haiku, senrruy and tanka

[pieter pannevis]

Dear all,
 There is a distinct difference between the Japanese form of poetry as was
introduced “with the falling hailstones”
Tanka means: short song. It’s within 5 lines divided in 5-7-5-7-7 syllables
It expresses a deep feeling by means of connected image from the natural
world. It was a kind of art form practiced by travelling poets
This history goes back to earlier than 760 when a sampling on what was known
was published (the Manyoshu).
About 1350 the high times of this kind of poem where over.
In 1880 it revived during the Meijj- period
Today there are about three hundred magazines on Tankas in Japan
The first three lines make the upper part
The last two the underpart
It’s like in a sonnet that the latter two lines reflects and echo or
conclusion on the three above

The haiku originated as a kind or word play at the court.
It was a kind of chain-poems ( renga).
The first poet made the first three part lines 5-7-5 syllables and the next
poet replied with two lines of 7-7 syllables and so on

The rules were rather strict and as times goes by (thank you Bogart) one
practised more the “Haiku no Renga”(the humoristic Renga without all the
rules)
This kind of poem constitutes in the fist line even a poem in itself, in
which the feeling of a moment in time was reflected

So it became “a haiku” (haiku no hokku) = humoristic starting line.
One of the best know poets on this verse type was Basho
His book” The narrow road to the deep North” is a marvel to behold.

He already was in poor condition but he made it, getting more and more to
the essence of life in fewer words
The haiku always is a kind of season poetry, by means of introducing season
words, like snow, or spring blossom

Haiku’ are always ordered to the seasons to which it reflect.
The last sentence is often a surprise or essence to the whole

Senryu at last is the popular form of haiku
It has the same basic elements of form (5-7-5), but it deals with more
common things the literature Haiku overlooked
It dealt with the daily doings and life

It started about 1750 without much rules. Poets came together I teahouses
and they performed there
Afterwards there were votes which of the “stand-up comedians” had he best
and even a prize was awarded
The name Senryu is connected to one of the judges.

Nowadays the Senryu is as delicate as the Haiku

That will be all!
Take care

Pieter

Ps Ana will you please forward this to Tom in Japan
PPS
A poem by Basho from his book above mentioned:

No matter where I fall
On the road,
Fall will I to be buried
Among flowering bush-clovers

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