1. The Haiku’s Older, Slightly More Complicated Brother
The Tanka
The Haiku’s Older, Slightly More Complicated Brother

2. What is a tanka? 短歌 (literally means “short poem”)
Basically - a haiku with two extra seven-syllable lines
Form:
No specific rhyme scheme/rhythm to follow
Usually discusses an aspect of nature (similar to the haiku)

3. Example Poems “The trouble is Every man Keeps a prisoner Groaning
In his heart.”
- Takuboku Ishikawa
“The color of the cherry blossom
Has faded in vain
In the long rain
While in idle thoughts
I have spent my life.”
Ono no Komachi

4. History The Tanka first originated around the seventh century
It was used in the Japanese Imperial Court and used for courtships
Many couples used it as a form of ‘thanks’ after an outing together because it was viewed as intimate form of communication
Can be seen as Japan’s version of love letters
Women usually wrote them more often than men

5. Symbology of the Tanka’s Structure
It quickly rose in popularity in the era for several reasons
Is like a mixture of a ballad and a sonnet
“Tanka” can also be translated to “short song”
Originally, the tanka was meant to be chanted to a small rhythm, making it similar to the musical ballad
A Tanka has a poetic “turn” like the sonnet has
This turn is located within the third line. It connects the “kami-no-ku”, or “upper poem”, with the “shimo-no-ku”, or “lower poem”

6. The Modern Tanka
The tanka was revived by several poets who published their poems in literary magazines
Masaoka Shiki’s works were very influential, and the literary magazine they were published in - Hototogisu - is still published today
Ishikawa Takuboku’s tankas have been published in The New York Times (1980)
The tanka lost popularity after World War II, but after the late 1980s has regained popularity thanks to contemporary poets such as Tawara Machi
Many newspapers today have tanka columns

7. Haiku to Tanka Activity
In this short activity, you will be given a paper with three haikus. Come up with two more lines that will complete the poem and follow the form of a tanka.

8. Tanka Madlib Flowers (1 syllable) (2 syllable)
(3 syllable) in the (2 syllable)
(2 syllable) bloom (2 syllable)
(1 syllable) gone with the (3 syllable)
(1 syllable) (1 syllable) dying in the dark