Tanka
Tanka is a traditional form of Japanese poetry. It consists of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 morae pattern, totaling 31 morae. As the principal short form of waka, tanka developed in the Heian period and became the standard vehicle for personal expression in courtly literature. The name means “short poem” to distinguish it from longer waka forms such as chōka.
Form and technique: A typical tanka presents an image or scene in lines 1–3 and offers reflection
Historical context and legacy: The Kokin Wakashū, completed around 920, helped establish tanka’s conventions and popularized