Poetry Is Pretentious

Senryu is a traditional form of Japanese poetry closely related to haiku. It consists of three lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5, just like haiku. This is simply a suggestion, ultimately the poem should simply say a lot in three short lines. While haiku focuses on capturing the essence of nature, senryu is centered around human nature, emotions, and the often humorous aspects of everyday life.

Rules of senryu

1. It is a short, 3 line poem
2. Focuses on human beings, not nature
3. You may choose to write it in the 5-7-5 tradition
4. It is unrhymed

Senryu explores the complexities and idiosyncrasies of human behavior, often portraying the irony, satire, or wit found in human interactions. It delves into various aspects of human experience, including love, relationships, social dynamics, and societal observations.

Similar to haiku, senryu aims to convey a momentary insight or realization in a concise and evocative manner. The brevity of the form requires the poet to distill their thoughts into a few carefully chosen words, encouraging the reader to contemplate the underlying meaning and find resonance in the simple yet profound observations of human nature.