Haiku is, in short, a variation of Japanese seven-syllable poetry, which has three lines of five, seven and five syllables, respectively, and which contains a seasonal theme.

It is very short, perhaps the shortest poetry form in the world. This brevity forces writers to select words carefully and to condense meaning, which, in turn, contributes to the creation of a deep spiritual understanding. In other words, haiku is a type of symbolic poetry with its own method of expression.

A haiku poet usually adopts a theme related to the changes of nature or subtle circumstances which touch his or her feelings in daily life in order to express an individual perception of the spiritual world. The poet's attitude is often directed toward the concepts of Japanese philosophy. However, haiku can be created not only by experts in the form but also by laypeople.