old pond
a frog jumps
the sound of water
Though it does not follow the traditional "5-7-5" syllable structure, "Old Pond" is the poem most often cited as an excellent example of haiku. Basho wrote his three-line poem hundreds of years ago as a series of Japanese characters created with painted brush strokes. In any language, a haiku is short, meant to be spoken aloud within the duration of a single breath. A traditional English haiku is a non-rhyming poem in three lines, expected to contain 5, 7, and 5 spoken syllables, respectively, though ultimately it is artistic expression which trumps numeric precision in syllable count. The feeling of haiku is the same in any language, expressing a beautiful thought heightened by the inclusion of contrasting poetic elements, which stimulate the reader to intense creative reflection on the poem's meaning. "Old Pond" is a favorite because of the feelings experienced by the reader as he contemplates the scene set by the poet and because of the surprising action which occurs. In the first line of the poem, the reader is drawn into the scene and finds that all is very still and peaceful. The reader sees the old pond. He is watching the water, observing the things in, floating on top of, hovering above, and everywhere around the pond. Every phase of the life cycle is seen: new growth, old, and decay. Everything here is much the same as it has been for centuries - the feeling is of a timeless serenity. Then the observer becomes aware that there is a frog sitting nearby, and the reader continues his observations and is further drawn into the scene. He pays attention to the other breathing creature beside himself. The sudden sound of a splash brings the reader to a full awareness that something has happened to break the hedonistic reverie - the frog has leapt into the water!
