Author Notes
The tanka is a thirty-one-syllable poem. A form of waka, Japanese song or verse, tanka translates as "short song," and is better known in its five-line, 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count form.
History of the Tanka Form
One of the oldest Japanese forms, tanka originated in the seventh century and quickly became the preferred verse form not only in the Japanese Imperial Court, where nobles competed in tanka contests but for women and men engaged in courtship. Tanka's economy and suitability for emotional expression made it ideal for intimate communication; lovers would often after an evening spent together (often clandestinely), dash off a tanka to give to the other the next morning as a gift of gratitude.
Inspired by music: Mysterious Ways, U2/ artwork Huaban
