Tanka
Tanka done in the classic style was the birth of standalone hokku via renga - the best of both worlds. The first published utu/waka verse was a template for all time - sanctified by Kojiki magic upon the soul of Nippon. In this living document we will develop some understanding of our controversial declaration. First, let's make a simple start. . . Tanka essay by Smitha Chakravarthula
WORK IN PROGRESS
The Kojiki - vs 1
eightfold rising clouds
build an eightfold fence
an eightfold Izumo fence
wherein to keep my bride -
oh! splendid eightfold fence
HOW TO DO BASIC FREE FORM TANKA
hokku call
1
2
3
personal response
4
5
E X A M P L E
leaves fall
the scent of butterfly
remains
in my moldering graveyard
angel wings cast in stone
OR
leaves fall
the scent of butterfly
remains
in my moldering graveyard
angel wings cast in stone
Tanka & Haiku
"Tanka is a type of a short poem with lines of five, seven, five, seven and seven syllables, unique to Japan. The tanka is regarded as one of Japan's principal literary forms and has been read through the ages. The card game hyakunin isshu is also an anthology of tanka. Haiku are shorter than tanka, having lines of five, seven and five syllables. In haiku, the poet attempts to express his deepest emotions by describing nature in simple but beautiful language." - Japan : Official Guide
The Kojiki, a Long Forgotten Aeneid?--A Hypothesis from a French Researcher | Wochi Kochi Magazine
A Waka Anthology: The gem-glistening cup
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leaves fall
the scent of butterfly
remains
in my moldering graveyard
angel wings cast in stone
"Those inner links in renga were an important part of Basho's haikai renaissance. So, anything we learn about that can be applied to our growing sensitivity to the internal mechanics of a hokku in its standalone anarchy. But is it so? For, do we not, as participants in this beautiful theatre of the mind (ma as Noh) that is hokku, supply a response? Just like ghosts at a phantom gathering." - jp → more
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