Types of Japanese Poetry

Haiku

The form of Haiku poetry originated from the Renga. The Haiku is a type of Japanese poetry that is short in length and has been around the longest. Basho, the famous Japanese poet, contributed to making this type of poetry well known. Even though it's survived all these years, people still enjoy writing this form of poetry today.

The structure of the Japanese Haiku has changed tremendously overtime. In the 15th century, the original form contained up to one hundred verses. Each verse still had a specific number of syllable, similar to the Renga. The first Haikus were created by two poets working together on one poem. The more recent Haiku consists of 17 syllables. Over time, the Haiku has changed it's structure, but one thing that has never changed is the set number of syllables.

Need some help and ideas to create your Haiku? In order to write a Haiku you must be in a state of relaxation. You might want to listen to some Japanese inspirational music to help your ideas start flowing. Haikus can be written about anything. Most people write their Haikus on nature and their daily lives. The three lines of the Haiku create a feeling which describes a poet's emotions.

Tanka

Another type of Japanese poetry is the Tanka. It's older than the famous Haiku, but not as well known. The Tanka has been a well known type of poetry in Japan for about 1300 years. After every special event or occasion a Tanka was written about the event. Tanka tends to be longer than the Haiku so it allows the poet to express his or her feelings in more depth. Typically the Tanka is written about one's feelings. In order to write this type of poetry, one must write about something they have a great love for and are passionate about. For example, nature, a place, family, a loved one, or their own daily life, most likely whatever you feel is right. A well written Tanka creates a vivid image which is related to emotions. This type of poetry gives poets the opportunity to express their own feelings in an unique way.

Renga

Another type of Japanese poetry is the Renga. Throughout history, Japanese poetry was continually changing. Over time, a technique developed so that two poets could enjoy creating one poem at the same time, this concept was known as the Renga. The idea behind the Renga is that one poet writes a section on their own ideas and the next poet adds the next section. Two poets combining their own ideas forming one poem, soon became a popular pass time and a form of entertainment. Many people thought of Renga as playing a competitive game. In order to participate in this game-like fashion, being a fast thinker with a good sense of humor was a requirement. People had parties were they used this form of entertainment. Renga poems are known to be longer than other types of Japanese poetry and they can reach up to 100 verses. Renga poetry is a fun form of entertainment that anyone can enjoy.

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