[stylist] Tanka

Tue Aug 11 14:41:04 UTC 2015

Eve and all interested,
I know what you mean. I was floored when I began doing the research last 
April on tanka.  I was clueless about it, really.  To be honest, I chose it 
because it is short poetry and for the month of April I just wanted to try 
to writ a poem a day - so that seemed like a quick way to go.  OH, was I 
wrong on that!!!  Instead of writing 30 tanka that month, I had jumped into 
a major research problem - I did write a number of tanka, but once I began 
to make the new discoveries I realized how off base I was in my thinking of 
what a tanka is and how it should look and feel.  So now I got serious about 
learning more.  I know this is a puzzle and unless anyone here is 
interested in doing the tanka or haiku or other Japanese forms it won't 
interest you.  One rule of thumb is to understand that there is a very wide 
divide and difference between western and eastern thought. To realize this 
is the beginning of understanding this discrepancy in our western 
understanding of what an eastern poem form should look like.

The first thing I learned was that the pattern Barbra has here is what I 
found on all the on-line articles but its really much more complex than 
that. When I first received my literary magazines as a new  member of the 
Tanka Society of America, I opened it up and began to look it over - what a 
big surprise I had!  Immediately, I saw that almost NONE of the poems there 
(200 in each mag) looked like the form Barbara posted in her note. And, this 
is what I also thought was "tanka" form, so I we so perplexed.

Then, I went to a Haiku specialty magazine - and found the same situation 
there!   So, I began contacting the experts - because this is what really 
interests me right now and I want to learn to do a lot of work in tanka in 
my future.  I joined the society so I could be up to date with the latest 
information and be a part of something I was very interested in - Japanese 
poem forms.

Here is what one  editor wrote to me:

"There are some western poets who do write in the traditional syllabic 
style, but they are few and far between, and not usually well represented in 
many of the more established journals
or showcased in the numerous anthologies that are produced each year.

Traditional Japanese poets still write in the syllabic style and use 
official kigo from a officially recognized sajiki, but there are plenty of 
Japanese poets who are not traditional
and write haiku which are reminiscent of what is being produced by poets in 
the west. I suggest you check out someone like Kaneko Tohta or Ban'ya 
Natsuishi to get an idea of just how adventurous some Japanese poets are. "

Now, unless any writer  wants to really get down to serious business with 
tanka or haiku,  it does not matter so much and certainly  he can use the 
western  forms that are generally believed to be how it is done with no 
worries.   In that case,  it is just some interesting information to share. 
But I want more than that in what I am doing because  I have had a lasting 
passion for Japanese culture and Japanese dance (Butoh) since I first 
attended performances of Sankai Juku,  Matsuka Tunaka and Kim Itoh.  I'm 
interested in learning more about how to bring those sensibilities and 
nuances into what I do in my own writing life.  it matters to me that I 
learn as much as I can and I want my work to be worthy of publication in a 
journal that focuses on Japanese poetry.  Looking back I was even writing 
about Japanese dance - Butoh -  in my poetry a long time ago - and some of 
the poems about Butoh are in my book. I started writing  them in the 
mid-80s -

On April 10, 2015, I  published a special article on tanka on my blog, 
Walking by Inner Vision, a few months ago and then I got a note from a tanka 
master asking if I intended to do a Part 2 of my article - of course, I am 
going to do thiat this week! In my first article I did not have all this 
vital information that I now understand so I have to take my readers to the 
next level.  I thought it was a gentle way to correct me, by asking if Part 
2 would be forthcoming. I'll be working on that today!

Here is the link to my Part I essay on the Tanka! It is a good place to 
begin. Part 2 will take us further into the form.

http://lyndalambert.com/tanka-writing-assignment-12/
Lynda

-----Original Message----- 
From: Barbara HAMMEL via stylist
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 12:40 AM
To: Writers' Division Mailing List
Cc: Barbara HAMMEL
Subject: Re: [stylist] Tanka

Webbl, for starters the lines follow a 5 7 5 7 7 pattern. They must be 
written about nature and, I think, they must employ metaphors or similes or 
personification. Am I right, tanka writers?
Barbara

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 10, 2015, at 22:56, EvaMarie Sanchez via stylist 
> <stylist at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> So come on one of you... How do you write a Tanka? Are there any rules or
> patterns to go by?
> Sestinas  and cinquains are so simple, but I am at a loss with these Tanka
> things. They all seem so different.
> Eve
>
> President, National Federation of the Blind Northern Arizona
> President, National Federation of the Blind Writers' Division
> Committee Chair, Arizona Association of Guide Dog Users
> Affiliate Member, National Federation of the Blind Legislative Committee
> Affiliate Member, National Federation of the Blind Membership Committee
> Member, Slate & Style Editing Team
>
> "You do not need to have vision to see the stars."
>
> On Mon, Aug 10, 2015 at 3:42 PM, Jackie Williams via stylist <
> stylist at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>> Lynda,
>> Thank you. That is good to know. They do not mention any form but the 
>> Haiku
>> in the state contest brochures.
>>
>> Jackie Lee
>>
>> Time is the school in which we learn.
>> Time is the fire in which we burn.
>> Delmore Schwartz
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lynda
>> Lambert
>> via stylist
>> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 2:47 PM
>> To: Writers' Division Mailing List
>> Cc: Lynda Lambert
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Tanka
>>
>> Breaking news: No titles and no numbering is permitted in tanka circles -
>> or
>>
>> in the publications of the tanks society literary magazines.  Lynda
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jackie Williams via stylist
>> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 1:50 PM
>> To: 'Writers' Division Mailing List'
>> Cc: Jackie Williams
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Tanka
>>
>> Shawn,
>> Do Tanka not have titles like Haiku?
>> Your first line is a bit confusing to me, with the word Wonderout and it
>> makes six syllables. I love the rest of it, and will think about it as I
>> imagine looking into the heavens at the stars.
>>
>> Jackie Lee
>>
>> Time is the school in which we learn.
>> Time is the fire in which we burn.
>> Delmore Schwartz
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jacobson,
>> Shawn D via stylist
>> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 10:28 AM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List (stylist at nfbnet.org)
>> Cc: Jacobson, Shawn D
>> Subject: [stylist] Tanka
>>
>> Here's one (since we're trading tankas.
>>
>> Wonderout father God
>> who also is my mother
>> I shall give you praise.
>> You gorge the great burning stars,
>> And give rest to little ones.
>>
>> Shawn
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site
>> http://writers.nfb.org/
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jackieleepoet%40cox.net
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site
>> http://writers.nfb.org/
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/llambert%40zoominternet
>> .net
>> <http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/llambert%40zoominternet.net>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site
>> http://writers.nfb.org/
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jackieleepoet%40cox.net
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site
>> http://writers.nfb.org/
>> stylist mailing list
>> stylist at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> stylist:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/3rdeyeonly%40gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> Writers Division web site
> http://writers.nfb.org/
> stylist mailing list
> stylist at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> stylist:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/poetlori8%40msn.com

_______________________________________________
Writers Division web site
http://writers.nfb.org/
stylist mailing list
stylist at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
stylist:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/llambert%40zoominternet.net 