[stylist] Information about Tanka and its writing

[KajunCutie926 at aol.com]

As promised, Donna, here is the information on Tanka  writing.  It is a 
very traditional form .... however, it has been  modernized and some elements 
have been changed or at least made not so strict  once the English began 
writing them.  As this article says it is because of  the difference in 
syllabication between the Japanese and English  languages.  This information is from 
ShadowPoetry.com.  It is a source  I've have used extensively over the 
years.  I will share more Tanka and as  you will see even I strayed from the 
traditional syllable count.  As I side  note, my tanka collaborator and I 
developed a form which we call the Haibun's  cousin, the Tankabun. It includes 
one tanka and a prose edition.  If you  are interested in it do let me know.  
I can also share an example of that  form too.  
For those who are not familiar with Haibuns they are  Haiku and prose 
combined in one piece.  Here is the article on  Tanka...
 
Definition of Tanka

An unrhymed Japanese  poem consisting of five lines of 5/7/5/7/7 (5 kana in 
the first line, 7 kana in  the second line, 5 kana in the third line, 7 
kana in the fourth line, and 7 kana  in the fifth line) totaling 31 kana. 

General thoughts on  Tanka

Tanka is generally written in two parts. The first three lines  is one 
part, and the last two lines is the second part.

Tanka in English  is relatively new, so there are not as many guidelines as 
with haiku and senryu.  You may include kigo (season words), but it is not 
necessary.

One  exercise for beginners is to write a haiku and add two more lines.  

However, tanka is not really a longer haiku, and should not be thought  of 
as such. While tanka does use many of the same elements such as  
juxtaposition, concrete imagery, and is usually centered around nature, tanka is  less 
constrictive.

You may use metaphor, simile, and many of the other  devices generally not 
used in haiku or senryu. You may show a more personal and  emotional 
viewpoint.

If tanka were seen in a book that contains only  Japanese poetic forms, 
they would be easily recognizable. However, if the same  poems were seen in a 
freestyle poetry book, they may be confused with any other  five line poem.

English tanka has not totally found its voice.  

Three ways to write tanka

There are three basic ways to  write tanka. 

1) Write 5 lines of 5/7/5/7/7. Just replace one syllable  for one kana. 
Most English speaking writers do not do this, as there are too  many vast 
differences between the Japanese and English language.

You are  certainly free to do this, however, your tanka will be about 
one-third longer  than the Japanese tanka. There are some Japanese who think this 
is the only real  way to write tanka, but there are others who feel that 
making English writers  adhere to the form serves no purpose.

2) Write 5 lines of 31 syllables or  LESS, following the 
short/long/short/long/long form. This way, your tanka will  achieve the same basic effect as 
the Japanese tanka.

3) Write 5 lines of  31 syllables or LESS, letting the poem dictate the 
line length. You are free to  experiment more with this last option.

Everyone who writes tanka must  make their own personal decision on which 
form they want to use. Some experiment  with all three forms and find their 
own paths.