Moonlight Slanting

Moonlight Slanting - form Summary

Compressed Haiku Snapshot

This three-line haiku exemplifies Basho's compact, imagistic form. In a single, present-tense snapshot—moonlight through bamboo and a cuckoo's cry—it compresses sight and sound into a brief moment. The haiku's brevity forces implication rather than explanation: associations, atmosphere, and emotional resonance are suggested by juxtaposition rather than spelled out. The form invites readers to inhabit the interstice between images and supply temporal or affective context.