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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.
Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example: AH0 TH IY1 N AH0 = a-THEE-na (Athena)
The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.
Quick Definition
A Japanese short form traditionally in three lines focusing on nature and season.
Explore this topic in depth (2)
Nature Poetry
— Nature poetry is not simply poetry with scenery in it. Across centuries and cultures, poets have used birds, weather, gardens, oceans, seasons and stars to test what it means to be human—and to meet a world that may not be human-centred at all.
Haiku
— Haiku is a compact poetic form rooted in Japanese culture, often shaped by an image of the natural world, a seasonal reference, and a meaningful pause or turn. This guide explains how haiku works, how to read it attentively, and how to begin writing your own.
Detailed Definition
Haiku is a traditional Japanese poetic form consisting of three unrhymed lines with a 5-7-5 syllabic structure, typically capturing a moment in nature and evoking seasonal awareness (kigo); it emphasizes brevity, immediacy, and juxtaposition, often using a cutting word (kireji) to create a pause or shift in perspective, as exemplified in the works of Matsuo Bashō.
Example
Example in poetry:
Bashō’s “Old pond— / a frog jumps in— / sound of water” exemplifies haiku’s 5-7-5 structure and kireji (cutting word); Kobayashi Issa: “This dewdrop world— / Is a dewdrop world, / And yet, and yet...”; modern English haiku by Sonia Sanchez: “take my hand / in your hand / winter moon”; haiku captures fleeting moments with nature reference; it emphasizes simplicity, seasonality, and insight; contemporary haiku often drops strict syllable count for essence.
Additional Notes
Japanese three-line poem (5-7-5 syllables traditionally). Nature focus, seasonal word, cutting word. Present moment. Related: senryu (human focus), hokku. Study: syllable counting vs. breath/pause.