Language & Words
Haiku Deep Dive Quiz
Deep dive haiku with 50 trivia questions on Bashō, kigo, 5-7-5 structure, and Zen poetry.
Deep dive haiku with 50 trivia questions on Bashō, kigo, 5-7-5 structure, and Zen poetry.
Bashō's 1686 frog haiku is often called 'the most famous haiku ever written' — translated into English thousands of times. Haiku evolved from the opening stanza of collaborative renga and was given its modern name by Masaoka Shiki in the late 19th century. This quiz traces the form from Edo-period masters to today's English-language haiku scene.
Each round presents 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50, with four multiple-choice options and instant feedback after every answer. Your final score comes with a performance tier and shareable results.
You'll explore the 5-7-5 on (phonetic unit) structure, the role of kigo (seasonal words) and kireji (cutting words), the four masters Bashō, Buson, Issa, and Shiki, the related forms senryu and tanka, and how haiku spread to the West through R.H. Blyth, Ezra Pound, Jack Kerouac, and Richard Wright.
Matsuo Bashō wrote the famous haiku 'old pond / a frog jumps in / water's sound' (furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto) around 1686. It is his best-known poem.
A kigo is a seasonal word or reference required in traditional haiku — for example, 'cherry blossoms' for spring, 'cicadas' for summer, 'harvest moon' for autumn, and 'snow' for winter.
Both follow the 5-7-5 structure, but haiku traditionally focus on nature with a kigo, while senryu deal with human nature, satire, and humor — and typically have no seasonal reference.
Last updated: April 2026