Haiku:
* "An old silent pond... / A frog jumps into the pond — / Splash! Silence again." - Matsuo Bashō (Japanese, 1644-1694)
* "First winter rain... / The scent of the earth awakens. / A season passes." - Yosa Buson (Japanese, 1716-1783)
* "The falling flower / I watch it, but cannot hear / The sound of its fall." - Lady Murasaki Shikibu (Japanese, c. 973-1014)
Tanka:
* "The old silent pond... / A frog jumps into the pond — / Splash! Silence again. / Two yellow butterflies rise / From the green of the water plants." - Matsuo Bashō (This is actually a tanka that uses the first three lines of his famous haiku)
* "The first day of spring. / The snow melts, revealing the earth. / New life begins. / I feel the warmth of the sun / And the promise of a new season." - Unknown (This is a modern example)
It's important to remember that haiku and tanka have specific syllable rules, making them more than just single-line poems.
Other famous single-line "poems"
* "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" - Robert Herrick (This line is from a longer poem, but it's often quoted as a standalone phrase)
* "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley" - Robert Burns (This line, like Herrick's, comes from a longer work but is often quoted by itself)
Let me know if you'd like to explore more haiku or tanka, or if you have any other poetry questions!