kireji

Kireji, meaning cutting word, is a term from classical Japanese poetics describing a class of words and particles used in waka and haiku to create a pause or turn in the reader’s mind. In traditional Japanese verse, kireji are not grammatical particles in the same sense as subject markers; instead they function as rhetorical devices that punctuate the verse and mark a boundary between images or ideas.

Their chief function is to signal a cut, pause, or shift in mood, and they can express emotion, emphasis, or contemplation. They are typically placed at the end of a phrase, clause, or line, but can also appear within a line to create a momentary break. The effect is to guide the reader’s interpretation and to enhance the juxtaposition of images common in haiku.

In practice, haiku often relies on two juxtaposed images. The kireji helps bind or separate these images, making the reader infer connections between them. Because kireji are language-specific, translating haiku into other languages can be challenging; English translations frequently convey the cut with punctuation or by rephrasing lines rather than with an exact equivalent of the original word.

Historically, kireji appear in classical Japanese poetry from the early Japanese tradition through the Edo period, and were notably used by poets such as Matsuo Bashō, Yosa Buson, and Kobayashi Issa. In modern Japanese poetry, usage varies, and some poets continue to employ them, while others write without explicit cutting words.