Tag Archives: Word forms

Haynaku

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Vividly short poetry, like haiku only very different… 1 word, 2 words, 3 words
and visa versa.
Creating imagery or conclusions with only six words in all…
History.
• Invented by poet Eileen Tabios, who is also publisher, Meritage Press.
• Officially inaugurated on the Web on June 12th, 2003 (Philippine Independence Day).
• The form spread through the Web to poets all over the world.
• Eileen Tabios initially called the form “the Pinoy Haiku”.
• Vince Gotera proposed the name “hay(na)ku”, and this name has stuck. This corresponds to a Tagalog phrase that means roughly “Oh!” or (in Spanish) “Madre mía”.
• The last syllable is pronounced “ai” (silent aitch, like Cockneys would say it).
Variations:
○ In the ‘reverse’ haynaku, the longest line is placed first and the shortest last. The total is still 6 words: 3 in the first line, 2 in the second line, and 1 in the third line.
○ Multiple hay(na)ku can be chained to form a longer poem.
Example Poem
Haynaku # 1
Understanding
does not
solve the problem.
Taking thoughtful action
most usually
does.
© Lawrencealot – May 21, 2012

Pleiades

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Pleiades form

This titled form was invented in 1999 by Craig Tigerman, Sol Magazine’s Lead Editor.
Only one word is allowed in the title followed by a single seven-line stanza.

The first word in each line begins with the same letter as the title.

Hortensia Anderson, a popular haiku and tanka poet, added her
own requirement of restricting the line length to six syllables.

 

 Example Poem

Storm
Striking frightful lightning
Sending shadows darting
Sudden squall surprising
Shrieking wind propelling
Screams against our faces,
Slamming hail bombarding –
Suddenly it’s over.
© Lawrencealot – April 16, 2012

Visual Template:
This was penned in trochaic trimeter, but that is not a requirement.
Pleiades