Like the haiku, the Japanese tanka counts syllables. A total of 31 syllables exist in the poem. The first three lines follow the haiku form of 5-7-5 syllables. Lines 4 and 5 of the tanka are each seven syllables in length.
It originated in the 7th Century. Not only did the Japanese nobles write tankas, but ordinary men and women wrote them when courting. They were a note of gratitude—a thank you note for time spent together. The shift in the topic occurs between Line 3 and Line 4. This pivot moves from examining the image to examining the personal response to the image.
Neal Henry Lawrence, an American academic scholar and poet, wrote this tanka:
Black as night, Fuji
Mountain rising in the dawn
As the sun appears.
Peace returns after the storm;
All is ready for the day.
Notice the shift from night to day (Lines 1-3) and from storm to peace (Lines 4-5).
Ruby Spriggs, a Canadian poet, wrote this tanka:
a sudden loud noise
all the pigeons of Venice
at once fill the sky
that is how it felt when your hand
accidentally touched mine
Count the syllables in Sprigg’s poem. Notice Line 4 has eight syllables, and Line 5 has six syllables. The syllabic count of the lines is different than the original form, but the count of syllables for the entire poem is still thirty-one. Notice also the shift from pigeons to her hand being touched.
So how do writers actually write tanka poems? No two writers have the same process for drafting a poem, but these steps may be of help:
- Brainstorm a list of topics. You may start with something in the natural world, but remember you need to be prepared to make the shift in the topic as well. Remember to be microscopic in listing the possible images.
- Choose one of the topics from your brainstorming list. Save the others on the list for another poem or other piece of writing.
- Without consideration to the syllabic count, write the first three lines like a haiku.
- Again, not being concerned about the syllabic count, write the fourth and fifth lines. Be sure to make a shift in the scene, a surprise that is completely different than the previous lines.
- Next, read the five lines and ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the focus narrow enough on the topic?
- Do the lines work together?
- Does the fourth line create an element of surprise, enlightenment, or demonstrate a shift in thought?
- Next, begin the work of revision.
- Rewrite lines that didn’t work.
- Rework the lines to fit the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count of the tanka. You may need to choose synonyms if the words you have do not work.
- Check to make sure your verbs are in present tense.
- Set it aside for a few days. Read it again. Make necessary revisions until it works the way you want it to.
- Finally, submit it for possible publication. Many literary journals specialize in short poems.
- In the comment section below, list a topic (image) that could be a tanka poem?
Works Cited
Lawrence, Neal Henry. “Black as Night, Fuji.” Six Tanka Poems. Saint Johns Abbey. 1997-2004. Web. 14 March 2013.
Sprigg, Ruby. “A Sudden Loud Noise.” Notes on Form, Techniques, and Subject Matter in Modern English Tanka. Tanka Online. 2003. Web. 14 March 2013.