Hokku is the first part of a traditional Japanese poem called renga. Later, it became part of another type of poem called renku, which is a form of haikai no renga. During the time of Matsuo Bashō, who lived from 1644 to 1694, hokku began to be written as a separate poem on its own. It was also included in haibun, which combines poetry with written stories. In the late 1800s, Masaoka Shiki, who lived from 1867 to 1902, changed the name of the standalone hokku to "haiku." Today, the word "haiku" is used for all hokku that appear alone, no matter when they were written. The term "hokku" is still used in its original meaning, as the first verse of a linked poem.

Content

In the traditions of renga and renku, the hokku, which is the first part of the poem, has always been important. It was customary for the most respected guest at a poetry session to write the hokku. This guest was expected to praise the host and/or modestly express humility, often using symbols, while also mentioning the current environment and season. The next verse was then written by the host, who would respond with a compliment to the guest, typically using symbols as well.

Form

A hokku is usually 17 moras long, divided into three parts with 5, 7, and 5 moras each. It includes a special word called a kireji, which is placed at the end of one of these parts. Like other stanzas, a hokku is traditionally written in one vertical line.

English-languagehokku

Today, poets who write renku in English rarely follow a 5-7-5 syllable pattern for the hokku or other chōku (long verses) in their poems. The traditional greeting rule for the hokku is often not followed. However, the hokku is still usually required to include a kigo (a seasonal word or phrase) and to show where the poet is now.

Example

In 1689, Bashō wrote the following hokku during his journey through Oku (the Interior) while composing renku in the home of a station master in Sukagawa, at the entrance to Michinoku, which is now part of Fukushima. The hokku is:

fūryū no / hajime ya oku no / taue-uta

"beginnings of poetry— the rice planting songs of the Interior"
— (trans. Haruo Shirane)

Bashō heard rice-planting songs in the fields and wrote a poem to praise the elegance of the host’s home and region. He connected this to the historical "beginnings" (hajime) of fūryū, or poetic art. The poem also expressed his happiness and gratitude for being able to create linked verse, or "poetry" (fūryū), for the first time (hajime) in the Interior (oku).