Tankas In the royal court there was also sometimes competition where the first three lines of a poem would be recited and competitors had to come up with the other two lines. Tanka unlike Haiku deals with emotions and imagination. Also there are the two extra lines. English written tanka do not follow the rules as closely. Some people start it with the longer line and others completly do away with the pattern of 5,7,5,7,7 syllables. Some combine several tankas to create one poem. Apple trees in bloom... Eyes like windowpanes... Your presence I feel... All text copyright © 2000 Please email me for permission to use these poems |
Tanka is an ancient Japenese style of poetry writing. They were written as a way for lovers to exchange messages without the servant who delivered the message knowing what the message was about.. A woman who could write a good tanka was assured of a secure financial position. As she could secure more lovers and hence a better financial position.
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