TANKA

In many shapes and forms, you can find me,

I bring a smile to many. 

Who does not like a good poem or song?

We don’t tend to survive without music for long.

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INTRODUCTION

Tanka is a Japanese poetry genre similar to the well-known haiku. It was initially used to distinguish “short poems” from longer so-called “choka” poems.  It usually consists of 5 units and 31-syllables in the 5-7-5-7-7 formation.

THE RESURRECTION OF TANKA 

Verses, stanzas, imagery, metaphors, rhymes. These are just a handful of different words associated with poetry. Poetry is the art of painting with words. As there are different painting styles out there, so are there different poetry genres. Among them is also tanka. 

Tanka is a Japanese poetry genre that was initially used to distinguish “short poems” from longer so-called “choka” poems. The term got replaced by the expression waka in the ninth and tenth centuries, and received its resurrection in the 20th century.  (3)

THE FORM OF TANKA

It is usually similar in form to the haiku poem, with the addition of two more 7-syllable long stanzas at the back. In short, it usually consists of 5 units and 31-syllables in the 5-7-5-7-7 formation. (3)

The first three lines form the so-called kami-no-ku, which is the upper phrase; the latter two form the shimo-no-ku, the “lower phrase”. (3)

In certain cases, they may exceed or run short of the syllable count. Certain rules allow a tanka to either exceed the syllable count or have it run short. Tanka that run long are called ji-amari, following a count of 5-7-5-8-7, and the form that runs short is called ji-tarazu, with 5-7-5-7-6 syllables. (3)

THEMES 

Tankas usually focus on intense emotional expression, nature, and personal reflection. The themes vary from passionate love, loneliness, seasonal changes, transience of life, and profound, intimate human emotions. The first phrase sets the scene, while the second phrase contains the sudden pivot, a shift of perspective. 

SOME NOTIFIABLE POETS

• Ochiai Naobumi (1861–1903)

• Masaoka Shiki (1867–1902)

• Yosano Akiko (1878–1942)

• Ishikawa Takuboku (1886–1912)

• Saitō Mokichi (1882–1953)

• Itō Sachio (1864–1913)

• Kitahara Hakushū (1885–1942)

• Suiko Sugiura (1885–1960)

• Nagatsuka Takashi (1879–1915) (3)

To view the full list, go to Wikipedia.

COLLECTIONS

Here are some great tanka collections:

• Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each) (Traditional): A foundational anthology of 100 classical tanka poems.

• The Ink Dark Moon: Love Poems by Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu, Women of the Ancient Court of Japan (Translated by Jane Hirshfield): Famous 9th-century Japanese poems.

• Salad Anniversary (Sarada Kinenbi) by Machi Tawara: A runaway bestseller that modernized the tanka form in Japan.

• Dishevelled Hair by Yosano Akiko: A groundbreaking, passionate collection from the early 20th century.

• During the Pause: A Collection of Tanka Poems by Kenichi K. Yabusaki: Reflective modern tanka on nature, love, and life.

• Urban Tumbleweed: Notes from a Tanka Diary by Harryette Mullen: A collection of modern tanka observations.

• Destiny: A Collection of Japanese Tanka

• Sunflower Tanka

A POEM OF MINE

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CONCLUSION

Poetry is the art of painting with words. As there are different painting styles out there, so are there different poetry genres. Among them is also tanka. This poetry form consists of 5 units, usually of the 5-7-5-7-7 format, but can have exceptions. It is very similar to the haiku poem and usually focuses on intense emotional expression, nature, and personal reflection.

Application

Try to write a tanka yourself during this upcoming week,

from the depths of your heart speak. 

SOURCES

1. Image created via canva.com.

2. Image created via canva.com.

3. Wikipedia. Tanka. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanka