything that is not actually present in one's heart is not haiku. The moon glows, flowers bloom, insects cry, water flows. There is no place we cannot find flowers or think of the moon. This is the essence of haiku. Go beyond the restrictions of your era, forget about purpose or meaning, separate yourself from historical limitations—there you will find the essence of true art, religion, and science.

But for their cries,The herons would be lostAmidst the morning snow.

Come windless invaderI am a carnival ofStars, a poem of blood.

You think it’s a game?Unintelligible? Ha!Envision no spoons.This is serious.It is a matter of joyversus emptiness.

When composing a verse let there not be a hair's breath separating your mind from what you write; composition of a poem must be done in an instant, like a woodcutter felling a huge tree or a swordsman leaping at a dangerous enemy.

before the gate --my walking stick's made a riverof melting snow

Life without challenge    is life denied any chance      for one to achieve.

In pale moonlight / the wisteria's scent / comes from far away.