Lines & Rhymes: Haiku & Tanka

Fall

The geese flying south
In a row long and V-shaped
Pulling in winter.
--Sally Andersen

to writing prompt

haiku
One traditional form of Japanese nature poetry is the haiku, a three-Iine poem that tells of an experience that has made an impression on the poet. A haiku doesn't rhyme, but it does have a form. It has a total of seventeen syllables in three lines distributed like this:

- - - - - (5)
- - - - - - - (7)
- - - - - (5)

Here are some examples:

Snow fell until dawn
Now every twig in the grove
glitters in sunlight
--Rokwa

tanka
The haiku was originally part of an even older type of poem, the Tanka. As in haiku, careful choice of words is important.

Here is the form:
- - - - - (5)
- - - - - - - (7)
- - - - - (5)
- - - - - - - (7)
- - - - - - - (7)

Here is an example:

Because the songbird
pauses while flying there is
a ceaseless swaying
of the willow's sheer branches
and a fall of loosened snow.

--Taeko Takeoori