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'''Tanka prose''' is a type of ], a literary form that combines the two modes of writing, verse and prose, in a single composition.<ref>Preminger, Alex and Brogan, T.V.F. ''The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993, p. 981</ref> It exists as a distinct genre of prosimetrum due to its use the tanka verse form<ref>Everett, Claire. “Tanka Prose, Tanka Tradition: An Interview with Jeffrey Woodward,” ''Atlas Poetica 9'' (Summer 2011), p. 70</ref>, which is a form of short poem consisting of five lines of 5-7-5-7-7 ] and originating in ancient Japan. The term “tanka prose,” therefore, may be understood to refer to a prose composition, written “in the spirit of tanka,” that also incorporates one or more tanka.<ref>Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” Modern English Tanka V2, N4 (Summer 2008), p. 194</ref> Modern writers of ] created this literary form, but were influenced by ancient Japanese works such as the '']''. '''Tanka prose''' is a type of ], a literary form that combines the two modes of writing, verse and prose, in a single composition.<ref>Preminger, Alex and Brogan, T.V.F. ''The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993, p. 981</ref> One may distinguish it from other varieties of prosimetrum by its preference for tanka as the verse form that it employs.<ref>Everett, Claire. “Tanka Prose, Tanka Tradition: An Interview with Jeffrey Woodward,” ''Atlas Poetica 9'' (Summer 2011), p. 70</ref> Tanka is a short poem consisting of five lines in the pattern 5-7-5-7-7 that originated in ancient Japan. The term “tanka prose,” therefore, may be understood to refer to a prose composition, written “in the spirit of tanka,” that also incorporates one or more tanka.<ref>Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” Modern English Tanka V2, N4 (Summer 2008), p. 194</ref> Writers of ] were partly inspired to adopt this form by the many examples of classical Japanese prose-plus-verse writings, such as ''The Tale of Genji'' (]) or ''The Tosa Diary'' (]).


==Overview== ==Overview==
Due to the uncertain classification of many of these Japanese writings on their home turf and to the circumstance that writers of tanka in English, while modeling some compositions on Japanese originals, have not hesitated to introduce new forms of prose-plus-tanka without Japanese precedent. While ancient Japanese prosimetra were distinctly classified into genres such as '']'' and '']'', are of less import for English-language poets than the creation of prose works that feature tanka poetry prominently.<ref>Woodward, Jeffrey, Ed. ''The Tanka Prose Anthology''. Baltimore, MD: Modern English Tanka Press, 2008, pp. 13-14</ref><ref>Tarlton, Charles. “Toward a Theory and Practice of Tanka-Prose,” ''Haibun Today V5, N4'' (December 2011)</ref> Due to the uncertain classification of many of these Japanese writings on their home turf and to the circumstance that writers of tanka in English, while modeling some compositions on Japanese originals, have not hesitated to introduce new forms of prose-plus-tanka without Japanese precedent, Japanese academic distinctions between '']'' and '']'' can be said to be of less import for English-language poets than has been their conviction that the presence of prose and tanka in a single composition is the common denominator shared by all of these works. <ref>Woodward, Jeffrey, Ed. ''The Tanka Prose Anthology''. Baltimore, MD: Modern English Tanka Press, 2008, pp. 13-14</ref><ref>Tarlton, Charles. “Toward a Theory and Practice of Tanka-Prose,” ''Haibun Today V5, N4'' (December 2011)</ref>


Tanka prose, in its many varied forms, is built upon one common basic unit of composition (one paragraph, one tanka); variation in the number and placement of tanka in relation to the prose is widespread in today’s practice of the tanka prose genre.<ref>Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” ''Modern English Tanka V2, N4'' (Summer 2008), p. 194</ref> The basic unit of one paragraph of prose plus one tanka is a very common form while inversion of that unit (one tanka followed by one paragraph of prose) is a frequent variation. Another common form of tanka prose is the verse envelope—tanka, prose, tanka. Many other forms are in use, most generated by inversion or compounding of the basic unit of one paragraph, one tanka. These variations in number and placement of tanka are not without effect upon the flavor and character of the individual tanka prose work.<ref>Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” ''Modern English Tanka V2, N4'' (Summer 2008), p. 197</ref> Tanka prose, in its many varied forms, is built upon one common basic unit of composition (one paragraph, one tanka); variation in the number and placement of tanka in relation to the prose is widespread in today’s practice of the tanka prose genre.<ref>Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” ''Modern English Tanka V2, N4'' (Summer 2008), p. 194</ref> The basic unit of one paragraph of prose plus one tanka is a very common form while inversion of that unit (one tanka followed by one paragraph of prose) is a frequent variation. Another common form of tanka prose is the verse envelope—tanka, prose, tanka. Many other forms are in use, most generated by inversion or compounding of the basic unit of one paragraph, one tanka. These variations in number and placement of tanka are not without effect upon the flavor and character of the individual tanka prose work.<ref>Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” ''Modern English Tanka V2, N4'' (Summer 2008), p. 197</ref>

Revision as of 00:52, 25 September 2012

Tanka prose is a type of prosimetrum, a literary form that combines the two modes of writing, verse and prose, in a single composition. One may distinguish it from other varieties of prosimetrum by its preference for tanka as the verse form that it employs. Tanka is a short poem consisting of five lines in the pattern 5-7-5-7-7 that originated in ancient Japan. The term “tanka prose,” therefore, may be understood to refer to a prose composition, written “in the spirit of tanka,” that also incorporates one or more tanka. Writers of tanka in English were partly inspired to adopt this form by the many examples of classical Japanese prose-plus-verse writings, such as The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) or The Tosa Diary (Tosa nikki).

Overview

Due to the uncertain classification of many of these Japanese writings on their home turf and to the circumstance that writers of tanka in English, while modeling some compositions on Japanese originals, have not hesitated to introduce new forms of prose-plus-tanka without Japanese precedent, Japanese academic distinctions between monogatari and nikki can be said to be of less import for English-language poets than has been their conviction that the presence of prose and tanka in a single composition is the common denominator shared by all of these works.

Tanka prose, in its many varied forms, is built upon one common basic unit of composition (one paragraph, one tanka); variation in the number and placement of tanka in relation to the prose is widespread in today’s practice of the tanka prose genre. The basic unit of one paragraph of prose plus one tanka is a very common form while inversion of that unit (one tanka followed by one paragraph of prose) is a frequent variation. Another common form of tanka prose is the verse envelope—tanka, prose, tanka. Many other forms are in use, most generated by inversion or compounding of the basic unit of one paragraph, one tanka. These variations in number and placement of tanka are not without effect upon the flavor and character of the individual tanka prose work.

Tanka prose is still in its nascent form. Early examples, like Florida Watts Smyth’s “Festival of Spring” (1959) and Sanford Goldstein’s “Tanka Walk” (1983), are sporadic and vary widely in style and content. Jane Reichhold, Larry Kimmel, and Linda Jeannette Ward are some notable tanka poets who adopted tanka prose in the 1990s. Contemporary practitioners include Gary LeBel, Ingrid Kunschke, Bob Lucky, and Patricia Prime. Online journals where new examples of the genre appear with some regularity include Modern Haibun & Tanka Prose, Haibun Today, Modern English Tanka and Atlas Poetica. Tanka prose is also included in the annual anthology series, Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka (MET Press, 2009-2012).

Notes

  1. Preminger, Alex and Brogan, T.V.F. The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993, p. 981
  2. Everett, Claire. “Tanka Prose, Tanka Tradition: An Interview with Jeffrey Woodward,” Atlas Poetica 9 (Summer 2011), p. 70
  3. Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” Modern English Tanka V2, N4 (Summer 2008), p. 194
  4. Woodward, Jeffrey, Ed. The Tanka Prose Anthology. Baltimore, MD: Modern English Tanka Press, 2008, pp. 13-14
  5. Tarlton, Charles. “Toward a Theory and Practice of Tanka-Prose,” Haibun Today V5, N4 (December 2011)
  6. Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” Modern English Tanka V2, N4 (Summer 2008), p. 194
  7. Woodward, Jeffrey. “The Elements of Tanka Prose,” Modern English Tanka V2, N4 (Summer 2008), p. 197
  8. Smyth, Florida Watts. “Festival of Spring,” in Charles E. Tuttle, Ed., Japan: Theme and Variations. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1959, pp. 33-34
  9. Goldstein, Sanford. “Tanka Walk,” Northeast III: 15 (1983), pp. 26-32
  10. Reichhold, Jane. A Gift of Tanka. Gualala, CA: AHA Books, 1990. See also Reichhold’s Hawaii with Heidi (2001) and Her Alone (2002) from the same publisher
  11. Kimmel, Larry. “Obelisk,” Lynx XV: 3 (Oct. 2000)
  12. Ward, Linda Jeannette. “Island Sunrise” and “Merchants Millpond,” Lynx XIV: 3 (Oct. 1999)

See also

References

  • Everett, Claire. “Tanka Prose, Tanka Tradition: An Interview with Jeffrey Woodward,” Atlas Poetica 9 (Summer 2011), pp. 61-74
  • Kunschke, Ingrid. “‘Forget-me-nots’: Balancing Minds and Modes,” Haibun Today V5, N2 (June 2011)
  • Kunschke, Ingrid. “Tanka und Prosa,” TankaNetz (December 2004) (in German)
  • Lucky, Bob. “Topic Unknown: My Beginnings in Tanka Prose,” Haibun Today V5, N3 (September 2011)
  • Philippou, Dru. “Entering the Mystery of ‘Hipólito, the Herder,’” Haibun Today V5, N4 (December 2011)
  • Prime, Patricia. "A Game of Tag: Gary LeBel on Tanka Prose," Haibun Today V6, N3 (September 2012)
  • Prime, Patricia. “Talking Points: Jeffrey Woodward on Haibun and Tanka Prose,” Simply Haiku V6, N3 (Autumn 2008)
  • Prime, Patricia. “‘White & Red’: My Beginnings in Tanka Prose,” Haibun Today V5, N2 (June 2011)
  • Tarlton, Charles. “Memoir of an American Tanka-Prose,” Haibun Today V5, N3 (September 2011)
  • Tarlton, Charles. “Toward a Theory and Practice of Tanka-Prose,” Haibun Today V5, N4 (December 2011)
  • Woodward, Jeffrey. "Tanka Prose and Haibun Today," Haibun Today (Sept. 25, 2008)
  • Woodward, Jeffrey (Editor). The Tanka Prose Anthology. Baltimore, MD: Modern English Tanka Press, ©2008. ISBN 978-0-9817691-3-4
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