English Tanka – The Other White Meat

Become one with the Tanka pork chop and one with the Spicy Beef Tanka, Grasshopper, and you will learn the meaning of life.

Previously, in this newsletter, we have talked about the Japanese Tanka ("Invalid Item" ) and today we will study its cousin the English Tanka.

There is much debate on the English Tanka. Should we shorten the syllabic count? Does it defile the Tanka? Must we prefer beef to pork? Why not enjoy both! I personally welcome, and encourage different forms. How else are we to stretch our poetic muscles? So bring it on! Get crazy! Let’s Tanka-size!

An English Tanka sports similar elements to a Japanese Tanka. They both have five lines, deal with nature, love, etcetera, and the final two lines answer a call from the first three. The only thing that is different is the syllabic count.


To create an English Tanka you just follow this recipe:

2 syllables
3 syllables
2 syllables
3 syllables
3 syllables


Here are a couple of Writing.Com examples:


Above
Flying free
Loudly
The eagle
Screams with pride.

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AND:


Broken
Little girl
She cries
The belt falls
Angry welts.

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Now go out and breathe in the fresh air of BOTH versions of the Tanka and be one with the universe, Grasshopper.


Tanka and English Tanka links:

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http://dmoz.org/Arts/Literature/Poetry/Forms/Haiku_and_Related_Forms/Tanka/
http://www.yk.rim.or.jp/~kajin/Eng_k.html
http://www.dwc.doshisha.ac.jp/english/tanka_contest/seito.html
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ea8t-mnk/english.html



For more poetical type info click here: "Invalid Item"