There isn't a lot of artistic expression in Avatar: The Last Airbender given the situation that the world is in, but there are occasions when characters are thrown into the magic of music, dance, or even poetry. One major instance is in the episode "The Tales of Ba Sing Se," in which each major character undergoes an extremely personal experience.
Aang builds a "zoo," Iroh celebrates and mourns his dead son, Katara and Toph relax at the spa, Zuko goes on his first date, Momo dreams of Appa, and Sokka discovers the Five-Seven-Five society run by Madame Macmu-Ling. In a turn of events that is as unexpected as it is endearing, Sokka almost defeats a poetry teacher in what can only be defined as a haiku rap battle.
Sokka's Six Syllable Final Line
This is the final haiku performed by Sokka, right after he seemingly wins against Madame Macmu-Ling (forcing her to retreat to her mat). Sokka is far too excited by his continuous victories, and he decides to wing it just a little bit. In a bid to declare his greatness to the other women in the poetry class, he goes "That's Right, I'm Sokka, It's Pronounced With An 'Okka,' Young Ladies, I Rocked Ya!"
Sokka is greeted with a stony quiet, and he is shocked by their lack of reaction until he recounts how many syllables are present in his little poem. As he comes to the realization that there are 6 in the final line, the Five-Seven-Five society's guard appears on the scene and points out Sokka's mistake — ultimately tossing him out of the building in a single move. Sokka can barely utter the word "poetry" before getting up and going back to his friends.
Sokka, The Water Tribe Non-Oaf
Madame Ling is displeased by Sokka's entry into her prestigious class and understands that his introductory haiku is nothing more than a fluke. She proceeds to explain the poetic form while simultaneously insulting Sokka, "Five, seven, then five, syllables mark a haiku. Remarkable oaf."
The young Waterbender catches on astonishingly fast, and recites his first official haiku to the other students: "They call me Sokka, that is in the Water Tribe. I am not an oaf." Sokka has to keep tabs of the syllable number in each line, but in his defense, he's just started learning the art. At least he is acknowledged by the class.
Sokka Refers To Macmu-Ling's Haiku As Fancy
Macmu-Ling delivers a traditional haiku in response to the "intruder," saying that Sokka is a "Tittering monkey, in the spring he climbs treetops, and thinks himself tall." This naturally gets her pupils to gasp at their teacher's sheer sass, the kigo exquisitely encapsulated in her words.
Sokka notices that Macmu-Ling is trying to edge him out of the competition with her slightly overwrought poetry, so he informs her that "You think you're so smart, with your fancy little words, this is not so hard." The remaining ladies express a similar sense of shocked wonder and Sokka enjoys bathing in all the attention he's getting from the women.
Sokka's Trusty Boomerang
Madame Ling starts getting frustrated by Sokka's terrible, although technically flawless, haiku, so she brings out her trump card: a single plum. She narrates "There's nuts and there's fruits. In fall the clinging plum drops, always to be squashed," while looking her opponent in the eye and crushing the plum under her sandals.
It's not clear what the nuts & fruits refers to, but it's possibly a veiled reference to something PG-13. The Waterbender merely guffaws at the implication (or, perhaps, he doesn't get it), because he also starts channeling the theater for his next performance. "Squish, squash, sling that slang. I'm always right back at ya, like my... boomerang!" In the pause before the last word, Sokka unsheathes his beloved boomerang, obtaining a burst of laughter and applause from his audience.
All About Paddling Canoes
Macmu-Ling is infuriated when Sokka says that haiku is "not so hard," so she walks up onto the stage, informing him that "Whole seasons are spent, mastering the form, the style, none calls it easy." Keeping aside her first grammatical error, it's both a searing comeback and an ode to the complexity of the artform.
Sokka's poem — "I calls it easy. Like I paddle my canoe, I'll paddle yours too!" — isn't exactly intelligent or well thought out; in fact, it can be considered quite boorish. However, his slapstick humor (paddling his canoe, so to speak), adds a charismatic flair, enhancing his haiku.
Sokka's Accidental Introductory Haiku
Sokka's accidental haiku remains the best, simply because he has no idea what he's doing. When he gets knocked through the Five-Seven-Five society building window by a stubborn Ostrich Horse, the women are initially taken aback.
He apologizes profusely, saying that "I am so sorry. Something struck me in the rear. I just... wound up... here?" When Madame Macmu-Ling's students begin to giggle and cheer, Sokka's mood immediately changes from bemused to glib. The teacher, on the other hand, is having none of this "pedestrian nonsense," and unleashes her first haiku at him.