Poetic form
What is a Senryu?
Definition
A senryu is a three-line poem in haiku's 5-7-5 shape that observes human nature instead of the natural world — usually with a smirk.
Take a haiku's container — three short lines, up to 5-7-5 syllables — and point it at people instead of plum blossoms: that's senryu, named for the 18th-century Japanese poet Karai Senryū, who collected thousands of them. No season word required, no reverence either. The subjects are vanity, office life, marriage, love's small embarrassments — humanity caught in the act of being itself.
If a haiku bows to the cherry blossom, a senryu notices you photographing it for your followers. The form lives or dies by the wince of recognition: the best ones describe a behavior so precisely that the reader laughs before deciding whether to be offended. Modern 'work haiku' and 'parenting haiku' circulating online are almost all, technically, senryu.
Structure of a senryu
- Three lines, up to 5-7-5 syllables — the same container as haiku
- Subject: human behavior, foibles, and relationships
- No season word required; humor and irony welcome
- The punch usually lands in the last line
How to write a senryu
- Eavesdrop on yourself: note one small, true human moment from today.
- Show the behavior, never the judgment — the reader supplies the laugh.
- Keep the haiku discipline: concrete detail, present tense, no explaining.
- Test it on a friend; a good senryu earns a wince of recognition.
2 senryu examples
Classic and original senryu poems, free to read in full.
Common questions
What is a senryu?
A three-line poem in the haiku's 5-7-5 shape, focused on human nature — humor, irony, office life, love — rather than the natural world.
What is the difference between a haiku and a senryu?
Subject and tone. Haiku turn outward to nature and the seasons; senryu turn inward to people, usually with a wink. The syllable shape is the same.