Download Tanka Poem

Tanka Poem
In Japanese, tanka is often written in one straight line, but in English and other languages, we usually divide the
lines into the five syllabic units: 5-7-5-7-7.
Usually, each line consists of one image or idea; unlike English poetry, one does not seek to "wrap" lines in tanka,
though in the best tanka the five lines often flow seamlessly into one thought.
Instructions
Step 1
Think about an idea or theme for your tanka poem. Traditionally, tanka poems focused on a special event or
memorable occasion, but modern tanka poems can be about anything that is important to the writer.
Step 2
Brainstorm words for your tanka poem. Think about your idea or theme, and come up with as many words as you
possibly can. Write them down on a piece of paper.
Step 3
Look at all your word choices, and write a line with five syllables. This is the first line of your tanka poem.
Step 4
Follow up with a second line that contains seven syllables. The third line will have five syllables, and the fourth
and fifth lines will contain seven syllables each. Begin each line with a capital letter. Although Japanese tanka
writers didn't use punctuation, you should use it if it clarifies your meaning or helps to make your tanka easier to
understand.
Step 5
Read your tanka poem. Experiment with changing words or move them around. As long as you adhere to the
syllabic structure of tanka, you can do anything you like.
Snapshot Poem
When most people look through an old photo album, they remember the emotions associated with the pictures. A
snapshot poem attempts to recreate the same emotional responses as the pictures. Using words and meter, the
author first tries to paint a vivid and descriptive picture in the reader’s mind, then finishes by capturing the
emotions associated with that picture and expressing them in a way that makes the reader feel them as well.
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
Picture
Pen/pencil
Paper
Step 1
Think of a picture or memory that has some kind of emotion attached to it in your mind. This could be the joy of
your first bike ride or the sadness of the last picture of a loved one who died. The picture should be very vivid in
your mind. If you are having difficulty, look through an old photo album.
Step 2
Choose two specific sensory feelings from this memory. For example, if the memory is of your first bike ride, you
might choose the roughness of the hand grips and the pounding of your heart with the fear of falling.
Step 3
Write a stanza for each sensation. Although four lines per stanza is not a requirement--snapshots poems have no
formal structure--any less might not depict a clear enough picture. Use illustrative language and make the meter
flow from one line to the next. When read aloud, the poem should sound smooth and not have any difficult rhythm
breaks. For example, when writing about the pounding of your heart, your stanza might read:
Pounding I can feel in my throat
Racing heart and racing breath
Matching rattle of chain and spoke
Blood pumps loud through my ears.
Step 4
Use a third stanza to convey the emotion of the experience to the reader. For example, in your poem about your
first bike ride, your final stanza might read:
Fear gives way to freedom
The world is open wide
My wheels have wings
The tires sing my joy.
Limerick Poem
A limerick is a silly poem with five lines. They are often funny or nonsensical.
How to write a limerick:
The first, second and fifth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 8 or 9).
The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 5 or 6).
Limericks often start with the line "There once was a..." or "There was a..."