ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I may be incorrect in saying this Zondrae but I don't think a Tanka has these days to just relate to nature etc although most Japanese poetry does seem to lean that way - O suppose Mahalia is nature though - not sure. The mods on the other site thought it a pretty good tanka for a first attempt, although looking at it again it doesn't conform strictly to the formula - though it did before I amended it. So I am not arguing.

The Tanka poem is very similar to haiku but Tanka poems have more syllables and it uses simile, metaphor and personification.

There are five lines in a Tanka poem.

Line one - 5 syllables Beautiful mountains
Line two - 7 syllables Rivers with cold, cold water.
Line three - 5 syllable White cold snow on rocks
Line four - 7 syllables Trees over the place with frost
Line five - 7 syllables White sparkly snow everywhere.

Tanka poems are written about nature, seasons, love, sadness and other strong emotions. This form of poetry dates back almost 1200 years ago.

The Poetry Zone has a good description of Haiku and Tanka poetry.

This was the response I got to a ? I asked about writing Tankas

maureenclifford wrote:
Does a Tanka not have to be constricted by 57577 format.


Forgive me for butting in here but contemporary tanka does not adhere strictly to 57577 line lengths but rather tends to use a short/long/short/long/long line to effect the Japanese sound-symbols. There is room for experimentation with the structure, as long as it doesn't use more than 31 syllables. Often, it is quite a bit less.

EC

Cheers

Maureen

Musta missed most of this which is unusual for me.

I read quite bit but I tend to breeze over most books I'm given or pick up at the garage or book sales. I enjoy a lot of different forms of poetry and respect everyones right to write as they wish.

What I do object to is those who think that because they write any of the free verse forms that they are somehow better then those who stick only to bush poetry. Yes Zondrea I too have got that eye roll sort of look at functions when I say bush poetry but I stick it out there in their faces and love to see the reaction.

I can remember once I was invited to attend a town function by a well known buisness man who knew the style I performed and he had slotted me in for a 10 minute spot. It was a black tie dinner and I will admit I was pretty scrubbed up in my best gear and did not look very bushie but the audience loved the performance and I got a request to write a poem and perform it at a Law firms 50 year celebration.

Some of the groups I attend and perform for charity at are like the kids in school classes i do. They have never been exposed to the Rhyme and Metre form least ways seem it performed.

Bob

G'day Bob,

People in the general population think that 'Bush Poetry' means Horses and sheep and swaggies. They don't know that the term simple means Rhyme and Metre. For this reason I often say I write and recite 'Rhyme and Metre' Poetry or even just say Rhyming Poetry, rather than 'Bush'. This often saves a long explaination. I confess when I started I (also) thought that Bush Poetry was about the bush. I was writing contemporary urban poetry about my daily life.
I have since then, written a few about bushie type subjects and even a couple of those flamin' horse poems. However, I still feel I should write about what I know or feel strongly about. I love my country, I loved having babies and being a mother, and I love discovering new things, so these make up the majority of my poems.
As you have said, when we perform, people often ask us to write something for them for a special occasion. Which reminds me, I have to do a 60th wedding anniversary poem before I go on Holidays. Gee, that means three poems by Tuesday and perform this morning at the Mt Kembla event with Greg North. Better go.....

Hi Neville,
Well you're not going to like much of what I write about because most of it is about the bush, though usually it's about the bush today.

I believe you write what you like regardless of subject setting or style, you write for the enjoyment of it and you ignore twits like the one David mentioned.

We all have our views on what's entertaining and what's not, and that's how it should be. None of us are in possession of a magic formula for writing poetry that will appeal to everybody.

Now must go and read Davids article.

Terry

Hi David,
Just read and enjoyed your article, it reminded me of my school days, we must be of similar vintage. I went to Catholic schools and poetry was a very important subject.
In my boarding school days we used to have a group (a bit like a choir) who attended school reciting competitions, and everybody wanted to be in this group, if only to be able to escape the confines of our school for a few hours, I can still remember odd line of poems we recited.

I notice in the comments to your article, that overall the replies were encouraging.

I think articles like this help to remind people that poetry is still alive and well if you care to look for it.

Terry

Thanks to all who followed up on the article...it's good to know that it struck a chord. As indicated elsewhere, I'm open to good examples of all forms of poetry, and reckon free verse and bush verse are simply different points on a spectrum, both very capable of contributing to our understanding of the human condition. But free verse can be very exasperating, so I'll post a little fun poem ('How To Write Free Verse In One Easy Lesson...') in the poetry thread.

Cheers
David

[quote="Terry"]Hi Neville,
Well you're not going to like much of what I write about

I'm a bit slow to-day..how did I get into this discussion, and how do you know what I am going to like or not , Terry ???

Hi Neville'
I probably read too much into the second last line of your post, hope I haven't offended you. In rereading what you wrote in some ways I agree with you, I have always liked to try and write on things that are current be it about the bush or elsewhere.

I was certainly encouraged by the remainder of your post, it suggested their may at last be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel in all forms of art.

Terry

Certainly no offence Terry

I reckon jokers who get all defensive & 'superior' like are .....simply feeling threatend. (And with good cause regarding our skills...& their lack of same.)
A posh sheila at one of those unbearably supercilious 'presentations' once said to me....'How quaint. It rhymes.' I replied 'How sad. Yours mimes.' Snotty nosed cow.