Poetry in Forms – Page 80 – Haphazard Creative

As I said, I am not a fan of forms, but that does not mean they are unfamiliar to me. I have chosen a few I enjoy to use in my poetry. I hope you will look at the examples in this form and try writing your own. It is always expedient to learn new things. Even should you be someone whose field of expertise lies outside of writing, learning how better to express yourself is beneficial. As creatives, we need to have an attitude open to lifelong learning. Anytime we acquire new knowledge or skills it increases the synapses in our brains, which helps combat illnesses of the mind and memory.

Today, we will work with Tanka. Tanka is another Japanese form, like haiku, only with two additional lines. They gained popularity in the seventh and eighth centuries. They are less concentrated than haiku and can be more casual and conversational. At times they were written to carry messages instead of letters.

The syllabic counts for tanka are like haiku, five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, five syllables in the third line, and two lines of seven syllables to finish out the poem. You are free to rhyme or not, use imagery if you like, convey a message, or whatever interests you.

Here are a few of mine, written today:

Do you know the weight
Of all the dreams held within
A heart full of love?
A person cannot contain
All desires, but shares freely.

Where can you hide love
In a bottle, closet, chest?
No, impossible,
Love cannot be prisoner
It runs eternally free.

Where are you going?
Is there a destination?
Do you have a plan?
If you plot your daily course
You will more likely succeed.

Do not worry much
Over things you cannot control;
Set your heart instead,
On things, you will accomplish,
Relationships you treasure.

Please do not fret over these, they are incredibly easy to write. I believe anyone who approaches poetry with an open mind and makes a game of it can find joy in the practice. If you are a writer, this exercise should prime you for more extensive work. If you are an artist, you might find you would like to incorporate the verse into some other creation. Photographers might find something representative to picture with the tanka. You musicians are likely good at the spoken word and could make a recording.

All of it is up to you. Anything goes. I hope you had fun and I am so glad you visited Haphazard Creative. You can find a follow button to your right and feel free to share your creations in the comments. Take care.

I have written a lot of poetry. I know in some circles it gets no respect, but it does not stop my writing it, and it should not hinder you either.

Okay, I can imagine some of you saying I have not written verse since high school. This is okay. Then some of you are going to say poetry is hard, and I am not smart enough. You should never speak of yourself that way. Poetry only requires creativity and a willingness to try. You must have both because you are reading this.

I generally do not like forms in poetry. Forms are where one is prescribed certain syllable counts, line counts, or rhyme schemes. One of those is hard enough to write under, but some forms require all three, masterminds like Shakespeare can do it, me not so much. I am primarily a free verse poet, but there are a few forms I enjoy.

If you have not heard of the Japanese form Haiku, you are in for a treat. Haiku is an ancient form. Initially, it was developed to celebrate the seasons, nature, or sometimes special occasions. Some still write it that way. I play with haiku when I am stuck or blocked. I have found the act of writing, even haiku, unsticks the gears in the brain so real work can be done.

Americanized Haiku are three lines with a first line syllable count of five, second line syllable count of seven, and the last line syllable count of five. As long as you keep the numbers and use some imagery or proverbial meaning, you will do just fine.

Here are a few examples:

The dog sits alone
Looking out the window while
Rain blurs fallen leaves.

When I see a clown
Outside a birthday party
I tend to shiver.

You cannot produce
An ample creative crop
Without great effort.

Now it is your turn. See how your creative mind can muster up to the challenge. I believe you will enjoy it. If you want to share your work leave some of it in the comments.

Thank you so much for visiting Haphazard Creative. I hope you had fun and will return. Take care!