In the 16th century, haiku became a separate short poem. In which century did this separation occur?

In the 16th century, haiku became a separate short poem. In which century did this separation occur?

• A. 12th century
• B. 13th century
• C. 16th century
• D. 18th century

Answer: (C)

How haiku came to stand alone as a short poem, separate from a longer linked-verse, is what this question is asking about. In Japanese poetry, the opening stanza of a linked sequence is called a hokku. Over the late 16th century, poets and readers began treating these hokku as complete little poems in their own right, not just as seeds for a longer renga. That shift—recognizing a self-contained, miniature poem— marks when haiku as an independent form starts to emerge. The term haiku itself, and its widespread use to describe standalone short poems, became common later, in the Meiji era, but the move to treat the opening stanza as a complete poem traces to the 16th century. The other centuries come before the practice began or well after the form had already begun to be recognized as a separate, shortened verse.

How haiku came to stand alone as a short poem, separate from a longer linked-verse, is what this question is asking about. In Japanese poetry, the opening stanza of a linked sequence is called a hokku. Over the late 16th century, poets and readers began treating these hokku as complete little poems in their own right, not just as seeds for a longer renga. That shift—recognizing a self-contained, miniature poem— marks when haiku as an independent form starts to emerge. The term haiku itself, and its widespread use to describe standalone short poems, became common later, in the Meiji era, but the move to treat the opening stanza as a complete poem traces to the 16th century. The other centuries come before the practice began or well after the form had already begun to be recognized as a separate, shortened verse.