Tag Archives: 5/7/5

Scifaiku

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The following descriptiion and example is reposted with permission from Poetry Magnum Opus, with thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on that fine resource.

The SciFaiku is what the name implies, science fiction haiku an invented verse form introduced by Tom Brinck in 1995. Scifaiku combines science fiction themes with some of the elements of the haiku.

The elements of the Scifaiku are:

  1. minimal, in the moment with human insight.
  2. written with a haiku frame, normally, 17 syllables or less. The poem can be written in the classic 3 lines of 5-7-5 or a variation of line and syllable count. (because of the nature of the subject some technical words could exceed the standard syllable count per line, therefore, as long as minimal amount of words and syllables are used to get the point across, there could be more or less than 17 syllables in the poem.
  3. composed of a single concept or image.
  4. written with “uncluttered and direct words”.
  5. written in the moment.
  6. finding the Ah-ha, light bulb realization through the understanding of the possibilities of science.

    poets dance with words
    cyber ballroom fills with song
    line dancing in space
                       –judi van gorder

My Example

Form: Scifaiku

[untitled]

big bang disputed
universe is infinite
it matters not

© Lawrencealot – February 12, 2015

Senryu

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Senryu is a Japanese syllabic verse that deals primarily with human nature and is often expressed through humor. It developed in the 18th century and is named after Karai Senryu who was a judge of comic verse contests. They were originally poems of the merchant class and often made fun of corrupt officials and professionals.

The official’s child—
How well he learns to open
and close his fist!
———- —anonymous

The focus of the modern Senryu can be just about anything as long as it has a human or humorous slant. Senryus are lively, often humorous and sometimes even vulgar.
The main characteristics of the Senryu are energy or liveliness in the focus and choice of words, humor as revealed in human nature and use of subjects such as relationships, family, professions, children and pets. It is written in the same frame as the haiku, 17 syllables or less, 2 units of imagary and 1 unit of enlightenment.

So if you are wondering if a 3 line, 17 syllable poem is Haiku or Senryu, you can pretty much place the serious poem in the Haiku column and the more human, humorous poems as the Senryu. (but there are humorous Haiku and serious Senryu, go figure..)

The Senryu is:
• a poem in 3 lines or less.
• syllabic, 17 syllables or less.
• commonly written in 3 lines but can be written in 2 lines and can be written with fewer syllables, never more.
○ L1 5 syllables describes image.
○ L2 7 syllables, adds conflicting image or expands first image
○ L3 5 syllables provides insight (the ah ha! moment)through a juxtaposed image.
• written as a natural human experience in language that is simple, humorous, sometimes bawdy or vulgar.
• presented with an energy or liveliness in the focus and choice of words
• often humorous
• written in the moment.
• an imagist poem (draws the humor from the image)
• untitled but can be #ed.

Some of my own senryu: —Judi Van Gorder

small child ignores call,
parent warns and begins count,
“Daddy, don’t say fwee.”

some roads meander
others flat out ask for speed
don’t forget your map

fire ignites within
flame mushrooms to the surface
autumn days

pelican’s head bobs
beak bulging with trigger fish,
shore’s stand-up comic

Pasted from Poetry Magnum Opus, with thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource

My Example

Form: Senryu

dumpster diver digs
begs for change upon the street
lives a tax-free life

(c) Lawrencealot

Katuata

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Introduction
Japanese poetry seems to be gaining greater and greater popularity with Western poets. The much abused Haiku of course has worn the brunt of this assault by everyone from first year poetry teachers and students, to Microsoft and office jokes, but serious poets recognise that this little poem is a truly remarkable art form. The Tanka is also gaining in popularity and rightly so and both of these forms will be dealt with later. Before dealing with these two forms however, there are two other Japanese forms which in my opinion should be discussed, and may interest poets looking for something different. The first form is called the Katuata, and the second the Choka.
Katuata.
The Katuata originally consisted of a poem consisting of 19 sound units or onji, (in the west we would describe this as having a syllable count of 19).
There was a break after the fifth and twelfth onji and this would give us a form structure of. 5 – 7 – 7.
Later poets also wrote using only 17 onji and this gave a form structure of 5 – 7 – 5.


Pasted from http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/Challenge/choka.html#katuata> 
Thanks to the Poetsgarret!




• Katuata, (片歌, side poem or half poem) is emotive verse. Intuitive rather than logical; the katuata asks a sudden question or makes an emotional statement and then responds to it. This is a stand alone, 3 line poem, however it is often written as a side poem to the renga. This dates back to 8th century Japan found in the Manyõshú (the oldest collection of Japanese poetry)

Katuata is:
○ syllabic, 19 syllables or less.
○ usually a tercet. 5-7-7. This can also be reduced to a 5-7-5 syllable count if desired.
○ emotive not necessarily logical. 

lost in haze of doubt 
thoughts of you fog my vision 
will mist clear? in due season 
— Judi Van Gorder

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?/topic/1139-katuata-mondo-sedoka/> 
Thanks to Judi Van Gorder of PMO

Example Poem

wanting your embrace
wondering are you awake?
yes sweet I am now

Alphabet Haiku poetry form

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Modern haiku form created by  Beatrice Evans, aka Ronnica at Allpoetry
It requires only strict 5/7/5 syllable construction.
It is formulistic, with all words beginning with the same letter.
There is no requirement for aha moment and punctuation and metaphor and photos are permitted.
Example Poems

Train track talisman
telling tardy trains that the
tapestry takes time.
Taciturn tableau
 tamed, tree-trunk’s tight tendrils tie–
throttle tampering.
(c) Lawrencealot – Feb 23, 2013

Haiku

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HAIKU is both singular and plural.
A Japanese form designed to be small and concise by limiting the number of lines and the number of syllables in a line. Japanese haiku are three-line poems with the first and the third line having five syllables and the middle having seven syllables. English-language Haiku may be shorter than seventeen syllables, though some poets prefer to keep to the 5-7-5 format.
A true is much more than a poem is 5-7-5 format.
• Use concise, simple and clear language
• Write in two sections, using a fragment and a phrase
• Use sense images, in particular what you see or hear
• Write in the present tense
• Compare or contrast two different images as juxtapositions
• Try to include a seasonal reference
• Write in 17 syllables or less, preferably between 8-12
• Use minimal (if any) punctuation
• Try to make your haiku open-ended and evocative
• Try not make judgments or express your opinions
• Limit your use of adjectives and try not to use adverbs
• Do not use rhyme, simile, metaphor or personification
• There is no need for capital letters, except for proper nouns

And there are many Haiku knock-offs:

Example Poems
voluptuous wife approaches –
low-cut gown
perfume excites
dog on lap
puppy barks –
two dogs on lap

(c) Lawrencealot –