1. Haiku & Tanka
Poetry

2. Tanka & Haiku Japanese poetry Tanka: Dates back to 8th Century
Haiku: Dates back to 13th-14th Century
Demands compression of ideas and images into the space of a few words

3. Tanka Means “short songs” It’s a lyric poem
Expresses a private emotion or thought, often on the theme of change, solitude, or love.
Traditional tanka consists of exactly 31 syllables divided among 5 lines
5, 7, 5, 7, 7

4. Haiku Inspired by tanka A brief, unrhymed, three line poem 5, 7, 5
What is NOT said is often as important as what IS said.
The best tanka and haiku use simple sensory images—tree branches, streams, an autumn breeze—to imply far more than they state directly.

5. Assignment:
Compose 1 tanka about change or solitude. Include a colorful illustration.
Compose 2 haiku about a natural element like an autumn leaf, a tree in winter, a babbling creek, a frozen stream, a puffy cherry blossom, a wilting flower, a raindrop, a snowflake, etc. Include a colorful illustration to accompany EACH haiku.