Question

What is the effect of the haiku structure on this poem? How does the line structure help describe the subject(s)? And how does a haiku compare to a rhyming and longer poem in terms of its effect on you as a reader?​

Answer 1

According to a different source, this is the haiku that this question refers to:

From time to time

The clouds give rest

To the moon-beholders.

A haiku is a type of poem that originated in Japan. It is one of its most traditional literary forms, and has existed since at least the 1600s. Haikus are poems that consist of 17 syllables divided into three lines of 5,7 and 5 syllables.

By following this structure, the author achieves several things. First, as the author can only use a few words, the haiku gives the impression that its words have been chosen with a lot of care, and that no other one can substitute them. More importantly, the haiku allows the author to show that even the most mundane things explained in simple ways can hold a lot of beauty and meaning. The line structure helps describe the subject by allowing the author to focus on a single major event or characteristic and explain it in the most vivid way possible.

A haiku achieves a very different effect on the reader than a longer poem. A longer poem transmits a greater variety of emotions, as the author can vary the mood and tone throughout the text. On the other hand, the haiku delivers a single emotion in a faster and more direct way. Therefore, it helps us focus more deeply on the element that the author is describing.