Below is the most popular definition, but there is more to haiku than meets the eye:

Haiku (also called nature or seasonal haiku) is an unrhymed Japanese verse consisting of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables (5, 7, 5) or 17 syllables in all. Haiku is usually written in the present tense and focuses on nature (seasons).

The 5/7/5 rule was made up for school children to understand and learn this type of poetry. For an in depth description of Haiku, please visit the Shadow Poetry Haiku, Senryu, and Tanka section. There is much more to haiku than the made up 5/7/5 version.

Example #1:

Pink cherry blossoms
Cast shimmering reflections 
On seas of Japan

Copyright © Andrea

Example #2:

salt-waves caress sand
tickling my toes and heart
in their short-spun wake

Copyright © 2002 Diana

Example #3:

warm soup in a bowl
letters of the alphabet
hang on the teaspoon

Copyright © 2002 Gail Goto