Tanka 

Tanka is a Japanese form of short poetry. The form is very similar to haiku with minor variations.  Essentially the form is an elongated haiku, maintaining the 5-7-5 structure with an additional lower phrase of two 7 syllable lines. The form looks like this (with each number representing the syllables  in a line) 5-7-5-7-7 Rules…


Tanka

Tanka is a Japanese form of short poetry. The form is very similar to haiku with minor variations.  Essentially the form is an elongated haiku, maintaining the 5-7-5 structure with an additional lower phrase of two 7 syllable lines. The form looks like this (with each number representing the syllables  in a line)

5-7-5-7-7

Rules of Tanka:

  1.  It is a poem of 5 lines
  2. It follows the syllable pattern 5-7-5-7-7
  3. It is typically unrhymed

Here  is an example of tanka from the prolific Tanka composer Ishikawa Takuboku (and an all time favorite poem of mine):

On the white sand
Of the beach of a small island
In the Eastern Sea.
I, my face streaked with tears,
Am playing with a crab

*Note: The above example does not follow the 5-7-5-7-7 format because it is a translation of  the Japanese on which differs from english syllables

Here is an example of tanka by Corey Bryan dedicated to Ishikawa Takuboku

“For Ishikawa Takuboku”
No tanka author
Grips the reins of emotions
Like Ishikawa
I, my face streaked with tears,
blithely read about his crabs.

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21 responses to “Tanka ”

  1. […] most common variation of this form is the American Cinquain. It is heavily inspired by haiku and tanka in Japanese poetry. This form is a poem of five lines that have specific syllable counts. […]

  2. […] most common variation of this form is the American Cinquain. It is heavily inspired by haiku and tanka in Japanese poetry. This form is a poem of five lines that have specific syllable counts. […]

  3. […] poem of five lines. It is a variation of the American Cinquain. It is heavily inspired by haiku and tanka in Japanese poetry. This form is a poem of five lines that have specific syllable counts. […]

  4. […] tankaru is a mashup of tanka and senryu. To write tankaru follow the format of a tanka but uses senryu […]

  5. […] is a term used in traditional Japanese poetry, particularly in haiku and tanka, to refer to seasonal words or phrases. These words capture the essence of a specific season or […]

  6. […] is a term in traditional Japanese poetry, particularly in haiku and tanka, that refers to “cutting words” or “pause words.” These words or phrases […]

  7. […] Stanza Structure: Renga comprises alternating haiku (starting verse) and “waki” (response) stanzas. The haiku, traditionally a three-line verse following a 5-7-5 syllable pattern, establishes the theme. The waki, adhering to a 7-7 syllable structure, responds while subtly shifting focus. It is essentially a collaborative tanka. […]

  8. […] that are short make for great reading. There are many poetic forms such as haiku, cinquain, and tanka that cater to short poetry. Some of those forms are included below. Ultimately, there is no […]

  9. […] called a quintain. Classic poetic forms that consist of quintains include Limericks, Doditsu, and tankas. See examples of these forms in action […]

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Sam and Corey started Poetry is Pretentious to demystify poetry. More importantly, their 5th grade teacher told them they couldn’t go through life as a team. 18 years later they’re here to prove her wrong.

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