Modern Tanka (means short poetry) originated 1300 years ago in Japan. It evokes vivid imagery and reflection for the reader. They are free verse without meter or rhyme. They follow a 5 lines pattern of 5/7/5/7/7 (31) syllables or LESS because English syllables are different than Japanese syllables. The goal, as with most Japanese poetry, is to write as succinctly as possible. Modern Tanka doesn't always transition in the third line, like in classic tanka, But it does include descriptive and reflective structure. Tanka uses metaphor, simile, or personification. Modern Tanka rules are not as strict. The subject matter can vary, but most tanka are emotionally stirring or profound, and many are about love. Tanka is usually written in the first-person narrator's point of view. === click here if you want to read modern tanka examples === click here to read Tanka Society of America === click here if you want to read modern tanka rules

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Gypsy
"The poet waits quietly to paint the unsaid." --Atticus

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