Poetry Is Pretentious

How To Write 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

Example Tanka

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.

Advantages of the Form

One of the main advantages of tanka, especially when contrasted with haiku, is that you have more room to work with. Ever write a haiku that just has too many syllables? Tanka is the answer for you. The final two “envoy” lines provide a nice narrative flow with satisfying endings. This opens up greater opportunities for creative subjects than can be achieved by haiku or senyru.

Challenges of the Form

Regardless of its length compared to haiku, it is still a very short form of expression. It is hard to imagine composing a poem with just 31 syllables, but

Prompts

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Prompt 1 – Getting an Unwanted Gift

We all have that gift we wanted for Christmas, a brand new bike or video game console, and instead we get a journal or a new sweater.

Example:

Unwrapping boxes
Tearing through paper like a
beaver through thick elm
The newest PlayStation box,
With an IOU inside

Prompt 2 – Escape from the Zoo

Seeing the same animals every day gets old, doesn’t it? No one looks twice at the geese flying and honking around. What if all the geese were flamingos? What if all the deer were zebras? Which animals do you wish were more common?

Example:

Morning tea steaming
as I sit on the back porch
Awaiting the geese
Yet, with pink surprise, toothpick
legs of flamingos walk proud

Prompt 3 – Trapped on Wall Street

So many people are trapped at jobs or in careers that they don’t love. But it’s hard to leave what you know. Write a poem from the perspective of somebody trapped at their mundane day job.

Example:

Beauty in software
I find peace in data mines
Sweet number crunching
My monitor’s a window
Into all your private lives

Prompt 4 – Winning the Lottery

You’ve done it. You’ve beaten the odds. A big payday is coming your way: What will you do next?

Example:

One in a million
or probably more than that
Unbelievable
Party on private islands
and you are all invited

Prompt 5 – Uncommon Recipe

Anything can be a recipe. Take a nice summer day, add one part friendship and a teaspoon of ice cold beer and it’s a masterpiece. Trying to ruin a date? Take one chicken breast, cook it for 5 minutes longer than you’re supposed to, with an expired box wine to drink. Perfection.

Example:

Take one chicken breast
Cooked for 5 minutes too long,
an expired boxed wine
And she’ll be out of there quick
Perfect end to a bad date

Prompt 6 – Everyday Adventures

Some people decided to climb Mount Everest; I decided to walk to the store today. Anything’s an adventure if it’s uncommon to you.

Example:

“What is this – a maze?”
“No, it’s a furniture store.”
“What’s in the meatballs?”
“Don’t ask. Let’s just get the lamp.”
That lamp cost me a whole day.

Prompt 7 – Kangaroo Boxing

I’m pretty sure a kangaroo could beat me in a fight. But it would be a pretty close match up. I’d get crushed by an alligator and absolutely destroy a bluebird but where’s the fun in that? Write about what you think the best animal sparring partner would be.

Example:

Get out your wallets
It is time to place some bets
Should be a good fight
Sure, he’s 1400 pounds
But I’ve got the endurance