Past Tanka Hangout Prompts

The following are past prompts for the Tanka Hangout column published in Ribbons, the Tanka Society of America journal.

For the Fall/Winter 2025 issue

(submissions due by June 30, 2025)

Self-Discovery: As his last prompt before passing the Tanka Hangout editor’s hat to Michele Harvey, Ken Slaughter writes: “Looking back at my own poems, I find that they are a kind of autobiography. Like many of you, I tend to write about seminal experiences: those that have helped me gain insight into my own life and relationships.” For the next issue, write about some experience that has changed you in an important way.

For the Spring/Summer 2025 issue

(submissions due by January 31, 2025)

The Five Senses: Write a poem that involves one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Some say there is also a “sixth sense.” You might want to explore that also. Of the senses, sight is the one that most commonly appears in poetry. We’re hoping to see some tanka that explore the other senses as well.

For the Fall/Winter 2024 issue

(submissions due by June 30, 2024)

Poetry: If you love writing about poetry, and about the process of writing, this prompt is for you. Think about your own creative journey, or about poems written by others. You might write a tanka about a poetic song or even about a songwriter, such as Bob Dylan.

For the Spring/Summer 2024 issue

(submissions due by January 31, 2024)

Relationships: Write a tanka about a human relationship of any kind: love, marriage, divorce. It could be a relationship with a sibling, a parent, or a friend. You could even write about someone you have worked or volunteered with.

For the Fall 2023 issue

(submissions due by August 31, 2023)

Tribute poems: The leading pioneer of English-language tanka, Sanford Goldstein, passed away May 5, 2023, at the age of 97. Dr. Goldstein, or Sandy (as he was called by most who knew him), was influential as both a tanka poet and as a translator of modernist Japanese poets. For this issue’s theme, we invite members to submit tribute poems honoring Sanford Goldstein. Or, if you prefer, write a tribute tanka to someone who was a seminal influence in your personal life. As Tanka Hangout will be presented in two sections, please indicate which option you’ve chosen.

For the Spring/Summer 2023 issue

(submissions due by April 30, 2023)

her row veering off,

the peasant woman plants

toward her crying child

—Issa

Compassion: Issa is known for his poems about insects, but here we see his compassion for a poor peasant woman and her child. Please consider how this poem moves you to reflect on your own experiences. You might focus on an encounter with a stranger, on a mother–child relationship, or on any experience that moves you with compassion for another sentient being.

For the Winter 2023 issue

(submissions due by December 31, 2022):

Music: Few experiences in life can evoke such strong emotions as hearing a favorite song or melody. Sometimes just a snippet of an old song can trigger a long-buried memory. Tanka itself has musical qualities—as we know, in Japanese “tanka” means “short song.” For the next issue, write about an experience you have had with music—any music you choose. Can you make the poem itself sing?