[stylist] What are Kana? an explanation

[LoriStay at aol.com]

If there are no unstressed syllables, that would explain why they count the 
"beats" or stresses.
Anyone out there familiar with Japanese?
Lori

In a message dated 6/15/11 6:25:59 PM, poetlori8 at msn.com writes:


> I'm probably wrong, but I think I heard somewhere that the Japanese don't
> really have unstressed syllables.
> Barbara
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay
> any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose
> any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.--John
> F. Kennedy
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Donna Hill
> Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 3:19 PM
> To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [stylist] What are Kana? an explanation
> 
> Hi Lori,
> Thanks to you and your group for this explanation. I'm relieved, since I
> thought there was something altogether different that I was missing. I
> wonder though -- not knowing Japanese -- if their syllables are
> differentiated between those with strong stresses and those that, while 
> they
> are technically syllables, are so minor that they don't get counted at 
> all.
> I'm thinking of iambic pentameter. I should say in all fairness that I
> haven't thought about iambic pentameter in years, so I may be off base 
> here.
> The thought was though that maybe they wouldn't count unstressed syllables
> in the 5-7-5 count. That would open the door for a whole different
> interpretation of the Haiku and its related forms.
> Donna
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of LoriStay at aol.com
> Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2011 7:19 PM
> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [stylist] What are Kana? an explanation
> 
> A member of my writing group says that "Kana" refers to the number of 
> beats
> in a line of poetry.   We call it syllables, which in this case is an
> analogous translation.   Kind of a parallel meaning, without actually
> getting the
> original flavor of the word.
> Lori
> 
> In a message dated 6/8/11 4:51:14 PM, penatwork at epix.net writes:
> 
> 
> >
> >
> > This is intriguing, but what, pray tell,  is "kana?"
> >