An O:JA&L Guide for Submitters

THE O:JA&L HAIKU & SENRYU ANALYTICAL RUBRIC

Click on the title to download this free PDF guide and its readiness checklist for submitters.

OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) has adopted an objective but sensitive and nuanced set of criteria for the evaluation of haiku and senryu poetry which may serve as a guide for submitters in these and related categories of poetry. In the view of O:JA&L, an analytical rubric for evaluating or critiquing English-language haiku and senryu requires moving past the rigid constraint of the 5-7-5 syllable count. As legendary poet and translator Jane Reichhold famously championed, these short poems are built on discipline, structural balance, and intentional poetic mechanics rather than arbitrary rules. Reichhold’s groundbreaking “Phrase and Fragment Theory” and her expansive taxonomy of compositional tools form the structural and thematic backbone of this rubric. Notably, Reichhold viewed haiku and senryu as structurally identical “halves of the same apple,” differentiated primarily by their core intent, tone, and focus. Submitters should keep in mind that other publications look to different authorities in the formulation of their acceptance criteria. Comments the rubric are invited.

 

Assessment Criteria	Level 4: Masterful (Exemplary)	Level 3: Proficient (Strong)	Level 2: Developing (Basic)	Level 1: Novice (Ineffective)
Structural Integrity (Phrase & Fragment)	Masterful application. Perfectly divided into exactly one separate noun fragment and one grammatical phrase. Syntactical break creates a strong, clean internal pause without relying on heavy punctuation.	Clear separation. Features a discernible phrase and fragment. The cutting point (kireji) is noticeable, though it may rely slightly on standard punctuation to enforce the break.	Uneven division. The division between phrase and fragment is muddled. Reads dangerously close to a single, continuous run-on sentence.	Complete sentence. No structural separation. Formatted simply as a prose sentence arbitrarily chopped into three lines.
Juxtaposition & Resonance (The Pivot)	Deep internal expansion. The interaction between the phrase and fragment serves as a profound pivot. The two images spark a brilliant “aha!” moment of insight, discovery, or emotional resonance.	Clear connection. Juxtaposition is effective and triggers an emotional response. The underlying relationship between the two parts is visible, though somewhat predictable.	Weak alignment. The two parts are either too closely related (stating the obvious) or too disconnected (a “leap” so wide it confuses the reader).	Zero resonance. The images do not interact. No emotional spark, cognitive shift, or pivot exists between the parts.
Diction & Immediacy (The Here and Now)	Vividly objective. Anchored completely in simple, common language and the present tense. Avoids personal pronouns, intellectual commentary, and clunky modifiers.	Highly immediate. Uses simple language and present tense effectively. Minor authorial commentary or an unneeded adjective subtly chips away at absolute objectivity.	Told, not shown. Relies on past tense, overused gerunds (-ing words), or abstract descriptions of emotions rather than concrete imagery.	Overly intellectual. Relies on heavy poetic artifice, complex metaphors, or explicit philosophical statements (e.g., explicitly writing “I am sad”).
Rhythm & Economy (The One-Breath Rule)	Effortless cadence. Can be easily read aloud in a single, fluid breath. Syllable count is lightweight (typically 10–14 syllables), completely avoiding forced “filler” words.	Natural flow. Avoids clunky phrasing or awkward padding. Fits comfortably into a three-line rhythm, even if slightly longer or shorter than ideal.	Rigid or padded. The poet forces a strict 5-7-5 syllable matrix, packing the lines with unnatural, unnecessary filler words to hit the count.	Cumbersome. Excessively wordy, cluttered with adjectives, or syntactically broken to the point that it cannot be read naturally in one breath.
Thematic Focus (Genre Distinction)	Perfect generic alignment. • Haiku: Features a clear, evocative seasonal anchor (kigo) drawn from nature. • Senryu: Distinctly captures human foibles, behavior, or relationships with sharp humor, irony, or satire.	Proper generic focus. • Haiku: Includes a natural reference, though it may be a generic landscape term rather than a specific seasonal word. • Senryu: Centers on human nature, but the tone leans slightly flat or lacks witty edge.	Blurred execution. The poem drifts into a confusing grey area—such as a humorous look at nature that fails to establish a clear intent.	Misunderstood intent. • Haiku: Entirely strips out nature and seasonal context. • Senryu: Attempts to look at human affairs but drops all emotional, humorous, or satirical bite.

 

KEY ANALYTICAL LENS: JANE REICHHOLD’S CORE TECHNIQUES

When utilizing this rubric to analyze a poem, evaluate which specific technical pivot from Jane Reichhold’s list of haiku techniques is driving the work:

• Comparison: Highlighting how two seemingly different things in nature or human life share a hidden commonality.
• Contrast: Placing two sharply opposing images side-by-side to illuminate a distinct tension or reality.
• Association: Linking a natural phenomenon or human action to another via intuitive, emotional, or sensory connections.
• Sense-Switching (Synesthesia): Expressing a sensory input through an entirely different sense (e.g., seeing a sound, smelling a color).
• Sketch (Shasei): Capturing a raw, unembellished “slice of life” or natural scene exactly as it is experienced in real-time.

 

THE O:JA&L SUBMISSION READINESS CHECKLIST FOR HAIKU & SENRYU

O:JA&L offers this SUBMISSION READINESS CHECKLIST that seeks to transform the analytical rubric into an actionable editing tool. It is designed to help you catch technical red flags before editors see your work. Specialty haiku and senryu journals receive thousands of submissions that read like broken prose or greeting card verse. To stand out, treat this checklist as a rigorous, post-draft compliance review.

PHASE 1: STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY & ARCHITECTURE

• Locate the Pivot: Can you point to the exact spot where the poem cuts (kireji) between a separate noun fragment and a grammatical phrase?
• Break the Chain: Ensure the poem does not read as a single, continuous run-on sentence. If you remove lineation, it should not look like standard prose.
• Ditch the Punctuation Crutch: Try removing all exclamation points, question marks, and excessive commas. Does the structural layout still create a natural internal pause on its own?

PHASE 2: JUXTAPOSITION & RESONANCE

• Measure the Distance: Look closely at the relationship between your two main images. Are they too close (e.g., dark night / starry sky — stating the obvious)? Are they too far apart (e.g., from the windbreak / I forgot my car keys — confusing)?
• Confirm the Spark: When the phrase and fragment collide, does it spark an internal shift, an unexpected connection, or a sudden “aha!” moment for the reader?
• Identify the Technique: Which specific Jane Reichhold technique is driving the poem? (Can you clearly identify it as Comparison, Contrast, Association, Sense-Switching, or Pure Sketch)?

PHASE 3: DICTION & IMMEDIACY (THE “HERE & NOW”)

• Enforce the Present Tense: Scan every verb. Eliminate past tense verbs and minimize clunky, passive gerunds ending in -ing.
• Strip the Ego: Remove personal pronouns (I, me, my, we) unless they are absolutely essential to a senryu’s human interaction. Let the reader experience the moment directly.
• Show, Don’t Tell: Delete abstract emotional words (sad, beautiful, lonely, angry). Replace them with concrete, sensory objects that evoke those exact emotions.
• Kill the Clichés: Circle your adjectives. If you see words like gentle breeze, silent snow, or autumn leaves, replace them with sharp, hyper-specific imagery.

PHASE 4: RHYTHM, SPACE & ECONOMY

• Pass the One-Breath Rule: Read the poem aloud naturally. Did you stumble, run out of air, or find it awkward? It should require only a single, effortless breath.
• Trash the Filler: Did you pad lines with extra words just to hit a 5-7-5 syllable count? Specialty editors overwhelmingly prefer concise, lightweight structures (typically 10–14 total syllables).
• Trim to the Bone: Challenge every single word. If you remove a specific word and the core meaning of the poem remains intact, permanently cut that word.

PHASE 5: GENRE ALIGNMENT & MARKET TARGETING

• Verify the Haiku Kigo: If submitting as a haiku, does the piece contain a clear, evocative seasonal anchor? Ensure it is a concrete element of nature, not just a vague concept.
• Check the Senryu Bite: If submitting as a senryu, does it swap out nature to focus on human nature? Look for a sharp edge of humor, irony, psychology, or satire.
• Read the Guidelines: Did you verify if the target journal prefers strict, traditional styling, or if they lean toward contemporary, experimental English-language forms?

 

Image:  Bakaneko & Nekomata (AI-assisted digital image) by O:JA&L staff creative. 2026. Public domain via Midjourney AI.

 

OJAL Art Incorporated, publishing since 2017 as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and its imprints Buttonhook Press, HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues, and HIGH BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Art, supports writers and artists worldwide.

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