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Kigo

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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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 traditional seasonal word or phrase in haiku that evokes a specific time of year and carries cultural or natural connotations.

Explore this topic in depth (1)

Tanka — Tanka is a short Japanese poem traditionally patterned 5–7–5–7–7, though its units are morae rather than English syllables. Its small scale can hold a striking movement: from scene to feeling, statement to response, or one image to another.

Detailed Definition
Kigo is a seasonal word or phrase in haiku that indicates the time of year (e.g., “cherry blossoms” for spring or “snow” for winter), anchoring the poem in nature’s cycles; it is essential to traditional Japanese haiku, providing cultural resonance and evoking shared emotional associations with each season.
Example
Example in poetry:
Kigo: A seasonal word indicating time of year in haiku; example: In Bashō’s “Old pond— / a frog jumps in, / sound of water,” the frog implies spring.
Additional Notes
Kigo: A seasonal word or reference in haiku that situates the poem in a specific time of year (e.g., “cherry blossoms” = spring); essential in traditional Japanese haiku; conveys mood and cultural context.
Also Known As
Season word Japanese seasonal marker Haiku nature term Time indicator Japanese season-thing
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