HAIKU AND TANKA POETRY

KEY

Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry that has 17 syllables. Haiku poems consist of 3 lines.
The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables.

It is a short poem that captures a moment in nature and the lines rarely rhyme.

Here's a bad Haiku to help you remember:

I am first with five
Then seven in the middle –
Five again to end.

Because Haikus are such short poems, they are usually written about things that are recognizable to the
reader such as animals, nature, or seasons.

Examples of Traditional Haiku:

A bitter mourning
Sparrows sitting together
Without any necks.

How beautifully
That kite soars up to the sky
From the small boy’s hand.

More recently, a different genre of haiku has developed – the humorous haiku, The are generally a
short, wry observation and occasionally include an element of satire involved.

Examples of Humorous Haiku:

My cow gives less milk, As my mind expands,
now that it has been eaten, it grasps new ideas… look
by a fierce dragon. there’s something shiny!!

Fat man sees small door,

he knows he cannot fit through,
tears flow free now.

A Tanka is a Japanese poem consisting of five lines - the first and third lines have five syllables and
the second, fourth and fifth have seven. The poem contains 31 syllables in all and attempts to gives a
complete picture of an event or mood.

Because Tanka poetry is longer, there is more opportunity to include poetic devices like simile,
metaphor, and personification.
Examples of Tanka:
the trees undress now
discarding their finery
they wait in silence
to be wrapped in a blanket
as they dream of warming spring

your chair is lonely

dust covering the arm rests
nothing disturbs it
preserving a memory
only your shadow remains

Your assignment:
You will write at least THREE traditional haiku poems and at least ONE humorous haiku.
Your traditional haiku poems should each be written about an aspect of nature from your choosing.
Your humorous haiku can be about any subject you like!
Additionally, you should write at least ONE Tanka about the subject of your choosing. Remember that
a Tanka tries to give a more complete picture of the moment or mood of the subject AND uses poetic
devices.