*02 Haiku - Senryu - Tanka - An Explanation Poem by John Knight

These JAPANESE STYLES of Poetry are very beautiful in appearance (Japanese Script) - sound and content. We are on sacred ground. It is the content that is important - the syllable count less so. A lot of HAIKU (Nature and Seasons) and SENRYU (Human & Emotions) are written in 17 syllables (or less) and three lines. When one reads an H or S one is sometimes left a bit bemused. So two extra lines (often of explanation) are added - normally each with seven syllables. This is called a TANKA. This is a very brief introduction and I trust purists will forgive me.

HAIKU - SPRING (5 - 7 - 5)

snow disappearing
willow is greening again
Spring is everywhere

SENRYU - FATHER (5 - 7 - 5)

my father gentle
wise - loving - sportsman - writer
now just a memory

TANKA - FROGS - (5 - 7 - 5 - 7 - 7)

Spring - lots of green frogs
funny - lively and leaping
why are they in jars? ? ?
Rana Temporaria
for dissecting not dinner! ! !

Comments would be appreciated.

John Knight - Saturday 5 March 2011