Exploring the Art of the Five-Line Poem: Gogyoshi and Tanka

In the world of poetry, brevity is often a path to profound expression. Today, we delve into the beautiful and concise art of the five-line poem, also known as a gogyoshi in Japanese. This form of poetry, whether titled or untitled, invites poets and enthusiasts alike to capture the essence of their musings or muses in a mere five lines. Let’s explore its forms, history, and the infinite ways its creators can transcend their limitations through precision of thought and word.

Walking Through the Cosmos in a Few Lines

Here’s a five-stanza poem:

Day's Dawning

In the quiet of the mornings gentle hush,
Where dew-kissed petals gleam with natures blush.
I find a world of solace and of grace,
As dawn unveils its soft and tender face.

The songbirds with their melodies so sweet,
Compose a symphony a love complete.
Their melodies like whispered secrets flow,
Through leaves and branches where the breezes go.

The world awakens with a golden gleam,
As sunlight dances on the rippling stream.
Each moment here a treasure to behold,
In natures arms where stories are retold.

With every step I take on this fair earth,
I find the beauty that grants life its worth.
In simple things in moments pure and free,
I am grateful for the worlds grand tapestry.

A poem So Small Can Hold So Much

Sometimes, a poem needn't stretch far; it can remain concise and heartening. This poem, for example, speaks softly to those who are feeling tough:

Yes I am just a little poem I will stay very few.
I wont stretch out far not to scare you dear.
But if you are feeling tough I could double my size.
Just have me return tomorrow so we can try!
That’s all it takes! You dont know until you do!!!

It reminds us that even in the smallest of poetic forms, there lies universality. It is a gentle encouragement to engage with the essence of life.

Convergence of Cultures: Gogyoshi and Tanka

It is intriguing how the gogyoshi can inspire our understanding of other forms of poetry, such as the tanka. Although poems may not universally adhere to specific syllable patterns, it is worth noting that traditional tanka poems follow a 5-7-5-7-7 structure in Japanese and a 4-6-4-6-6 or 3-5-3-5-5 structure in English.

Essentially, a tanka can be seen as an extension of the haiku (a 5-7-5 syllable poem), incorporating additional lines for greater depth:

Gogyoshi: 5-7-5-7-7 Haiku: 5-7-5 Tanka: 4-6-4-6-6 or 3-5-3-5-5

While traditional forms follow these patterns, contemporary poets often write free-form tanka, focusing on the emotional and thematic content rather than the syllabic structure.

A Call to Those Interested

Are you interested in exploring these poetic forms further? If so, consider visiting the YouTube channel of Super Kaur Preet. The channel offers an array of videos and poetry that can help you delve deeper into the world of poetry and inspire your creative journey.

Perhaps in sharing these forms, we can all find a new way to capture the beauty and intricacy of life in our own words.

Note: Some of the content has been sourced from a source with the username "The Sophophile," and some lines have been restyled to fit within each poetic structure.