TANKA

Author's Comments


The Tanka is the oldest form of Japanese poetry. Its original name was that of the “Waka”. However, the Japanese poet, Masaoka Shiki amended it to Tanka as a way of modernizing the Waka. The classical Tanka was in essence, poems exchanged between lovers. Now, that concept has evolved and is no longer restricted to themes of love. Also, the syllabic count assigned to the Tanka is somewhat flexible. This aspect is discussed further on down in this blog.

As years rolled on, another form of the Tanka emerged known as the English Tanka. Now we have the Japanese Tanka and the English Tanka. This has all come about because of the syntactic structure of the Japanese language and that of the English. Where in the Japanese a meaningful statement can be said in a given number of syllables, for example, in let’s say thirty syllables, that same statement in English could be said in fewer words. Also, when written in English some difficulty may arise should a Japanese translation is required. However, it must be understood clearly that there is no departure from the underlying premise for a Tanka whether written in Japanese or English with respect to the number of lines and the premise that the Tanka must show succinctness, simplicity, and reflect nature. The adjustment is made with respect to the syllabic count where in the English Tanka the syllabic count is opened to the poet’s discretion but not the required number of lines where strict adherence must apply. However, with this liberalization in syllabic count for English Tanka, authorities on English Tanka feel that such restriction prevents padding the “moment in time” by overloading the poem with images or clichés thus stretching the sentiments beyond the moment in time”, which is the most important element of the Tanka. Clichés are not accepted in Tanka poems.

This “short form” of Japanese poetry gives poets the opportunity to express their own feelings in a unique manner, with simplicity in meaningful words crafted lyrically. If you can précis the images that come into your mind to capture the “moment in time”, then you can write a Tanka on anything that you feel passionately about, which could be about nature, a place, family, loved ones, daily activities, and so on. Now I believe that right now these questions are circulating in your head: How can Tanka be defined? What are its parameters? Read on and you shall find the answers.

Japanese Tanka is a short form poem in which a single event, image or mood is the concentrated essence of this poetic genre of five unrhymed lines. It consists of thirty-one syllables in the following structure:

First line has 5 syllables

Second line, 7 syllables

Third line, 5 syllables

Fourth line, 7 syllables

Fifth line, 7 syllables

In the English Tanka, a single event, image or mood is the concentrated essence of this poetic genre of five unrhymed lines. No restrictions on the number of syllables required as is the case with the Japanese Tanka requiring 31 syllables. However, most English Tanka that I have come across tend to adhere to a syllable count of 21 as follows:

First line has 3 syllables

Second line, 5 syllable

Third line, 3 syllables

Fourth line, 5 syllables

Fifth line, 5 syllables

Here are some examples I have crafted for greater understanding, is my hope.




Night time
(Japanese Tanka)


Floating clouds fold wings
Spread ember blanket on land
Sequined eyes sparkle
Amid vesper lullabies
Deserted roads stay on course

©Paterika Hengreaves
December 20, 2006/Ohio, USA






Happiness
(English Tanka)


The sky smiles
Yesterday tears gone,
Ground firm now
For all to stand on
Clothes lines are dancing.

©Paterika Hengreaves
December 20, 2006/Ohio, USA

Hope

Morning greets the sun

Tweet, tweet! The bird sweetly sings

While kissing the blooms

And leaves with its crystal dew

As zephyrs waltz in the boughs

©Paterika Hengreaves
May 2006/Ohio, USA

Hugs

My hugs I give you

With the beating of my heart

In tune with your mind

As I rock you in my arms

Close your eyes, and go to sleep

©Paterika Hengreaves

December 2004/Arkles Bay, New Zealand

Choices

Yes, we all make choices
Amid hype and noises
The point is only this
Crackers you will dismiss
Smile! Smile on Kemp your host
When, up he pops the toast.

All day the sky will weep,
And I must feed the sheep
Then, and what will I do?
Drop biscuits in the stew.
Eat and chat with Loraine;
Rain drips on window-pane.

©Paterika Hengreaves
August 2005/Barbados

SESTINA

Author's Comments

The Sestina is a fixed form consisting of six 6-line stanzas (usually unrhymed) in which the end words of the first stanza recur as end words of the following five stanzas in a successively rotating order and as the middle and end words of each of the lines of a concluding envoi in the form of a Tercet.

The usual ending word order for a sestina is as follows:


First stanza
1 - 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6

Second stanza
6 – 1 – 5 – 2 – 4 – 3

Third stanza
3 – 6 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 5

Fourth stanza
5 – 3 – 2 – 6 – 1 – 4

Fifth stanza
4 – 5 – 1 – 3 – 6 – 2

Sixth stanza
2 – 4 – 6 – 5 – 3 – 1


Concluding Tercet

Middle of first line – 2, end of first line – 5

Middle of second line – 4, end of second line – 3

Middle if third line – 6, end of third line – 1

SENRYU

Author's Comments

The Senryu, named after the Japanese poet, Karai Senryu (1718-1790) is a 3-line unrhymed Japanese poem structurally similar to the Haiku but treating human nature usually in an ironic or satiric vein. It is not unusual to see this genre made up of fewer than 17 morae. Most folks find great difficulty in differentiating the Senryu from the Haiku. A wise thing to do, is this: if the composition does not meet the criteria set for the construction of a Haiku, then it is a Senryu.

Morae refers to the unit of time equivalent to the ordinary or normal short sound or syllable.

The Haiku is a Japanese style of poetry consists of three lines made up of 5, 7 and 5 syllables in the order shown. Natural images or themes are frequently included to capture the qualities of experiencing the typical world uncluttered by “ideas”. This style of poetry relies on brevity and simplicity to convey its message.

From these definitions, the Senryu and the Haiku seem to be pretty close indeed. Yes indeed, difference between is marginal. Well, here is another way to keep them apart. The Senryu are often cynical or darkly humourous while the Haikus are serious in the treatment of the theme. The examples below should further clear up any doubts in your mind.

Haiku Poems

(Gardens)

now open your eyes
see the beauty around you
the gift nature gives

puzzle mind wanders
star lights shine amid the green
fragrant candles bloom

behold the vista
showcase of countless beauty
heaven and the earth


Senryu Poems

(Change)

naked as a babe
to fall and to rise again
clad in robes of spring

(Enjoyment)

people jam hopping
on the Spring Garden highway
like masked grasshoppers

(Protesting)

the tribe of Maori
takes a stance on the shoreline
watching the seabed

The Senyru Chain

Enjoyment(Crop-Over)

People jam hopping
on the Spring Garden highway
like masked grasshoppers(Fish Festival)
Folks from Oistin come
to celebrate gainfully
their sea voyages

© Paterika Hengreaves
May 2003/Atlantic Shores, Barbados

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Change

Naked as a babe
to fall and to rise again
clad in robes of spring


Protest
(Foreshore and Seabed)

The tribe of Maori
takes a stance on the shoreline
watching the seabed

© Paterika Hengreaves
July 2004/Hibiscus Coast, New Zealand


-------------------------------------------------------

Remembrance

The quest is over
in peace the silent heart beats
on for-get-me-not



Desperation

Dancing beaver takes
two steps backwards and trembles
standing for your vote


Disgrace

Smiles spring from faces
true colours show with the fall
leaves a pretty mess


Gossip

Those fiery tongues
stroke hidden wild winds that blow
grape vines creep on the trellis


Cognition

Sea bed of knowledge
swim deep to harvest all sorts
in the sands of time


Contemplation

The world is my muse
fodder for a feeding brain
reservoir of thoughts


Wealth

My thoughts are riches
the mint of my memory
how can I be poor?


Selfishness

You want a review
of verses, rhymes and poems
golden rule ignore


© Paterika Hengreaves
2006/Ohio, USA

RICTAMETER

Author's Comments


A Rictameter is made up of nine lines in each stanza with the following syllabic count:

1 -- 2 syllables
2 -- 4 syllables
3 -- 6 syllables
4 -- 8 syllables
5 -- 10 syllables
6 -- 8 syllables
7 -- 6 syllables
8 -- 4 syllables
9 -- 2 syllables (are the same as line 1)

The modified version of the Rictameter is known as the Rictameter Swirl. This is created by changing the first and last line, stringing these together similar to the Cinquain Chain or Swirl, or a combination of both.

The following poems serve as examples:

Christmas (Rictameter)
Christmas Time Again (Rictameter Swirl)

I hope you find much pleasure in reading them

Do have a

MERRY

MERRY

CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Time Again

(Rictameter Swirl)

Christmas

Comes once a year

For Christians everywhere

Celebrate the Nativity

And Jews blend well with their Hanukka too

Lots of wishes and blessings flow

From the hearts and the soul

Should continue

All year

We wish for you

The joys the New Year brings

And resolutions we will made

Springs of hope revitalizing the mind

The gift of love hangs on the Cross

Easter He arose gave

The Blessed gift

Bestowed

©Paterika Hengreaves

December 15, 2006/Ohio, USA

THE QUATRAIN

Author's Comments

Oh, there are so many different types of Quatrains. These are some of the names that readily come to mind not listed in alphabetical order:

The Introverted:

A quatrain having an enclosed rhyme which has abba rhyme scheme. The Introverted Stanza may also be called envelope rhyme since the rhymes of the first and last lines enclose the other lines.

Ballad Meter:

Alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, with the last words of the second and fourth lines rhyming, an abcb rhyme scheme.

Curtal Quatrain:

A quatrain in which the fourth line is shortened

Common Measure (C.M.):

An iambic stanza form similar to ballad measure. It is a quatrain in alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter with rhyme scheme abcb. To put this differently, C.M. consists of four iambic verses making a stanza, the first and third having each four feet, and the second and fourth each three feet.

Curtal Long Hymnal Stanza:

A stanzaic form composed of three lines of iambic tetrameter and one of iambic dimeter rhymed abab.

Envelope Stanza:

Quatrain rhymed abba. The Redondilla is an example

In Memorium Stanza:

An envelope stanza (rhymed abba) in iambic tetrameter

Long Hymnal Stanza:

An iambic stanza form similar to ballad measure. It is a quatrain in alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter with rhyme scheme abab. A slight variation on Common Measure.

Long Measure (L.M.):

Quatrains in iambic tetrameter with ryme scheme abcb. To put this statement another way, L.M. consists of iambic verses of four feet each, four verses usually making a stanza.

Quaternion:

Of English origin, it is a 12-line 3-quatrain poem with fixed rhyme scheme. Rhyme scheme set at aabb ccdd abcd.

Short Meter (S.M.):

Iambic verses, the first, second and fourth having each three feet, and the third four feet. The stanza usually consists of four lines, but is sometimes doubled.

Redondilla:

This Spanish verse form is written in tetrameter in which each stanza consists of four lines, each with eight syllables and with any of these rhyme schemes: abba, abab or aabb.

Rubaiyat (Rubaa-ey)

This is the Persian word for quatrain and is a collection of poems attributed to the Persian mathematician and astronomer, Omar Khayyam (1048-1123). The rhyme scheme is aaba, that is, lines one and two and four. In longer poems built in rubaiyat rhyme scheme, the connection is sometimes extended to AABA BBCB CCDC, and so on. This is sometimes called, naturally, "interlocking rubaiyat." The structure can be made cyclical by linking the unrhymed line of the final stanza: ZZAZ. A pure use of the interlocking rubaiyat in Modern English poetry is Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."

Heroic Stanza:

A quatrain consisting of two heroic couplets written in an elevated style; the rhyme scheme is abab. The heroic couplet consists of two rhymed linesof iambic pentameter and written in an elevated style.

Pantoum:

The Pantoum is composed of a series of quatrains, the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next.

This pattern continues for any number of stanzas, except for the final stanza which differs in the repeating pattern.

The first and third lines of the last stanza are the second and fourth of the penultimate, the first line of the poem is the last line of the final stanza, and the third line of the first stanza is the second of the final. Ideally, the meaning of lines shifts when they are repeated although the words remain exactly the same: this can be done by shifting punctuation, punning, or simply recontextualizing.

There is the Imperfect Pantoum, in which the final stanza differs from the form stated above, and the second and fourth may be different from any preceding lines.

Venus and Adonis Stanza:

A stanza consisting of iambic pentameter quatrain and couplet with the rhyme scheme ababcc. The stanza was so called because it was used by William Shakespeare in his poem, "Venus and Adonis" (1593). Its form is like the structure for the Sesta Rima which is a six line stanza composed of a quatrain and a couplet and rhymed ababcc.

Kyrielle:

This is a Medieval French form written in rhyming couplets (though often arranged in quatrains) and featuring repeated lines or refrains. An example of a Kyrielle is Thomas Campion's poem, "A Lenten Hymn." These are some of the possible rhyming schemes for Kyrielle constructed in quatrains, aabB, ccbB and abaB, cbcB (uppercase letters signify the refrain). In the original French Kyrielle, lines were generallly octosyllabic. In English, the lines are generally iambic tetrameters.

Octameter in poetry is a line of eight metrical feet. It is not very common in English Verse. See example below

Trochaic: "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Dactylic: A.C. Swinburne's poem, "March: An Ode."

Nostradamus prophetic quatrains:

The Frenchman, Michael de Nostredame (December 14, 1503 - July 2, 1566) wrote in quatrains published in his book titled "Les Prophetics" (The Prophesies). This book contains his collection of major, long-term predictions. The quatrains featured both rhymed and unrhymed verses.

Shichigon-Zekka:

This is the Japanese term for a poetry verse form (often of Chinese origin) consisting of four phrases each seven Chinese characters (kanji) in length. This is the most common form of classical Chinese poems (kanski) and the standard form of Shigin (Japanese chanted poetry).

In composing Shichigon-Zekku, the character of the phrases (Zekku) is important. The rule is as follows:

First phrase (Kiku): Depiction of the scene

Second phrase (Shoku): Add further illustration and detail to the Kiku

Third phrase (Tenku): By changing the scene of the action, reveal the true essence of the poem

Fourth phrase (Kekku): In assimilating the tenku draw together and complete the poem

The Japanese terms mean literally: bringing into being, understanding; changing and drawing together.

As can been seen, the Quatrain is the most popular stanzaic form. It must consists of four (4) lines usually in a rhyme scheme of abab or in any of the following variants:
aaba
aabb
abba
aaba
abcd

The significance of the quatrain lies in the fact that it can be easily memorized because it contains only four lines of verse. It is intimately concerned with feelings. It‘s like a short story by which the poet can express thoughts easily.

All the stanzas in the poem, "The Westerlies" are quatrains. Click on the link below or at right to read the poem in its entirety. Your comments are appreciated greatly.

The Westerlies

Unpredictable when ever they stir
For sure these Westerlies know how to blow
These "forties" roar in southern hemisphere
At a wink their eyes change style as they flow.

They change their names in the northern hemisphere
At any time they strut their stuff each day
They fly across the Tasman Sea down here
They prance over huge terrain in their way.

Many names for Westerlies do abound
They spin from the west then twirl and then nest
In the Auckland Harbour they can be found
Circumpolar whirl that name is the best.

It's October and spring still in the air
Waitemata Harbour thinks it's too long
Windsurfers sail the sky this time of year
In Orewa Westerlies bring sad song.

The south Westerlies are gusty and strong
The sky once blue has quickly turned to grey
Heavy rain keeps pouring down on the throng
Floods are everywhere in Poverty Bay.

©Paterika Hengreaves
October 2004/Hibicus Coast, Orewa, New Zealand

PROSE POETRY

Author's Comments

As any cool cat would tell you, Prose Poetry is better explained by comparing and contrasting it against Prose and Free Verse, as well as providing its own suitable description.
Prose Poetry is characterized with rhythmic, aural and syntactic repetition; compression of thought; sustained intensity and patterned structure, but is set on the page in a continuous sequence of sentences as in prose, without line breaks.

Prose is the ordinary language people use in speaking or writing, as distinguished from the heightened language of poetry. In Prose, the line is not treated as a formal unit, nor does it employ the repetitive patterns of rhythm or meter associated with the many forms of poetic expression. The cadence or rhythmical prose (Prose Poetry) is not established before, but emerges from the rhythm of thought.

Cadence is the recurrent rhythmical pattern of lines of verses; also, the natural tone or modulation of the voice determined by the alternation of stressed or unstressed syllables. It differs from meter in that it is not necessarily regular but rather a more flexible concept of rhythm such as is characteristic of Free Verse and Prose Poetry.

One of the characteristics that distinguishes Free Verse from Prose Poetry (rhythmical prose) is that Free Verse has line breaks which divide the content into uneven rhythmic units. The liberation from metrical regularity allows such writers a free hand to select as it were, line breaks appropriate to the intended sense of the text, as well as to shape the white space on the page for visual effects.

Free Verse enjoys a greater potential for visual arrangement than is possible in metrical verse. Free Verse writers can structure the relationships between white space and textual elements to indicate pause, distance, silence, emotion, and other effects.

Free Verse is therefore, a fluid form which conforms to no set rules of traditional versification. This liberalization it enjoys is all because it is not governed by fixed patterns of meter and rhyme. However, writers of Free Verse employ familiar poetic devices such as assonance, alliteration, imagery, caesura, figures of speech, and so on. The rhythmic effects in Free Verse depends on the syllabic cadences emerging from the context. Free Verse has come into North American Literature as the preferred genre by the imagine. However, current trends are suggesting some shift back to structured forms of poetry and this seems to be emerging. I guess that the proliferation of Free Verse (good and bad fast food) may be the culprit. Who knows, really! We'll have to watch this trend with bated breath. As I was saying, for the imagine writers of Free Verse, has become the core of their poetic expression. They believe that Free Verse allows the though process to flow uninhibited while sucking in new rhythmic effects, colloquial language, and the expression of ideas and emotions, with clear, well-defined images, rather than through romanticism or symbolism. Now to end on a clear note, I think it is prudent to say a little something on the terms: romanticism, symbolism, realism and 
neoclassicism. Got to fill up this blog anyway, so I'm smiling. Are you smiling too! I hope so! It kills stress. I'm sure you know that. Anyway, as I would like to say... romanticism formed its roots as an 18th Century movement revolting against the conventional strictness of 
neoclassicism and placing artistic emphasis on imagination and the emotions.

Symbolism has its roots in a movement in the 19th Century that reacted against realism. Influenced by the connections between music and poetry, it sought to symbolize the basic idea or emotion of each poem.

Realism concerns itself with fact or reality and rejects the impractical and the visionary.

Neoclassicism in literature from an English orientation depends on most fundamentally a consensus about a body of work that has achieved canonical status. These are the "classic" models. Novelty, improvisation, self-expression, and blinding inspiration are not tenants of
 neoclassical virtues. Neoclassicism exhibits perfect control of an idiom. It does not recreate art forms from the ground up with each new project, in short it does not reinvent the wheel, as modernism appears to demand.

In any culture can be found the relative canons of classics and a recurring strain of 
neoclassicism appears to be a natural expression of a culture at a certain moment in its career, a culture that is highly self-aware, that is also confident of its own mainstream tradition, but at the same time feels the need to "regain" something that has slipped away. Now as I ponder on this I do believe my homeland, Barbados is at the crossroads in this respect. It is going through a phase of neoclassicism for the call is constantly echoed "we need to regain our past and culture" then pessimistic fence sitters under their armpits would say in sarcastic parlance that "Bajans ain't got no culture"... that is gross understatement I have ever heard. Of course, there is much culture that is distinctly Barbadianism: West Indianism and Caribbeanism are not merely buzzwords they can define our roots and rich cultural heritage and more importantly as a revered nation. I'd say that we should keep holding on to these isms for they augurs well for our decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music and architecture for we are a proud nation with self-awareness, confidence..."friends of all, satellites of none."It defines who we truly are and how far we have grown into a self-governing nation.

Humming Birds (Prose Poetry)

We connected I was glad. My four little aerial friends in glittering coats arrived. First was Buff-Bellied then Calliope. Three days later, came Black-Chinned and Ruby too. Very best of friends we were. I fed them from outstretched hands. In a timeless relationship, indeed, our love knew no bounds. I never thought, though, that this could all end. What could have caused this awful blur? I believed they thought I was a cat because people call me Mary Katz. They did not wait to check facts, so in a hurry they returned to humming bird land, Trinidad. I kept telling myself, they would be back; migratory trends would take care of the pack. I do miss my humming birds you know. They are such appreciative little creatures they glow. Into my backyard they say hello. I feed them, before I leave house, I would watch their incandescent rainbow feathers glow; their branching turns, pirouettes in the air. My sadness now is replaced with joy, because of a card they sent me, today, it reads, “sorry my friend for our foul up display. The weather up there, you know, is very cold this time of the year. The frost, is not good, for our brilliant array, south of the border to Marguerite, is where, we temporarily will stay. Adios.

©Paterika Hengreaves
2001/New York, USA

Hem and Haw

Why is it so hard for some people to make up their minds? They keep on hemming and hawing before they can come to an agreement. It is like pulling teeth. Hehe! They behave like executives in a government office. This couple I met is a classic case in point. Their travel documents are as old as the hills and there is this battle of words between them both. She asked him how long his passport allows him to stay. Then questions started to rain like hail. "Why this information was not made clear? Then there would have been no problem, my dear. Is it not the intention for us to meet for a while so we can see if there is chemistry between us and finally clear up the mystery that is lurking here? We are searching for that special one, are we not? Do you want to meet in the fall or summer? So, do I hear you say that you will come and stay for a while, three days or more, in the villa owned by John Moore? I hate to lose you because you cannot make up your mind or could it be that you so cheap because you think that the rent for the place is too steep? Or is this your way of saying goodbye?"

©Paterika Hengreaves/July 2003

A Cinderella Too

Why do they have to treat me so? Cover me up with a colourful wrap with no bow? Then place me on a shelf in somebody’s store, so that shoppers buy my cleansing agents and more. Why do I have fragrance so very sweet? Why must I undergo so many degrees of heat? One moment, I feel like oil, a gel or petroleum. Then be a bar, a powder or liquid with a different smell. Does anyone really care about how I feel? Housed me in a wrap that must be ideal, but sealed so tightly I can hardly sneeze, while insisting that I fight the battle of disease. Why do I have to endure such crap? They undressed me and discarded my wrap. They plunged me in water hot and cold then left me exposed on a sink, fancy! That is bold. Why must I be the Cinderella of the cleaning world and be placed in some machine to be tossed and twirled? Why do I have to be called by different brands and be touched by so many hands? My fragrant emissions are so carefully hidden, but the places I must be are never forbidden. The lather must be everywhere on body parts, animate or inanimate, I must be dear, there and everywhere

©Paterika Hengreaves/2002

Hidden Agenda

Some people would do and say anything when on the chase for a mark with stripes. They are not true to themselves or to us. Dishonesty of thought, you would agree. Do these people rest at night? Do they sleep with opened eyes? Why such self-inflicted pain for fame? Oh! That is a burning shame. We are persons with unique minds and divergent thinkers and that is what democracy allows. Independent thought, we arouse. Be sincere in all you do and that should be your motto too. Be guided by facts and a truthful heart. No bitterness abounds when we must part. Tongue and cheek do have words, they say, but yet remaining in place just the same. Oh, yes! Opinions expressed can cause offence when not coated with plain commonsense. Reflecting is such a wonderful thing because it purges the brain of useless vies each day. So we think out loud every now and then with no axe to grind.

©Paterika Hengreaves/2002