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Newsletter on Sijo form |
| Thanks to b_boonstra and Trish McQueen, who used to be a member, for helping with the information and examples for the Sijo poetry form. Viv   Next week's editor will be Becky Simpson   Silo Poetry The classic form of poetry from Korea, the Sijo evolved from ancient Chinese forms and is older than Japanese genres including Tanka and Haiku. Like the Haiku, the Sijo (the singular and plural the same) has three lines, and the content deals with nature. Originally, Sijo were lyrics, propular in the royal courts because of their philosophical, spiritual, or religious content. Presently, common folk of Korea chant Sijo poetry accompanied by music. Sijo have three long lines. Each line varies between 14 and 16 syllables, with the middle line the longest. This poetry form can be either narrative or thematic.  Line one introduces a situation or problem. Line two develops that situation or problem. The last line resolves the situation or problem and provides an ending. For better formatting in English, many times each line is divided as closely in half as content allows. For the best poems, poets must follow the guidelines as closely as possible. Examples of Sijo Bandanas wave from cedar boughs; beneath, a pyre of stone. On army land Geronimo sleeps, clouds pass over the sun. This warrior cry inside my head, an echo or just a dream. ... Rick Long, in The Sijoforum The oldest surviving Sijo: The spring breeze melted snow on the hills then quickly disappeared. I wish I could borrow it briefly to blow over my hair And melt away the aging frost forming now about my ears. . . . U T'ak (1262-1342} Pretty in Pink Below magnolia blossoms, buried, I sit in pretty pink. Silky Rose petals blooming brightly, soft, round, clumps, and reaching, silently, upward to shine above the green grass that grows. . . . Trish MacQueen As with most poetry I try to write in a particuliar form, the doing is more difficult than it appears. I finally wrote three. In three lines: January Thaw Balmy air like found in spring whispers lies to cold-tired folks, Because winter’s blast may still send shivers of ice along spines. Thaw teases in January, February, and March this year. Final Bouquet Long stemmed roses wrapped in tissue he carried to his love. She enjoyed flowers of every kind, though he seldom gave them. Sad, she cannot smell their fragrance now that she’s below the ground. Storm Blustery, billowing clouds spread their shadow across the sun. Storms steal the smiles from the sky, bringing angry rumbles of thunder As lightning zaps flashes of pain, turning the day into night. In six lines: January Thaw Balmy air like found in spring Whispers lies to cold-tired folks, Because winter's blast may still Send shivers of ice along spines. Thaw teases in January, February, and March this year. "Invalid Item"  Final Bouquet Long stemmed roses wrapped in tissue He carried to his love. She enjoyed flowers of every kind, Though he seldom gave them. Sad, she cannot smell their fragrance Now that she's below the ground. "Final Bouquet" Storm Blustery, billowing clouds spread Their shadow across the sun. Storms steal the smiles from the sky, Bringing angry rumbles of thunder As lightning zaps flashes of pain, Turning the day into night. "Invalid Item" Sources: Poetry Forms Easily Explained by Bianca Boonstra http://www.ahapoetry.come/sijo.htm http://thewordshop.tripod.com/Sijo/sijo-index.htm http://web.umr.edu/~gdoty/poems/sijo/def-sijo.html Some Favorite Poetry I wasn't able to find any Sijo examples, so I decided to highlight some Haiku and other favorites. Haiku: a Japanese poetry form with three lines with the syllable count of 5, 7, 5, with the subject dealing with nature.
Waka: a poetry form much like Haiku, but with an additional two lines, with the syllable count of 5, 7, 5, 7, 7.
Poetry that I just liked.
Marvelous Feedback and Question First of all, the following readers correctly answered the question in my last issue about simile and metaphor; I posted their comments if they gave examples or other comments. Winners of question contest, "What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor" are as follows: pcombs by email Erik Stark njames51  dmack Jay's debut novel is out now! greenpan... sleeping awake murkylake Cynaemon Cynaemon - A simile says two unlike things are like each other: Love is like a purr. A Metaphor says two unlike things are essentially the same thing. Love is a purr... Hugs, Cynaemon Fyn-elf  - Just a couple of examples from my poem The Covered Bridge - which in and of itself is a metaphor for change :)
That particular morning dawned about the same as it had for the past week or so, the grey clouds pressing down like an unsettled argument. People left tracks behind them; water oozing into heel-marks like a snoopy neighbor into my kitchen. This poem is a perfect example of simile and metaphor. Very good job. murkylake - A simile uses 'like' or 'as' to describe something. Metaphors don't use it. Example of simile, "I wandered lonely as a cloud" -Wordsworth. Example of metaphor, "He is all pine and I'm apple orchard" - Frost. Thank you so very much for the wonderful examples of simile and metaphor from two of my favorit poets. Jay's debut novel is out now! - A simile uses like or as to make a comparison: "Her eyes were like the stormy sea," for example; and a metaphor makes a comparison without qualifiers: "Her eyes were stormy seas." I suppose now would be a good time to mention cliché and hyperbole? Great Newsletter, Viv! ~j njames51 - To answer your question: A simile is a comparision between two unlike things using "like" or "as" as the connector. Example: "My tears are like the leaves from autumn's fall." A metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things by stating one is the other. Example: "Sorrow is night devoid of stars." I enjoy your newsletter very much! Nancy Erik Stark - Great newsletter, I enjoyed reading it! The answer to your question: A simile you relate two normally unrelated items together saying one is "like" the other. A metaphor does this but says one "is" the other. A great subject for the newsletter! Better use of these writing devices is something I need to get better at doing to put more "feeling" or "emotion" into my poetry. Thanks much! Erik Thank you, all, for your examples of similes and metaphors. involution - Oustanding, informational newsletter Viv, keep on with writing and sharing them with the authors of this site. mags27 - I like the way you added poems into your explanation (I'm a bit thick and need to have that, so thank you). daycare - Excellent newletter. I think what you are trying to convey is a very important part of writing. I enjoyed this issue. Wendie Thank you so much for the encouraging messages. Everyone likes to hear if she's doing a good job. jessiegirl - Hey Viv~ Terrific edition of the poetry newsletter! I have been learning about similies and metaphors and alliterations as my English one class just finished Romeo and Juliet, so it was pretty cool to read about using them in poetry. Great job! Perhaps next time you could review different kinds of poetry - some people might need some refreshing! Jessie I covered some basic kinds of poetry last year in earlier newsletters; the static items for the newsletters for 2003-2004 can be found in "Poetry Newsletters 2003-2004" . I also have information in the folder, "Writing Poetry Writing Tips" , lessons plans I used when teaching poetry. Every other month I cover a different poetry form, such as this issue does.The question for this issue follows; the first twenty answering correctly, using the feedback box below, will receive 1,000 gift points each: |
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