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Haiku, Senryu, and Tanka
5
The robber,
when I catch,
my own son.
Senryū Karai
(1718-1790)
writing short-form Japanese poems
Haiku, Senryu, and Tanka
First autumn morning:
the mirror I stare into
shows my father's face.
by Kijo Murakami
(1865-1938)
For love and for hate
I swat a fly and offer
it to a small ant.
Shiki (1867-1902)
Senryū:
Similar to a haiku, a senryū is three lines long, but can be 17 syllables or less. Senryū tend to be about human foibles while haiku tend to be about nature, and senryū are often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku are more serious.
Tanka:
a five-lined poem about nature and humanity with syllables per line of five, seven, five, seven, seven.
5-7-5-7-7
Haiku:
The haiku is a very structured poetry form. Initially introduced by the Japanese, they are three-lined poems containing five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. Containing just seventeen syllables, the haiku cannot capture a "big picture." One depicts in them tiny images of incredible beauty, something glorious that might be missed if the writer had not taken the time to point it out.
5-7-5
On the white sand
Of the beach of a small isle
In the Eastern Sea
I, my face streaked with tears,
Am playing with a crab.
– Ishikawa Takuboku