Tanka

[William O]

I am intrigued by tanka and would like to try my hand at it.  Do any of you have experience with the form?  I am particularly interested in writing love poems with this form. 

The problem is, it confounds me!  I can't hear the 'cadence' of tanka like I can with haiku.  I feel lost reading tanka.  Maybe I just have a haiku mind :)

Does anyone have any resources, tips, tutorials, book suggestions, divine intervention, anything that can give me a clue about this ancient form of emotional expression?

[Karen Cesar]

http://www.tankaonline.com/


:-*

[Vida]

What Karen says :)

I am also new and perfectly understand  that feeling of being lost. Reading tanka, (not about tanka- which is also necessary :) ) helps me.

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Rainy-Season-Collection-Literature/dp/1880656159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357181523&sr=1-1&keywords=1880656159

http://fayaoyagi.wordpress.com/
(type "tanka" in the search box)

Best,
Vida

[AlanSummers]

Please consider buying this excellent book direct from Stonebridge:
A Long Rainy Season (contemporary tanka & haiku)
http://www.stonebridge.com/shopexd.asp?id=133


Modern Japanese Tanka
ed. Makoto Ueda
http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Japanese-Tanka-Makoto-Ueda/dp/0231104332/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

I'm actually starting an intensive month long online haiku and tanka course with an American organisation on January 7th, which also allows a further month for peer exchanges.   Some of the aspects I'll cover in tanka are:

How to Kick-Start a Tanka Poem
Humor in Tanka
The Tanka Medicine Cabinet of Cures

I think the links you have will certainly start you on a great journey, enjoy!

Alan

[William O]

Thanks everyone!  :)