Journal Entry 50: Tanka Poem

The Tanka poem is very similar to haiku, but Tanka poems have more syllables and they use simile, metaphor and personification. There is no rhyme scheme, and it is written in free verse, which is to say there is no specific pattern of stress, feet, or meter. It has very few distinct rules or boundaries. The only rule with a Tanka poem is that it has to have five lines and the five lines have to have the correct number of syllables. Here is an example of a Tanka poem:

Line one - 5 syllables	Beautiful mountains
Line two - 7 syllables	Rivers with cold, cold water.
Line three - 5 syllables	White cold snow on rocks
Line four - 7 syllables	Trees over the place with frost
Line five - 7 syllables	White sparkly snow everywhere.

Please write three Tanka poems. Choose themes from above, or come up with your own theme. When you write your Tankas, try to make a very clear picture of something, some place, some event, or some person in your mind. Really visualize it—its colors, sounds shapes, motions, smells, and any other sensations you can remember. Don’t start to write until you can see a picture in your mind.


Homework is torture
Can't decide whether to do
homework or sleeping
I think I like sleeping more,
but I have to do homework.

Dinner was awesome.
We had some leftovers and
some frozen pizzas.
Frizzling coke with my sister's spit,
because we were arguing.

Poetry is hard.
They hide, and I never find them.
I spend hours trying.
It's like playing hide and seek,
with someone that I can't see.