  Poetry
This week: Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
  
True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,
As those move easiest who have learned to dance.
Alexander Pope, “An Essay on Criticism”
All that I see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
Edgar Alan Poe
Greetings, thank you for once again welcoming me as your guest host for this week’s WDC Poetry Newsletter.
|
| ASIN: B01FST8A90 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: $ 24.95
|
|
What does a Haiku have in common with a Sonnet?
A sonnet has a fixed (relatively) metric rhythm; a haiku uses mora to count the units of meaning of the kana, or on (a sound unit of meaning that, for lack of exact comparison, westerners have translated to correspond with syllables).
Each has a turn or shift, where one image is either defined, answered, or sometimes reversed. And, just as the sonnet has a number of possible rhyming schemes (abab, abba, abcb, etc.), the haiku has a number of possible 'syllable' combinations (5-7-5, 4-6-4, 3-5-3), where two of the ‘lines’ form one image, with the third often juxtaposed. Just as a sonnet is not one long image, separated by commas and semicolons, a haiku is not one sentence, but distinct images, one tactile and the other sensory.
Where a sonnet is known as a ‘little song,’ a haiku, I’d say, is a chord, its cohesive yet distinct notes audible to the observant listener. Yes, here I go again, reading poetry aloud. Each form has evolved over time – both as an echo of the past and a dynamic model for the present. Let's explore the 'chord' and see how it resonates for the poet's eye through time past and present
Haiku is written in the moment; in present tense, generally with three unrhymed odd-numbered lines short, long, short (5-7-6), numbering 17 syllables. It includes some element of nature, whether visual, or sensual, and a season word, or kigo, to set the image. Its cousin, Senryu, has a like structure/pattern, but deals with human nature rather than nature. Senryu can be more obviously interpretive and often has a satiric or comedic twist. Both forms, haiku and senryu, can be run in chains; as individual frames, or snapshots of a film.
Many poets combine the two forms above and call them haiku, but as wordsmiths, I think it’s fun to understand and use the difference in developing our own snapshots of nature and life with a poet’s discerning eye and ear.
Haiku and senryu actually evolved from an older question-and-answer form of poetry, the Mondo, which consisted of two individual but related katauta, (three-lined verse with a 5-7-7 syllable count, perhaps the first 'building block' of Japanese poetry). In a Mondo, one person began the poem with one katauta, then another answered. The Sedoka combined the two, question and answer, into one verse, to first pose a question (5-7-5), then respond or complete it in the same 'stanza' (5-7-7).
The Tanka evolved from the Mondo and Sedoka forms, and its basic form has remained fixed over centuries, with the least amount of variation. The tanka is a five-line verse with a fixed 31-syllable count (I use syllable for ease of common understanding) of 5-7-5-7-7. The slightly longer length allows for more depth in exploring an image or idea. It's less of a moment in time than an exploration of the time. The image retains the shift within the first katauta (5-7-5), and is answered or summed up in the final two lines.
In ancient Japan, it is said that this form was often used by lovers, where one would pose a question, and the other would answer. It's also a fun way to teach children to observe nature, or life, and frame their image in verse. The question and answer format often resulted in a 'conversation' of related tanka, or a renga. In a renga, the first person might start with a haiku, and the friend would reply with a tanka, then pass it back or pass it on. This could continue as a game, a challenge, a conversation creative ^_^
I hope you can see the similarities, as well as the variety, in each of these forms, and use them to depict a moment of time, or play a single chord, as seen and heard with your poet's eye.
I know you will enjoy the creative variation of 'chords' by some members of our community and invite you to share your thoughts with the authors.
Some resources for further reading -
Stalking the Wilk Onji: The Search for Current Linguistic Terms Used In Japanese Poetry Circles, Richard Gilbert;
What is a Tanka?, Richard MacDonald.
Keep Writing!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading |
Verse creative; of nature, satire, solitary and conversing.
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1335452 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1486080 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1355615 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1432786 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1459079 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1425236 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1426593 by Not Available. |
And how about this example of the 'conversation' in a renga.
How about this challenge for your Muse Creative
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1384487 by Not Available. |
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: B0CJKJMTPD |
Product Type: Kindle Store
|
Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
|
|
Thank you for the welcome into your virtual home,
Until we next meet,
With a Poet's Eye,
Keep Writing!
Kate
Happy Halloween!
|
| ASIN: B083RZJVJ8 |
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
Not currently available. |
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
Poetry: October 22, 2008 Issue [#2673]
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
