How are Japanese haiku similar to and different from English romantic poems?

Japanese poetry is rich in both technical and spiritual beauty. With over a thousand years of history, it has many varieties that have evolved throughout the years.

With such a different approach to themes and construction compared to western poetry, Japanese poetry offers poets everywhere a unique space to explore their art.

Types of Japanese Poetry

Japanese poetry is known for its elegance and simplicity. Some would say that the two are interconnected, with a poem’s elegance coming from its ability to convey a truth while still maintaining a simple structure.

While others may not agree, there’s no denying that Japanese poems are known for their brevity. Take the haiku as an example: it’s the most popular Japanese poetry form in the world and only consists of three short lines with a meter pattern of 5-7-5.

But while we all know about the haiku, there are many more forms out there from Japan that are worthy to explore. Let’s take a look at a few of them below.

Note: While I mainly use their English translations, I included their original text when they’re available.

1. Tanka

The second most popular Japanese poetry form, the Tanka, is like a lengthier version of a haiku. It is composed of five non-rhyming lines with a meter pattern of 5-7-5-7-7.

The first three lines (5-7-5) are called a kami-no-ku or “upper phrase” while the last two lines (7-7) are called the shimo-no-ku or “lower phrase”.

Here’s a tanka by Hiroko Senki:

In castle ruins
the tappings of a hand-drum
so clearly echo,
that in Komachi's dancing
even the moon seemed to smile.　

2. Somonka

When two tankas are combined, it’s called a somonka and often revolves around the subject of love. Typically, the first tanka is a statement of love, with the following tanka a response to the first statement. Its framing is usually that of a conversation between lovers.

Here’s an example of the somonka, said to have been sent back and forth between a nobleman named Mikata No Sami and his wife:

Tied up, it loosens,
untied, it's too long
my love's hair --
nowadays I can't see it --
has she combed it together?

Everyone now says
my hair is too long
and I should tie it up --
but the hair you gazed upon
I'll leave in tangles

3. Senryu

The Senryu is a poetic form much like the haiku. It also consists of three lines with a meter pattern of 5-7-5. The meter pattern, just like in haiku, isn’t a hard rule but only a common version.

But while they share a similar form, senryu focuses on human foibles compared to the haiku’s exploration of nature. It is also often lighter and funnier compared to the haiku, which is starker and more ascetic in style.

Here’s an example from the form’s inventor, Karai Senryū:

dorobō o
I grab the robber
toraete mireba
and find I’ve caught
wagako nari
my own son.

4. Haiga

The Haiga is a Japanese art form that combines the aesthetics of painting, calligraphy, and poetry. A typical haiga is composed of a haiku written in a calligraphic script, with an illustration that may or may not relate to the poem.

Here’s a famous example by Yosa Buson, an 18th-century Japanese poet and painter:

A little cuckoo
across
a hydrangea

5. Choka

The Choka is a Japanese long poetry form that consists of alternating five and seven-syllable lines, with the last two lines having seven syllables each. The length of the poem is indefinite.

Here’s an example by Yamanoue no Okura:

Uri hameba
When I eat melons
Kodomo omohoyu
My children come to my mind;
Kuri hameba
When I eat chestnuts
Mashite shinowayu
The longing is even worse.
Izuku yori
Where do they come from,
Kitarishi monoso
Flickering before my eyes.
Manakai ni
Making me helpless
Motona kakarite
Endlessly night after night.
Yasui shi nasanu
Not letting me sleep in peace?

6. Katauta

The Katauta is another three-liner poem that resembles the haiku but with a meter pattern of 5-7-7 instead of 5-7-5. What makes it different from the haiku or senryu is that a Katauta is specifically addressed to a lover. It’s also considered as an incomplete, or half-poem.

Here’s a katauta by Robert Lee Brewer:

why do winter stars
shine brighter than summer stars
as if they are shards of glass?

7. Sedoka

When combined, multiple katautas are called a sedoka. Similar to a semonka, a sedoka is a question and answer conversation between lovers.

Take a look at this sedoka, again by Robert Lee Brewer:

why do winter stars
shine brighter than summer stars
as if they are shards of glass?

don't blame the seasons
on the ever changing heat
of your lover's quick embrace.

8. Renga

Renga is a Japanese poetic form that features linked verses from two or more poets. It follows a simple structure of alternating three-line stanzas (of a 5-7-5 pattern) and two-line stanzas (of a 7-7 pattern).

Each poet contributes a stanza and alternates with the other poets. The length of the poem depends on what type of renga is being written. The most common renga is the hyakuin renga, which is at least 100 stanzas. Other common types are the kasen (36 stanzas) and the senku (1000 stanzas).

In addition, renga originally tackled light topics but soon dabbled into more serious subjects. Thus, a distinction was drawn between ushin renga (serious renga) and mushin renga (comic renga).

Here is an excerpt from Minase Sangin Hyakuin by poets Sogi, Shohaku, and Socho:

Yuki nagara yama-moto kasumu yube kana
As it snows the base
of the mountain is misty
this evening (Sogi)

Yuku mizu toku ume niou sato
Far in the way the water goes
a plum-blossom-smelling hamlet (Shohaku)

Kawakaze ni hitomura yanagi haru miete
The wind from the river
sways weeping willows
now it’s spring (Socho)

Reading Japanese Poetry

Japanese poetry often favors ambiguity in its use of language, which makes the meaning of a poem subjective. The belief that there is no absolute truth but that all things are relative further enhances this ambiguity.

And because the Japanese language lacks a stress accent and meaningful rhymes, poetry is separated from prose because it is divided into lines of a specific number of syllables (mainly five and seven). This makes long poetry forms difficult to create.

So poets focused on making the most out of each word in their compositions instead. A poem’s quality is then taken from its use of rich allusions, multiple meanings, tone, and diction.

What Japanese poems have you read? Share them in the comments below!

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Cole Salao

Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!

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