tanka
Haiku's longer ancestor
A tanka is a Japanese poetic form of five lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5-7-7, totaling thirty-one syllables.
Older than haiku, tanka traditionally explores themes of love, nature, and longing.
The form has been adapted into English poetry, though syllable counts are sometimes approximated rather than strict.
Point of rotation
- imageryVivid descriptive language
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- anthologyCollected literary works volume
- verseMetered poetic passage
stanza · syllable · cadence · rhythm · diction · metaphor · alliteration · assonance
Intense, persistent desire
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
- nostalgiaLonging for the past
- sorrowDeep emotional distress
- loveIntense fond attachment
heartache · impermanence · grief · affection · wistfulness · transience · beauty · seasons
Former Japanese capital
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
- imperialRelating to supreme rule
- aristocraticOf hereditary nobility
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
scroll · brush · inkstone · washi · classical · anthology · patron · emperor
Custom passed through generations
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- revivalReturn after decline
- MeijiJapanese modernization era
- culturalRelating to shared traditions
lineage · classical · contemporary · adaptation · influence · legacy
Of a Himalayan region
- thangkaTibetan religious fabric painting
- BuddhistFollower of Gautama's teachings
- scrollWound document of parchment
- silkFine woven insect fiber
canvas · deity · mandala · iconography · pigment · meditation · devotional · Himalayan
pivot
Point of rotation
- imageryVivid descriptive language
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- anthologyCollected literary works volume
verse · stanza · syllable · cadence · rhythm · diction · metaphor · alliteration · assonance
longing
Intense, persistent desire
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
- nostalgiaLonging for the past
- sorrowDeep emotional distress
love · heartache · impermanence · grief · affection · wistfulness · transience · beauty · seasons · parting
Nara
Former Japanese capital
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
- imperialRelating to supreme rule
- aristocraticOf hereditary nobility
calligraphy · scroll · brush · inkstone · washi · classical · anthology · patron · emperor · empress
tradition
Custom passed through generations
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- revivalReturn after decline
- MeijiJapanese modernization era
cultural · lineage · classical · contemporary · adaptation · influence · legacy
Tibetan
Of a Himalayan region
- thangkaTibetan religious fabric painting
- BuddhistFollower of Gautama's teachings
- scrollWound document of parchment
silk · canvas · deity · mandala · iconography · pigment · meditation · devotional · Himalayan · Nepal
Tibetan
Of a Himalayan region
river · lake · raft · oar · watercraft · cargo · crossing · hull · pilgrim · Brahmaputra
tankahaiku
Japanese seventeen-syllable verse
epic poetry · long poem · prose · novel · free verse
tankasonnet
Fourteen-line metered poem
limerick · villanelle · free verse · prose poem · slam poetry