“Seventeen Syllables”; My Favorite Short Story The first paragraph in “Seventeen Syllables” by Hisaye Yamamoto describes the first time Rosie realized her mother wrote haikus. Her mother reads her a haiku she has written and Rosie pretends to enjoy and understand it. This is the first hint of deception. Rosie does not want her mother to know that she isn’t as fluent in Japanese as her mother thinks. Rosie is being dishonest with her …showed first 75 words of 1339 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1339 total…hatred and resentment he had towards Ume’s haiku writing he finally unleashed on the painting. I think the ending of the story can be described as a resolution because Rosie discovers her mother’s true identity. Her mother is no longer deceiving her and her father. It is no longer a deception. I thought it was a wonderfully written story, which is why It has been one of my favorite short stories so far.