Le Voyage Magnifique

Hokku, 発句 (opening or starting verse) is the introduction or beginning verse of the Renga or Renku, a linked communal poem. As far back as the 13th century Japan, poets would gather to write a Renga in a kind of poem writing party each poet contributing verse in a linked fashion. Originally, as a complement to the host, one of the guest poets would write the hokku. The purpose of the hokku is to record the logistics of the gathering, when (season, month and/or time of day), and where (natural setting). By the time of Basho 16th century, the hokku could be found as a stand-alone poem.

It is the precursor of the haiku that came into popularity a bit later. It is this hokku rule of time and place that was carried over into the later haiku which established naming a season with images of the environment as elements of the traditional haiku.

The elements of the hokku are:
1. syllabic, 17 syllables or less. (onji or sound-symbol for which there is no exact translation in English, the closest we can come is syllable)
2. commonly written in 3 lines often broken at 5-7-5 syllables.
3. names the season, month, and/or time of day as well as the location where the Renga gathering occurs. All of the above can be named through symbols of the season etc.
3. usually written by a guest poet.

ふうりうの初やおくの田植うた
fūryū no hajime ya oku no taueuta

beginnings of poetry—
the rice planting songs
of the Interior
~~Basho translated by Shirane

If I were the guest poet writing a hokku in this time and place, (summer in Northern California) I could write a hokku something like,

shade of giant tree
lacy shadows cool poets
summer parasol
---jvg