Forms of Poetry with examples

[RR]

In this thread, how about discussing different forms of poetry? I would like that we start with one poetry form at a time, with basic definition and then give some good examples. My idea is that it will be a good learning experience for many of the beginners (like me) here. It may be too basic for experts, but their valuable inputs are wanted a lot! Please join in

Ok, let me start first and then everyone can pitch in.

[RR]

Haiku

Probably one of the simplest (in looks), but most misunderstood, forms.

Haiku is an objective, Japanese short poem based on a nature theme, with three lines consisting of the following number of syllables per line-- five, then seven, then five.

One should not confuse haiku with senryu, another three-line, 5-7-5 style that is NOT nature-based, but is much more open in both subject matter (including the human side of existence) and subjective viewpoint, incorporating at times, even humor and political content.

(5-7-5 or 7-5-7 is not a strict criterion anymore.)

And here, right here, is where new poets go wrong. Haiku and senyru are NOT easy to write. With these forms, you are creating a snapshot of life, and the shutter speed is FAST. Every word not only counts, every word carries the weight of 12 million pounds, while the message, if done right, carries no weight at all. The one overwhelmingly vital thing about the nature-based haiku and its humanity-based cousin, senryu, is that you must think whole poem, not line by line. If you think by line, you will write absolute crap. (In fact, all poets should be thinking whole poem with EVERY poem they write-- but haiku's inherent brevity sort of forces you to do that, if you're serious about writing anything approaching a good example of the form.) A concept must be there first-- then, you return to it, having already mined the diamond, to polish off any imperfection. And here's that promised expansion of the basic definition -- the imperfection I mean has NOTHING to do with the syllables-- nothing to do with the aforementioned 5-7-5.

(I didn't write the above, just cut & paste from net )


An example quoted by Sujatha:


þÃí¸ø Üð¼ò¾¢ø
þ¨¼Å¢¼¡Áø ´Ä¢ì¸¢ÈÐ
¦ºø§À¡ý!


One by 'Kavikko' Abdul Rahman:


°÷ì §¸¡Å¢ø Á½¢Â¢ø
º¢Äó¾¢ Å¨Ä


Over to you now.

[RR]

On a related note: Recently in Kumadham, Sujatha wrote about variants of Haiku (haika or something like that). If you are aware, pls write about them too.

[Kajan]

Good topic RR,

but do we have to continue in English ?

one of my e-friend pointed out that there should not be uvamAna and uvamEyam in haiku

Kajan

[RR]

but do we have to continue in English ?

No, no have to's. Feel free to write in tamil, if you like.

[geno]

Nice topic RR!!

Thanx for the info abt - Haiku and senyru.

I guess there were 'feuds' regarding the "form" of Haiku - and also regarding who "introduced" that form to thamizh vAsakarkaL ( abdul or sujatha enru!)

Both the examples/forms you gave were nice

Now i wanted to share this info regarding a new form of poem.

'Limerick" enkiRa oru (america?) pA vakai paRRi - kavithaip pakkangaLil padithathu :

http://www.forumhub.com/poems/15829.07.13.20.html

Im quoting from there :

"Limerick" is a 5-line verse [or, worse !] with the 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines of similar and longer length plus rhyming ends, and with shorter 3rd and 4th lines which rhyme too - relating a humourous anecdote, or incident, with a surprise 'twist' in the 5thand last line.

thamizhil, 'limerick'-ai - "ainthadiyaar" enRu azaikkalAmAm!

angE sila uthArana "ainthadiyArkaL" tharap pattuLLana.. AnAl, chummA vEdikaiyAka ezuthuvathaRkuththAn - allathu - "Black Humor" vakaiyAna kavithai ezuthaththAn "limerick" payanpadum pOla therikiRathu

[RR]

Here's what sujatha wrote about haiku in ambalam:

----
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----

[RR]

one of my e-friend pointed out that there should not be uvamAna and uvamEyam in haiku

̓¡¾¡×õ «ôÀÊò¾¡ý ¦º¡øĢ¢Õ츢ȡ÷. À¡º¡íÌ ±Ð×õ þøÄ¡Áø ´Õ ¿¢¸ú¨Â «ôÀʧ ¦º¡øħÅñÎÁ¡õ. Interesting poetry form this one!

[RR]

ƒ£§É¡,

Ä¢Áâì ÌÚõÀ¡ ´Õ ƒ¡Ä¢Â¡É ¸Å¢¨¾ ÅÊÅõ. ³óÐ Åâ, ¸¨¼º¢î º£÷ ±Ð¨¸ ÁðÎõ ¨ÅòÐ즸¡ñÎ ±ýÉ §ÅñÎÁ¡É¡Öõ ±Ø¾Ä¡õ §À¡Ä. ±É즸ýɧš ¿õÁ °÷ º¢É¢Á¡ô À¡¼¨Äò¾¡ý (Ó츢ÂÁ¡¸, ¸¡É¡) »¡À¸ôÀÎòи¢ÈÐ.

«ñ½¡¿¸Õ ¬ñ¼¡Ù
³É¡ÅÃõ §¸¡Å¡Ö
......
......
³º¢±ô-Ä ±ÎìÌÈ¡ñ¼¡ ¾ñ¼¡Ö!

Another one (T.R. Š¨¼Ä¢ø ÀÊì¸×õ):

§¼ö, ¿¡ý ¾¡ñ¼¡ ¨º¾¡ô§À𨼠ƒìÌ
±ý ¸¢ð§¼ ÅîÍ측§¾¼¡, ÁìÌ!
ÊŢ¢§Ä ¦ÁðÊ ´Ä¢
¯ÉìÌ ¸¡ø ÅÄ¢
§ÅÈ §ÅÄ¢ø§ÄÉ¡ ±Øм¡ ´Õ Ä¢ÁâìÌ..!

[geno]

one of my e-friend pointed out that there should not be uvamAna and uvamEyam in haiku

̓¡¾¡×õ «ôÀÊò¾¡ý ¦º¡øĢ¢Õ츢ȡ÷. À¡º¡íÌ ±Ð×õ þøÄ¡Áø ´Õ ¿¢¸ú¨Â «ôÀʧ ¦º¡øħÅñÎÁ¡õ. Interesting poetry form this one!

RR!
¯ñ¨Á¾¡ý! ¨†ìÜ ¦Ã¡õÀ subtle Å¢„Âí¸¨Ç - ´Õ snapshot §À¡Ä À¾¢× ¦ºöžüÌ ²üÈ ÅÊÅõ!

Á¢¸ ¿øÄ ¨†ìÜ-Å¢ý ¾¡ì¸õ ÀÊòÐ ÓÊò¾ º¢Ä ¸½í¸ÙìÌô
À¢ý¾¡ý ¯¨ÈìÌõ ±ýÚ §¾¡ýÚ¸¢ÈÐ! «¸ò¾¢Ûû§Ç «¾ý ¯ûǼì¸õ ´Õ ¸¡ðº¢ôÀÊÁò¨¾ ´Õ Á¢ýÉø ¦ÅðÎõ ¸½ò¾¢ø - «Æ¸¡¸ - ÁÈì¸ÓÊ¡¾¾¡¸ ²üÀÎò¾¢Å¢ðÎî ¦ºøÖõ.

¯¾¡:

"«ó¾ì ¸¡ðÊø
±ó¾ ãí¸¢ø
ÒøÄ¡íÌÆø?"

- «Ó¾ À¡Ã¾¢