Observations On Short Form Poetry

Introduction

I see a lot of people sharing short-form poems, especially what they call (thanks to Vocal's continued misrepresentation) haiku, when what they are really sharing are Senryū (川柳) .

Until my friend Lee, who lives in Japan as a translator and photographer, corrected me, I didn't know either, and even Doctor John Cooper Clarke got it wrong as well, and he is a real poet (see the included video, it is not very long, and is very funny).

A haiku is supposed to include a kireji, or "cutting word"; and a kigo, or seasonal reference.

These are the Wiki entries:

Me And Short Form Poetry

You might not believe me, but almost every poem I write, I feel as if I am being lazy. The actuality is that most poetry takes a lot of effort (well, it does for me), but the shorter the form, the lazier I feel I am being. Even forms like the pantoum and villanelle, due to their repetition, make me feel like I am cheating, although you must ensure that the repeated lines align with the narrative of what you are trying to convey.

I recently wrote a paradelle, which is meant to parody formal poetry, but because of its rules, it becomes quite difficult despite the repetition. Check it out here:

A Few Longer Forms

I do tend to prefer formal poetry, but every so often will publish freeform. I avoid shortform for the reasons stated, though if there is a challenge or if I have something to say in the form, then I will share it.

I also like trying new forms, although sometimes they are too restrictive, even for me.

I really must write another Sestina soon, but this was my first. It was not my last:

The Chant Royal is a sixty-line poem, and so far, I have only published one; I need to do more:

This one consisted of a thousand words of four letters or fewer:

Conclusion

Thank you for reading. I do appreciate it.

I wonder what my next poem is going to be.