What the editor will be looking for
Tanka means small song, so it is both brief and lyrical.
Tanka are typically composed of five unrhymed lines of uneven lengths; the traditional pattern of short/long/short/long/long lines is ideal but not essential.
Brevity usually requires fewer than 31 syllables. While syllable count is relatively unimportant, each syllable should ‘count’ toward creating a sharply focused poem without padding or wordiness.
Each line is ideally comprised of a single, coherent poetic phrase. Enjambment is used rarely and then only to create a carefully considered effect.
Diction should be simple, not flowery. The language should flow smoothly, with musical cadence and attention to the sounds of words.
Tanka typically juxtapose two parts with a grammatical break between them. Sentence tanka and those with more than two parts are less common but can work well on occasion.
The most effective tanka save the best for last, with the fifth line being the most powerful in terms of sound and sense.
Tanka derives its power from the interplay of concrete, sensory images. Ideally the poem goes beyond description, exploring the relationship between the poet’s inner and outer landscapes and offering multiple layers of meaning, both literal and metaphorical.
By employing such Japanese aesthetic qualities as wabi-sabi, yūgen, aware, and makoto,
tanka evoke emotion without sentimentality and without telling the reader what to feel or think. Tanka are open and thought-provoking, leaving ample ‘dreaming room’ for the reader, but they are not vague or obscure.
For more thoughts on tanka poetics, see ‘What Is Tanka?’ on the website of the Tanka Society of America.
Please submit up to 10 tanka in the body of an email to the editor (Jenny Ward Angyal) with "UtB Submission - Tanka" for the email subject.
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Jalaj is a Hindi word, meaning born from water. In this word, Jal refers to water and aj refers to the concept of being born. Jalaj usually refers to a lotus blossom, which is most often fresh and shining as it enters this world. This one word Jalaj encapsulates the spirit of the ‘Youth Corner’ at Under the Basho. Jalaj encompasses the spirit of freshness and newness present in all aspiring haikai poets, especially young poets and beginners who, with their energy and enthusiasm, tend to take haikai literature very far.
The ‘Youth Corner’ at Under the Basho aims to provide a platform to young, deserving poets who have just clambered onto the haikai path to nurture their voices and lighten their path. These poets will also get personalized feedback and suggestions on how to improve their work as well. The Youth Corner at UtB can be considered as a lake, or an open space which will enable every lotus blossom, every aspiring Jalaj to bloom and prosper in the wonderful world of haikai!
AIMS---
To provide a platform (publishing platform) for young poets to bestow upon them, the joy of seeing their work published.
To create a comfortable space for young poets so that they can get rid of their 'initial reluctance' of submitting their work.
To help young poets improve by giving them feedback and suggestions.
GUIDELINES---
- All submissions to this section must be from poets currently 19 years old or younger.
- Please submit up to 10 haiku and/or 3 Haibun for consideration via email to the editor This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- It is advisable to send haiku themed around nature/truth and real observations, but these guidelines must not be taken too seriously, since a lotus blossom Jalaj needs space to grow, and hence I aim at giving aspirants maximum space and freedom