The Tanka - Modern Japanese Tanka edited and translated by Makoto Ueda

Index of Poetry. Highlights for Poetry. Books of Poetry Form. How to Write Poetry. Latest books read.

Essays on how to write specific forms: Haibun. Haiga. Haiku. Hay(na)ku. Rengay. Renku. Tanka. Cinquain. Concrete. Ghazal. Lai. Pantoum. Prose poem. Rondeau. Rubáiyát. Sestina. Skaldic verse. Sonnet. Terza rima. Triolet. Tritina. Villanelle.

Las formas de la poesía en Español: El Poema Concreto.

Haiku by Bashō. Haiku by Shiki. Haiku by J. Zimmerman. Tanka by J. Zimmerman. Ueda on Tanka.

Modern Japanese Tanka edited by Makoto Ueda. Twenty Japanese poets develop the tanka in the 20th century. Writing and Enjoying Haiku: A Hands-On Guide (2003) by Jane Reichhold. Includes useful guidelines on writing haiku and related forms. Love Poems from the Japanese (1994) translated by Kenneth Rexroth edited by Sam Hamill, with selections from four books of Rexroth's translations: One Hundred Poems from the Japanese, One Hundred More Poems from the Japanese, The Burning Heart, and Love Poems of Marichiko. Some of the greatest love poems from the Japanese tradition selected from classical (including the imperial Manyoshu and Kokinshu), medieval, and modern sources.

Modern Japanese Tanka edited and translated by Makoto Ueda

Poets. Modernization Efforts.

• 400 tanka.

• 20 poets:

  Akiko, Yosano	1878-1942	Modern Romantics group.
  Choku, Shaku	1887-1953	Shasei group.
  Fumi, Saito	b. 1909
  Fumiko, Nakajo	1922-1954
  Hakushu, Kitahara	1885-1952
  Kanoko, Okamoto	1889-1939
  Kenji, Miyazawa	1896-1932
  Kunio, Tsukamoto	b. 1922
  Machi, Tawara	b. 1962
  Mokichi, Saito	1882-1953	Shasei group.
  Nobuyuki, Okuma	1893-1977
  Ogai, Mori	1862-1922
  Samio, Maekawa	1903-1990
  Shiki, Masaoka	1867-1902	Shasei group.
  Shuji, Miya	1911-1986
  Takuboku, Ishikawa	1886-1912	Social Criticism group. Powerful lyric poet.
  Toshimi, Kondo	b. 1913
  Tekkan, Yosano	1873-1935	Modern Romantics group. 1900: founds poetry magazine Myojo (Morning Star).
  Yoshimi, Kondo	b. 1913
  Yukitsuna, Sasaki	b. 1938
  Zenmaro, Toki	1885-1980	Social Criticism group. Inventor of three-line tanka (though kept the 5-7-5-7-7 morae) later used to great success by Takubuko. Shows "keen perception of a man who believes human society could, and should be, better than it is".

• Ueda says that the term tanka is best used for the form after the modernization that started in the late nineteenth century. [Prior to that, use the term waka.]

• Modernization movements:
  • Led by Yoshimi, writing Poetry of the Self, reflecting the individual.

• Modernization approaches:
  • Modern Romantics: Tekkan and Akiko.
  • Shasei ("sketch from life") where "life" refers to the poet's subjective self. Shiki and Mokichi and Choku.
  • Tanka as Social Criticism: this also used the "sketch from life" principle, but where "Shasei meant portraying society as it really was, thereby revealing the pitfalls that lay in wait for the ordinary person" [p. xx]. Takubuko was the most notable. Also Zenmaro. Advocated use of the modern vocabulary of Japanese and its modern rhythms.

Time Line

1896.

Yoshimi is the first to publish new-style tanka.

1900.

Tekkan and his group found the new poetry magazine Myojo (Morning Star).

1901.

Akiko and Tekkan marry.

1908.

Araragi (Yew Tree) magazine founded. Mokichi is a strong member of the Araragi group. Choku is also a member.

1910.

Zenmaro's first book of tanka: written in three lines instead of the traditional one; and (shockingly) written in Roman letters.

1925.

New Tanka Society formed by poets promoting the 'Tanka as Social Criticism' modernization movement.

Early 1930s.

Zenmaro joins the "free-style tanka movement", writing tanka unrestricted by syllable count.

1950s.

Zenmaro advocates "epic tanka movement".

Other Books.

Modern Japanese Tanka edited by Makoto Ueda. Twenty Japanese poets develop the tanka in the 20th century. Writing and Enjoying Haiku: A Hands-On Guide (2003) by Jane Reichhold, Includes useful guidelines on writing haiku and related forms. Love Poems from the Japanese (1994) translated by Kenneth Rexroth edited by Sam Hamill, with selections from four books of Rexroth's translations: One Hundred Poems from the Japanese, One Hundred More Poems from the Japanese, The Burning Heart, and Love Poems of Marichiko. Some of the greatest love poems from the Japanese tradition selected from classical (including the imperial Manyoshu and Kokinshu), medieval, and modern sources.

Related pages: Books of Poetry Form. Alphabetic list of poetry forms, etc. How to Write Poetry.

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