Notes on the form
Kigo
How a seasonal word can place a poem within weather, memory, and a shared calendar.
More than scenery
A kigo is a seasonal word or phrase. It may name weather, plants, animals, customs, food, or other details associated with a time of year.
A seasonal reference can quietly widen a poem. First frost carries temperature and light, but also lateness, change, and the knowledge of winter approaching.
Specificity matters
You do not need to insert a formal kigo into every haiku. Begin with what is actually present. A precise, observed detail usually gives the poem more life than a seasonal label added afterwards.