Swift and fleeting: So, can you haiku?

• Young Haiku poets

While working on better writing skills, this reading class at Rocky Branch took on a new form of poetry writing. Front row, from left: Levi Burch, Olivia Vanesse, Desiree Hill, Rachael Randleman and Bria McLagan. Middle row: Erin Syverson, Maddie Morrow, Kassidy Konirczka, Ece Kilic, Ezme Ressler, Maddie Bartch, Landon Wilkens and Melanie Lewis. Back: Paraprofessional Heather Bechtold, Cheenou Lor, Sheyenne Lor, Grant Magnuson, Kate Lindsay, David Kelly, Max Rotsaert, John O’Neil, teacher Dawn Follstad, Jennifer Ramirez and Michael Kerr. Not shown, Lizzy Kleist. The students’ haiku hang on the hallway wall behind. Phil Pfuehler photo

Talk about it

Rocky Branch third graders in Dawn Follstad’s class recently learned how to write haiku, a poetic form originating in Japan centuries ago and now practiced worldwide.

In Japan, these flash poems were valued for the simplicity, openness, depth and lightness.

English translations structure the haiku in a three-line, 17 syllable format. Syllables are arranged as 5/7/5 per line.

Many Japanese Samurai warriors and Zen monks used haiku writing as part of their spiritual disciplines.

Haiku often used seasonal imagery but describe just about anything. Too brief to be complicated, they are meant to provoke a momentary insight or poignant observation.

Follstad, a teacher for 16 years in the River Falls School District, said introducing haiku to her students fit nicely with a language-arts section.

“We were working on ways to improve fluency, rhyming, vocabulary and creative writing,” she said. “This helped us with sounding out and counting syllables and words.”

Follstad recalled writing haiku during a poetry unit when she herself was a third grader at St. Francis School in Ellsworth.

As a Rocky Branch teacher in River Falls, she said the two-week unit using haiku served its purpose.

“I think the students got a big feeling of accomplishment doing this small assignment,” Follstad said. “The directions were quick and easy to follow, and it was a fun way to write. They could express what they wanted to, and they learned something new.”

Follstad spiced up the writing and syllable count by labeling the haiku writing the “5/7/5 Secret Code.”

She said a couple of her students have kept writing haiku on their own at home, showing their three-line poems to family members and relatives.

Here are examples of haiku by Follstad’s “Team time” reading class of third graders. Each student wrote four haiku and then picked their favorites:

Yellow

Yellow is pretty.

Yellow is sweet like lemons.

Lemonade’s yellow.

Landon Wilkens

Zombies

Zombies eat your brains.

They are very gross and sick.

They rip out your guts.

Jonathan O’Neill

Hamsters

Hamsters live inside.

A hamster likes fruit and nuts.

They are nocturnal.

Ezme Ressler

Aqua Blue

This is my haiku.

It’s my favorite color.

It is aqua blue.

Desirae Hill

Strawberries

Strawberries are red.

I like to eat strawberries.

They are good to eat.

Sheyenne Lor

Friends

Friends are comfortable.

Friends can be very funny.

Friends are very cool.

Olivia Vanasse

Pizza

Pizza is greasy.

Pizza is an awesome food.

Pizza is cool too.

David Kelly-O’Keefe

Space

Space is really big.

I like to study space too.

I like space and stars.

Jennifer Ramirez

Ghost

Ghost can be purple.

Ghost can be funny or mean.

Ghost can scare you too!

Rachel Randleman

Christmas

Christmas is the best!

It’s fun to earn so much toys!

It brings out snow fun!

Cheenou Lor

Dog

Dogs are cuddly

Dogs come in lots of colors.

Dogs are very smart.

Maddie Bartch

Blue

Blue can be pjs.

You can wear lots of dark blue.

Shoes can be blue too!

Elizabeth Kleist

Dolphins

Dolphins have one tail.

They jump out of the water.

Dolphins can be gray.

Maddie Morrow

Football

Football is a sport.

You need a helmet to play.

You need gear to play.

Levi Burch

Art

Art is really fun!

In art you paint some pictures.

You can use markers.

Erin Syverson

Italy

It has casinos.

It is the shape of a boot.

Go to Italy!

Michael Kerr

Snow

Snow is very cold,

My dog will lick and eat snow.

I like snow a lot.

Lindsey Andrea

Sushi

Sushi is my fav.

Crabmeat, avocados too.

Shushi is the best.

Ece Kilic

The Ocean

The ocean has fish.

The ocean is very deep.

The ocean has sharks.

Grant Magnuson

Max

Max is very cool.

Max is very very fast.

Max is very nice.

Max Rotsaert

Little Dog

I have a small dog.

He’s really little and small.

That’s why I like him.

Bria McLagan

Easter

Easter is so fun!

Easter is a holiday.

You can hunt for eggs.

Kate Lindsay

Dolphins

Dolphins are pretty.

Dolphins swim in the ocean.

Dolphins are cool too!

Melanie Lewis

Gymnastics

I love gymnastics!

I love to do a cartwheel!

The splits are hard!

Kassidy Konieczka

Tags: education, k12, arts, wisconsin