Japanese poetry is a beautiful and ancient art form. There are many forms of poetry, the oldest being dated back to between the 6th and 8th centuries and based on Chinese poetry. Two Japanese anthologies, called Kojiki and Man'yoshu, are some of the world's oldest. The most traditional, and classical, form of Japanese poetry is called Waka and is thirty-one syllables (five-seven-five-seven-seven). Waka poems often reflect the lives of those writing them and the world they were living in at the time.

Still, Haiku remains the most popular and most well-known Japanese forms of poetry in the world. It is also one of the oldest forms of poetry that Japan has created. An ancient Haiku could have had up to 100 verses. Compare that to the short three line, seventeen syllable poem that we know Haiku as today and you can see how much the form has evolved. The one thing that remained the same throughout the years though is the number of syllables in a verse (five-seven-five). Haikus are written on every topic but the most popular are everyday life and nature. Haiku became a very popular pastime and competitions sprung up to celebrate the art that is Haiku writing. In 1976, a museum was established to honor some of the most popular Haiku writers and become a study center for poets and students of the writing.

While there are many more types of Japanese poetry, Haiku is the most familiar throughout the world, as well as one of the most well-loved and enduring.

Poetry is such a wonderful way to describe someone or something. The Japanese enjoy describing the world around them, so poetry is a special way to show what they're feeling about something. The Japanese became interested in poetry from the Chinese form many centuries ago. They then changed it through the years into the Japanese type of poetry. There are three basic types of poetry; the tanka, or waka, haiku, and shi. They may have different diversifications, with other names now. The oldest form of waka is from a period during 794 to 1185.

It's like a love song to some girl that the poet hasn't met, as well as praising the land around for its beauty. Another, was written by a monk sometime between 1421 and 1502, and this is the translation: "That man's life is but a dream-is what we now come to know. Its house abandoned, the garden has become a home to butterflies." Haiku is the form most are familiar with. However, it was called hokku until the end of the 1800s.

It has 17 syllables, three lines, with the pattern five syllables on the first and third line and seven on the second. The Japanese write it on one line, while we write it in three. Here is an old haiku: "The first cold shower, even the monkey seems to want, a little coat of straw." Each time something new or different is added to the languages of the countries, we all become richer, for they all add diversity whcih we all benefit from.

Today, Japanese poetry can be divided into modern or traditional styles. It’s background starts around the 8th century, when Japan developed its own process of writing. Until this time, poetry had been recited orally and later became the foundations for the first books in Japan. It took Japanese poets several hundred years to merge their culture into their own style of writing. A new trend of poetry came in the middle of the 19th Century. Haiku, Tanka, and Renga are the three forms of Japanese poetry that emerged. Their thoughts reflect upon daily lives, emotions and nature.

Today, Haiku is the most common and remains unique amongst poetry due to its structure. It is a 17-syllable verse form consisting of three metrical units of five, seven and five syllables. When written in Japanese form, Haiku is written in a single vertical line. However, when written in English, Haiku is written in three lines. With in these three lines of Haiku , poets make every effort to produce a sense of vividness and clarity, always joining emotions or ideas into natural objects.

Haiku also contains a Kigo, a defined word or phrase which implies the season of the poem. An example of this would be cherry blossoms, which would indicate spring , as snow would indicate winter. Previously called hokku, Haiku was given its current name by a Japanese writer named Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century.

Japanese Poetry today uses some of the same principles it used thousands of years ago. Although the structures may have changed, the symbolism and emotions remain. It wasn’t until the 8th Century that Japan developed its own writing scheme. Until then, poetry had been recited orally. Within time, these poems became the foundations for some of the first books in Japan. It took Japanese poets several hundred years to process the impact of their culture and merge it into a traditional form of literature. A new trend came in the middle of the 19th Century, with three major forms of Japanese Poetry.

Haiku, Tanka, and Renga reflect upon daily emotions and nature. Each of these styles is unique because of its structure. Haiku has been around the longest. Being short in length, the structure has changed over time. New Haiku consists of 17 syllables in three lines. It is written to create the feeling of the poet’s emotions and can be written about anything.

Tanka is generally longer than Haiku, and not as well known. Being longer than Haiku, Tanka is often written about a passion in which the poet creates a vivid image of emotions. Renga, is poetry where two or more poets, form one poem. Each poet takes his or her turn at writing a verse. People started to use this form as a game and made a competition out of it. Compared to Haiku, these poems commonly contained one hundred verses. Although Japanese poetry has changed throughout the years, it is still written with vivid emotions.

Japanese poems, once inspired by the poetry of the Chinese and even written in the Chinese language, have since taken on a life and form of their very own. When discussing Japanese-language poetry, there are basically two major styles that come to mind. They are the tanka and the haiku. Both forms have been in existence since some time in the 19th century.

The tanka is a poem written in five metrical lines. The first line consists of five syllables followed by the second line which consists of seven syllables. The third line has a five syllable count and the fourth line has seven syllables. The last line also has seven syllables.

The subject of a tanka, formerly known as waka, is generally nature, something seasonal, or love, or other strong emotions. They often use metaphor, personification, and simile.

The haiku, previously known as hokku, is a poem written in only three metrical lines. The first line consists of five syllables followed by the second line which consists of seven syllables. Unlike the tanka, the haiku concludes with a third line which has a five syllable count.

Traditionally, the subject of a haiku is nature or something seasonal. While the Japanese normally print haiku in one vertical line, when translated into the English language, a haiku appears in the three-line format to parallel the metrical format of the original Japanese.

Today, both of the above-mentioned forms are taught in school systems worldwide and many poets from other countries have written and even published their own versions of haikus and tankas. Both genres still remain very popular today.