Tanka

Japanese poet and critic Masaoka Shiki created the term tanka in the early twentieth century for his statement that poetry should be renewed and modernized. Until then, poems of this nature had been referred to as waka literally "song" or "poem." Tanka consists of 5 lines following a 5-7-5-7-7 syllabic pattern. Tanka is a much older form of Japanese poetry than haiku.




Brown bird nest I see
The signs of life I perceive
In the ground it was
Abandoned bird nest is now
I shall say where the bird is?
(10th grade)




Cracking, faded leaves
Strewn on the powdery ground.
Wind blows through them all,
Arising whispers and sighs;
Distant echoes of last breaths.
(10th grade)




Green and lush meadow
trees are reaching for the sky
eyes peer from the shrubs
a rustle of twigs within
a bird's call sounds above you.
(11th grade)




Birds chirp above trees
Dragonflies around my knees
Revealing wisdom
Of her appealing allure
For her beauty is puzzling.
(11th grade)




On top of a tree
Millions of animals live
Maybe a termite
Or even small, chanting birds?
All around the tree they dwell
(7th grade)




moo moo the cows say
hungry hungry for mangos
food food they yell
MOO MOO they get louder
eating eating the mangos
(7th grade)




The palm tree stood tall
Fronds swaying ever gently
The wind then freezes
A hollow sound comes from deep
As the woodpecker comes home.
(7th grade)




something beautiful
masked by a total darkness
yes is the river
full of life but not happy
at the end this is our fault
(9th grade)




Eucalyptus trees,
you're a new canvas for me.
Your colors singing
a melody; I hear it.
It highly lifts our spirits.
(9th grade)