Japanese Poetry

Choka

• 6 - 14 century
• Alternating lines of 5 & 7 syllables
• Often ending with an extra line of 7
• Long poems

the duck

The Duck may swim on the lake!
but my daddy owns the Lake!
J Hubert

my life is an

independent film
where even the leading role
is not played by me
J.B.

Japan

• The sun we followed
• The longest day in decades
• In a stranger land
• With far better services
• Elbow to elbow
• So polite they're almost
• Better than we claim to be

My break 2018
Hanging upside down
Or riding home with fresh teeth
Carefree on black ice
My fat bike now with sharp spikes
Feeding by trident
Feeding by old, green tractor
Catching coyotes
On film by the dozen
A quick trip to Vancouver.

Tanka

Think of one or two images for poem fodder

Reflect on how you felt at the time or when you had time to think about it.

Describe the emotions in the remaining lines

Untitled Slide

Renga

Renga

• 800 year history
• 5 lines
• First three evolved into haikus
• Poet 1 first three lines
• Poet 2 last two lines
• Challenge to finish it

Start a tanka

Senryu Poetry

Senryu poetry is named after Hachiemon Karai (1718-1790). His pen name was Senryu (river willow). Verse capping (tsukeku) evolved from part of a poem to the full poem.

Tone is the difference

The crane says,
"I'm so tired
of good luck".
Shujin

The stone saint
is kissed on the mouth
by a slug
Shigeo

Watching the ants
near the veranda,
convalescing
Kimbo

even a mole
sometimes makes a false step -
up

a mayfly -
born to have just a glimpse
of the world.
Kenkabo

Fireworks
variously named,
are all just smoke.
Keisen

bloom though they may,
weeds are pulled up.

a butterfly
that goes straight
has free time
Kao

the stray dog,
whatever name it's called by,
turns back.
Santaro

a fist-sized rock thrown
from a smiling stranger i
caught with my left hand

bachi

no matter how
sorry you are,
the tea cup is broken.

Genkaibo

Fishing -
committing a
small sin.

Yasharo

Ecstatic at being
set free,
the bird collides with a tree

Look to human nature. What are you doing that's odd. What about current events?

Compose and share