Traditional asian forms
- 1. Traditional Asian Forms: Haiku, Tanka and Soji
- 2. Haiku Japanese and English-language Equivalents Haiku is an ancient form of Japanese poetry often containing (in English) a total of 17 syllables shared between three lines, arranged in a pattern of 5- 7-5. The first line consists of 5 syllables, the second line 7, and the last line contains another 5 syllables. It is important to note that the original Japanese haiku was measured in sounds, or "breaths," not English syllables. The 5-7-5 approach was a rough approximation. Many traditional Japanese and English-language literary haiku are much shorter than the 5-7-5 format of the West. That said, poetry is art and 5-7-5 is still very popular today. Some Japanese poets still work within that framework.
- 3. Some Characteristics of Haiku An English-language haiku sometimes contains of 17 total syllables English-language format is sometimes composed of 3 lines of 5- 7-5 (syllables) 2 simple subjects are often placed in juxtaposition These 2 subjects are often separated by punctuation A keen or unusual observation is made by comparing the two subjects Haiku often contains a seasonal reference Poems are traditionally about nature or the natural world
- 4. Marakami Kijo Example Two simple subjects Separated by punctuation It contains a seasonal reference (autumn) that also has double-meaning And it provides an interesting and unexpected perspective First autumn morning: the mirror I stare into shows my father's face.
- 5. Shifts in Modern Haiku Some modern poets reject the entire notion of 5-7-5, preferring the shorter breaths of the Japanese originals (a haiku should be able to be said in one breath.) Many also choose to omit the seasonal reference. Photography has also joined the ranks of some modern haiku, updating traditional haiga (haiku brush painting)
- 8. The Tanka The Japanese tanka is a thirty-one-syllable poem, traditionally written in a single unbroken line. A form of waka, Japanese song or verse, tanka translates as short song," and is better known in its five-line, 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count form.
- 9. The Tanka and The Sonnet In many ways, the tanka resembles the sonnet, certainly in terms of treatment of subject. Like the sonnet, the tanka employs a turn, known as a pivotal image, which marks the transition from the examination of an image to the examination of the personal response. This turn is located within the third line, connecting the kami-no-ku, or upper poem, with the shimo-no-ku, or lower poem.
- 10. Tanka History One of the oldest Japanese forms, tanka originated in the seventh century, and quickly became the preferred verse form not only in the Japanese Imperial Court, where nobles competed in tanka contests, but for women and men engaged in courtship. Tankas economy and suitability for emotional expression made it ideal for intimate communication; lovers would often, after an evening spent together (often clandestinely), dash off a tanka to give to the other the next morning as a gift of gratitude.
- 11. Tanka Example A Flower of Waves Lady Ise Translated by Etsuko Terasaki with Irma Brandeis A flower of waves blossoms in the distance and ripples shoreward as though a breeze had quickened the sea and set it blooming
- 12. Sijo More ancient than haiku, the Korean Sijo shares a common ancestry with haiku, tanka and similar Japanese genres. All evolved from more ancient Chinese patterns. Sijo is traditionally composed in three lines of 14-16 syllables each, totaling between 44-46 syllables. A pause breaks each line approximately in the middle; it resembles a caesura but is not based on metrics. Each half-line contains 6-9 syllables; the last half of the final line is often shorter than the rest, but should contain no fewer than 5.
- 13. Sijo Form The sijo may be narrative or thematic, introducing a situation or problem in line 1, development or "turn" in line 2, and resolution in line 3. The first half of the final line employs a "twist": a surprise of meaning, sound, tone or other device.
- 14. Sijo and Haiku The sijo is often more lyrical, subjective and personal than haiku, and the final line can take a profound, witty, humorous or proverbial turn. Like haiku, sijo has a strong basis in nature, but, unlike that genre, it frequently employs metaphors, symbols, puns, allusions and similar word play.
- 15. Sijo Examples The spring breeze melted snow on the hills then quickly disappeared. I wish I could borrow it briefly to blow over my hair And melt away the aging frost forming now about my ears. ...U T'ak (1262-1342, author of this oldest surviving sijo) Mind, I have a question for you - How is it you stay so young? As the years pile up on my body, you too should grow old. Oh, if I followed your lead, Mind, I would be run out of town. ... Anonymous
Editor's Notes
- Traditional haiku usually focuses on two very simple subjects while providing an interesting or unexpected perspective. Like a good joke, the first part can serve as the set-up, while the second part delivers the punchline.
- Over-ripe sushi, The Master Is full of regret. - Yosa Buson
- From out textbook on page 249
- Printing restrictions often cause Western sijo to be divided at the natural break and printed in 6 lines. Some translators and poets have adopted this technique, so modern sijo may appear in either 3 or 6 lines;