Tanka and haiku discussion

spring summer

fallwinter

SPRINGMARCH 21-LATE JUNE

SUMMERJUNE 21-LATE

SEPTEMBER

FALL (AUTUMN)

SEPTEMBER 22-LATE DECEMBER

WINTERDECEMBER 22-MARCH 22

JAPAN

Japanese Tanka and Haiku

• Haiku and tanka share a philosophy

that dictates poems should attempt

to capture fleeting moments in time,

reminding readers not only of the

beauty of everyday life, but also the

brevity of life.

• Tanka and haiku are both traditional

short forms of Japanese poetry.

• Both haiku and tanka can convey

sadness and despair

Tanka• means “short song”

• Much older than the Haiku

• Dates back about 1300 years

• Tanka came of age in the seventh

century when it emerged as the

Japanese Imperial Court's favored form

of poetry.

Tanka

• Originally written mainly by women

• some poets who write Tanka in

English don’t even use the 5 – 7 – 5 –

7 – 7 format. Instead, they simply

alternate the lengths of the lines:

short / long / short / long / long.

TankaStructure – 5 lines/31 syllables

3 lines – 7 syllables each2 lines – 5 syllables each

5-7-5-7-7

Dead leaves whirling

In the heartless autumn gust!

Still more fleeting

Have I found (as well as man

must)

Man’s short life from dust to

dust

White and silent snow

Creates the winter

landscape

A peaceful blanket

An artist’s windswept

canvas

Falling, drifting, tender

flakes

HAIKU• A Haiku is a form of Japanese Poetry

• It only had 3 lines and none of them

have to rhyme.

• 17 syllables

• Broken up into 3 lines (5-7-5)

• Usually dealing with nature

• Originally written mainly by men

HAIKU

• 300 years old

Structure – 3 lines/17 syllables2 lines – 5 syllables each1 line – 7 syllables

5-7-5

Summer grasses—All that remainsOf soldiers’ visions.