WELCOME TO TANKA TUESDAY!

Hello and Welcome. Are you ready to write some poetry?

HERE’S THE CATCH: You can’t use the prompt words! SYNONYMS ONLY!

I hope you will support the other poets with visits to blogs and by leaving comments. Sharing each other’s work on social media is always nice too.

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LOOKING FOR PLACES TO SUBMIT YOUR POETRY?

Subscribe to Authors Publish.com to find more poetry publication opportunities.

Elm Leaves Journal

“Authors of poetry, flash writing, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, and reviews may submit work of any length to ELJ. They accept submissions via email, but not online or by post.” Click the link above to learn more.

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Image Credit: AZQuotes.com

Please note: We are all students of poetry. I have given you the instructions on how to write the different forms. Try your best to be as exact as you can. There are no tests, and I don’t grade your work. LOL!

The most meaningful change you will learn about is in writing a Haiku vs. a Senryu. Also, remember, pronunciation in various parts of the world will affect your syllable count. Go with your gut on deciding the syllable count. You are the poet and the creator of your work.

The reason why I sponsor this challenge is to help budding poets learn how to write various forms of poetry. Remember, if you are sending your poetry for publication in literary journals, contests, or self-publishing, you should know the correct forms and use them.

For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in one of the forms defined below. Click on the link to learn about each type:

HAIKU IN ENGLISH 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Haiku is written about seasonal changes, nature, and change in general.

TANKA IN ENGLISH 5/7/5/7/7 syllable structure. Your Tanka will consist of five lines written in the first-person point of view. This is important because the poem should be written from the perspective of the poet.

HAIBUN IN ENGLISH Every Haibun must begin with a title. Haibun prose is composed of short, descriptive paragraphs, written in the first-person singular. 

The text unfolds in the present moment, as though the experience is occurring now rather than yesterday or some time ago. In keeping with the simplicity of the accompanying haiku or tanka poem, all unnecessary words should be pared down or removed. Nothing must ever be overstated.

The poetry never tries to repeat, quote, or explain the prose. Instead, the poetry reflects some aspect of the prose by introducing a different step in the narrative through a microburst of detail. Thus, the poetry is a sort of juxtaposition – different yet somehow connected.

Cinquain

Senryu in English 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Senryu is written about love, a personal event, and have IRONY present. Click the link to learn the meaning of irony.

Image credit: Pinterest.com

 

(Currently, free-verse prose poems are NOT part of this challenge)

Here are some great sites that will help you write your poetry and count syllables.

thesaurus.com

For Synonyms and Antonyms. When your word has too many syllables, find one that works.

howmanysyllables.com

Find out how many syllables each word has. I use this site for all my Haiku and Tanka poems. Click on the “Workshop” tab to create your Haiku or Tanka.

THE RULES

I will publish the Tuesday prompt post at 12: 03 A.M. Mountain Standard Time (Denver Time).  That should give everyone time to see the prompt from around the world.

WRITE YOUR POEM ON YOUR BLOG as a post. 

How Long Do You Have and Your Deadline: You have a week to complete the Challenge with a deadline of Monday at 12:00 P.M. (Noon) Denver time, U. S. A. This will give me a chance to add the links from everyone’s poem post from the previous week, on the new prompt I send out on Tuesday. I urge everyone to visit the blogs and comment on everyone’s poem.

The rules are simple.

I will give you two words. Choose synonyms from those words for your poetry. You, the poet, now have more control over the direction of your writing. Follow the rules carefully. Don’t use the prompt words.

LINK YOUR BLOG POST TO MINE WITH A PINGBACK. To do a Pingback: Copy the URL (the HTTPS:// address of my post) for the current week’s Challenge and paste it into your post. You may also place a copy of your URL of your post in the comments of the current week’s Challenge post.

Because of the time difference between where you are, and I am, you might not think your link is there. I manually approve all links. People taking part in the challenge may visit you and comment or “like” your post. I also need at least a Pingback or a link in the comments section to know you took part and to include you in the Weekly Review section of the new prompt on Tuesday. 

BE CREATIVE. Use your photos and create “Visual POETRY” if you wish, although it is not necessary. Use whatever program you want to make your images.

As time allows, I will visit your blog, comment, and TWEET your POETRY

If you add these hashtags to your post TITLE (depending on which poetry form you use) your poetry may be viewed more often:

#Haiku, #Tanka, #micropoetry, #poetry, #5lines, #Haibun, #Prose #Senryu, #CinquainPoetry

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT LINKED TO YOUR BLOG – I WILL NO LONGER TWEET YOUR POETRY… THERE IS NO SENSE SINCE YOUR TWEET BECOMES PART OF WORDPRESS.COM AND THERE IS NO ATTRIBUTION BACK TO YOU.

You may copy the badge I have created to go with the Weekly Poetry Challenge Post and place it in your post. It’s not mandatory:

HERE’S WHO JOINED US LAST WEEK FOR OUR 68th POETRY CHALLENGE USING SYNONYMS FOR THE WORDS: MYTH &WRITE

Messenger (#TankaTuesday) | ShiftnShake

Writer’s Block – Reena Saxena

Unearthly – #Tanks #Haibun | Trent’s World (the Blog)

Tanka Tuesday: Flood – Jane Dougherty Writes

Fell for her – Playing with words

Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge Myth & Write | Annette Rochelle Aben

Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge 68 – The Bag Lady

COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY POETRY CHALLENGE #Haiku #Cinquain #Tanka #68: Myth & Write | But I Smile Anyway…

Colleen’s Weekly-Tanka-Tuesday-Poetry-Challenge.No 68. Myth-Write. | willowdot21

Legend – Bilocalalia

haiku #33 – Stories

Fire and Ice | like mercury colliding…

Cauldron | Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo

Write it Down – Smell The Coffee

Colleens Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge – No-Madder Nomadder

A Katana’s Lament: a #Tankaprose…#tanka #haibun #poetry – Frank J. Tassone

The Pleiades: Tanka | Yesterday and today: Merril’s historical musings

Winter Blues | Stuff and what if…

“Magical Sigils,” A Double #Tanka – colleenchesebro.com

Myths & Write – Synonyms | thoughts and entanglements

Rememberings – Calm and Chaos

Fantasy – A Tanka – In Emma World

#Senryu: Legend | Charmed Chaos

Scribing Legends (Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge – #Tanka) | The Wolfe’s (Writing) Den

Weekly #Tanka challenge | Katja Rammer

Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 68, “Myth & Write,” #SynonymsOnly | M J Mallon Author

a paradox – Word Florilegium

 

 

Our POET OF THE WEEK is Annette, from her blog, Annette Rochelle Aben, and her poem dedicated to the theme words of “myth and write.” Annette is a prolific poet and I always enjoy her work. The one thing that always sticks out to me in her poetry is how she expresses her emotions. If your poetry touches another person you know you’ve done your job as a writer and a poet.

Annette’s Tanka (below) really slammed me in the gut this week. Maybe it was the news swirling around the scandals involving the #MeToo movement or the trial of the Michigan State University doctor that molested young girls, but I believe Annette’s poem is so powerful. Her words should speak to all of us.

Notice how Annette weaves a story with her first three lines. She’s setting the reader up for the climax.The third line is the “pivot” which magnifies the meaning of the first two lines and the last two lines.

The ending lines really made this poem explode with emotion. Her words also bring the reader back to the idea of “myth,” when she brings in the magical aspects of a dragon. Yet, it’s more than that. As far as I can tell, this is a perfect Tanka.

 

They doubted her tales

As though she created them

Just for attention

And the dragons dry her tears

Because she knows they’re real

©2018 Annette Rochelle Aben

If you need a brush up on writing a Tanka poem click here.

Here are the two prompt words for this week’s challenge: “BOND & SEEK”

#SynonymsOnly

 

IT’S TANKA TUESDAY! JOIN IN & WRITE SOME POETRY!