The Haiku is an ancient poetic form, first developed in Japan
        about four centuries ago.  Some scholars suggest it is the
        most popular form of poetry in the world.
        
        Traditionally, the Haiku requires a very strict form,
        consisting of three lines, with five syllables in the first line,
        seven in the second line and five in the third.

        The desire of the Haiku poet is to sense the essence of a moment,
        deeply felt and universal, and to express that moment within the
        strict confines of the Haiku form.  It is common to use images of
        nature to represent the feelings and behaviors of people.

        Modern (and western) forms of the Haiku rarely fit the traditional
        5-7-5 pattern, for a number of reasons.  The 5-7-5 pattern was
        based on the Japanese JION, or syllable-sound.  These rarely match
        the syllables of English.  In addition, over the years variations
        have been developed, which, although they modify the traditional
        form, retain the essential spirit of the Haiku and permit it to
        be adapted to English and other Western languages.  Thus, you will
        not often find a Haiku generated by this program that matches the
        traditional format.