A haiku is a Japanese form of poetry characterized by its short form and reflective tone. It contains only seventeen syllables, divided into three lines of five, seven, and five syllables each. Here’s an example from the famous Japanese haiku master, Basho.

An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
Splash! Silence again.
Take about fifteen minutes, and write your own haiku, using the sea as your subject. As you write, consider how the haiku’s form affects the content of your poem.​