Final answer:
A haiku is a three-line Japanese poem with a syllable count of 5-7-5, totaling 17 syllables. Its traditional subjects involve nature and seasons, emphasizing profound emotion or insight within its concise structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
A haiku is a well-known Japanese form of poetry that is three lines long. It is comprised of unrhymed lines following a syllable pattern of 5-7-5. This means that the first line contains 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables, and the third line has 5 syllables again. Therefore, when you add up the syllables from each line, a haiku contains a total of 17 syllables.
Traditionally, a haiku's subject matter relates to nature or the seasons. It is a form of poetry that seeks to convey a profound emotion or insight through its brevity and word choice. The simplicity and compactness of haiku poetry make every syllable count, and the structure is crucial to the form's aesthetics.