Haiku Workshop Exercise: What’s Lurking?

Often through the simple act of reading the work of others we can unlock the treasury of our own experience.

Distribute a selection of haiku, a haiku journal or anthology to workshop participants. Give everyone sufficient time to read through a good number of poems, writing those that strike them in their journal, along with the author’s name.

Next, ask participants to select the one haiku from among those they have chosen that most strikes them and complete the following writing exercise relative to that haiku:

Writing prompt:

• 1. Write a few lines as to why you chose this haiku.
• 2. Write what you see.
• 3. Write how you feel about what you see.
• 4. When I read this haiku, what goes through my mind is . . .

When the facilitator feels that the group has had sufficient time to write, ask for volunteers to read the haiku and their response as written.

An informal discussion may follow or a time for workshop participants to write haiku of one’s own.

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We hope this lesson is a fun addition to your program and welcome your feedback!