Poetic Form
Haiku
Evolved from the hokku (opening verse of the renga) in 17th-century Japan. Bashō established its meditative character; the term haiku was coined by Masaoka Shiki (1890s).
Definition
A Japanese lyric form of three lines (5-7-5 syllables), traditionally evoking a natural image and a seasonal word (kigo).
Example
'An old silent pond… / A frog jumps into the pond— / Splash! Silence again.' (Matsuo Bashō, tr.)