Haiku were originally intended to act as an introduction to a longer (and often collaborative) poem, perhaps a tanka or a renga. Later, they began to be valued on as works of art in their own right.
The most famous and revered master of the haiku was probably Matsuo Bashō (1644 - 1694).
Bashō may sound like one of the more obscure Marx brothers, but he's renowned for his incisive delicacy, and in Japan he has even been made a saint.
Here's an example of his work:
An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
* * *
It's enough, isn't it?
Words To Use Today: some carefully-placed ones, perhaps.
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