Yellowknife (Feb 06/04) - Corryn Smith recently introduced some Grade 5 students to a Japanese form of poetry called Haiku, and has enjoyed reading the results.

"Some of the poems were really impressive," said the volunteer at Sir Alexander Mackenzie elementary school. "The kids seemed to get into the spirit of the thing."

Haiku originates from 16th century Japan.

It is a unique and brief form of poetry that reveres nature in its verse.

Because of this, Smith wanted to get students to think about the environment around them and try to express their ideas with Haiku.

For student Alexa MacDonald, whose poems included verses about icicles, inukshuks and the Northern Lights, this style of poetry was different than what she's experienced before.

"It's different because it doesn't rhyme," she said.

Grade 5 budding poet Billy Medernach, who expressed a concern for the environment in one of his poems, feels that practising Haiku was worthwhile.

"It helps us think of things differently and that's good," he said.