From Issue 2: The Use of Repetition in Haiku

From Issue 2: Seeking the Sky


​Writing haiku is a process of creation — an artistic endeavor in which we paint a feeling, a moment, or an idea with words. Words of many colors and textures are available for us to use as brushstrokes in our poems. Looking at Issue 2 of Whiptail, we notice that many poets utilized repetition to give depth or dimension to their haiku. 

What’s interesting is that repetition is used for different reasons in these poems. As with any poetic element we use, we consider whether repetition is enhancing the expression of the poem or if the poem is stronger without it. Below are what we thought were some successful examples of how repetition is used in haiku. 


Repetition used to convey a feeling of movement:


mountains, more mountains, some more mountains and then a Himalayan bulbul 

-Vandana Parashar, India


night migration the moon and the moon and the moon 

-Sue Courtney, New Zealand 


deep snow the turkey’s glide-sink glide-sink ​

-Mary Stevens, USA


across infinity aleph by aleph the cardinals

-Pippa Phillips, USA


Repetition used to create interesting multiple reads:


a shadow’s shadow crows 

-Brad Bennett, USA


bird into the bird shape of a cloud 

-Melinda B Hipple, USA


Repetition that communicates multiple dimensions or relatedness:


a bird that flies and the flight of a bird spring morning 

-jim kacian, USA


this life of burrowing burrowing owls 

-Claire Vogel Camargo, USA 


the patter of water on water be quiet curlew 

-Tim Gardiner, UK


Repetition that describes a pattern:


cheERP cheERP kireji CHEerp 

-Marianne Paul, Canada
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deep snow the turkey’s glide-sink glide-sink ​
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-Mary Stevens, USA

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If you write a poem that includes repetition, consider why it is there and what function it is serving. Does the repetition in your haiku fall into one of the above categories or does it serve a different purpose? 


Written by Kat Lehmann and Robin Smith