Haiku evolved from the haikai, linked verse, that was written in the Tokugawa period. Every haikai begins with an opening verse of seventeen syllables. This opening verse was called a hokku. The links to a series of brief pages with introductory material on haiku by professors associated with Columbia University: Donald Keene, and Haruo Shirane. Includes brief video and audio clips.

Website: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/eacp/asiasite/topics/index.html?topic=Haiku+subtopic=Intro