What is gogyohka? I hear you ask
It's a five-line poem developed by Enta Kusakabe in Japan. Gog-yoh-ka translates to "five-line poem."
It's a close relative of tanka and uses natural phrasing to great effect.The gogyohka has very simple rules: The poem comprises, five lines with one phrase per line. That's all there is to it.
What does a phrase mean in a gogyohka?
Defining a gogyohka phrase is in the eye of the beholder. but the phrases can be as short as one word and others more than five words.
So the rules are fairly loose. It's meant to be concise (five lines) but free (variable line length with each phrase). No special themes or topics. No subject matter constraints. Just five lines of poetic fun. I urge my fellow poets to give Gogyohka a go!
Here's my attempt at Gogyohka Poems:
into the bay
swimming is not recommended
for seven long, days.
Alan j Wright
Old Snaps
Those old photographs in the album
Possess a sameness
Greyscaled
Until embedded secrets emerge.
Alan j Wright
Future Uncertainty
Upon what comes next
-The opening gambit in chess
-The birth of a child
-The initial line of War and Peace.
Alan j Wright
It is once again, Poetry Friday and our host this week is Heidi Mordhurst. Heidi presents a rather eclectic poetry offering this time. Go check it out and get the chance to meet with a host of otehr poets from all round the world.
Hi Alan, I, too, am intrigued by those "old snaps." Thank you for putting it in a poem!
ReplyDeleteIrene, your comment has prompted a future post, because like you I am intrigued by old snaps and those ten mysterious photographs we are all said to possess. Stay tuned. I'll snap to it!
DeleteEnjoyed these, and learning about a new poetic form. My favorite is "Future Uncertainty."
ReplyDeleteThanks Jama. Glad you enjoy gladhanding with Gogyohka Poetry. Future uncertainty is entwined in life's journey. It is with us and within us.
DeleteThanks for joining us today, Alan--the gogyohka is new to me and enticingly free. I like the snaps one the best--a ministory, just like that told by a snapshot!
ReplyDeleteThanks Heidi. Glad you enjoyed meeting Gogyohka and the snaps it produced.
DeleteI love the phrase 'old snaps". That black and white photos is intriguing.
ReplyDeleteBlack and white photos possess a rare and beguiling quality Jone. I love them. My parents left a treasure trove of such photographs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing me to gogyohka and for sharing your three poems. I'm partial to "Old Snaps" as well. I think I'm drawn to the idea of the embedded secrets emerging. So often there are layers that are only revealed if we take the time to linger.
ReplyDeletePleased to introduce a new poetry form Molly. It seems a few of us are partial to old snaps and all they bring to stir our thoughts. It is the lingering that reveals the secrets within, no doubt about it. I am grateful to you for these thoughts. I am contemplating some poetic prognostications going forward...
DeleteLove reading about this new form, the gogyohka, Alan. It feels as if you've begun a story for us in each poem, left us to more imagining. It also feels as if one could sigh after reading each one! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAn interesting observation Linda, regarding small story beginnings. The five lines just seem to work that way, I guess. I shall ponder your response a little longer.
DeleteFuture uncertainty hits pretty close to home here in the US, on the almost-eve of election day. So much at stake...
ReplyDeleteThese elections are looming as a portent to even greater uncertainty it seems, At least when viewing them from outside. Having lived in the US for six years, I am aware of the political process. I just hope there is a significant turn out of voters for these mid term elections. As you write, Mary Lee, there is indeed, much at stake right now. My best thoughts are with you all.
DeleteI love a form with such freedom within a frame. The idea of embedded secrets in "Old Snaps" took me by surprise and I enjoyed the immensity of possibility you presented in "Future Uncertainty" —so much we can never predict.
ReplyDeleteThe freedom of this poetry form is one of its appeals, Karen, no doubt about that. Thank you for your responses to the poems I shared. Much appreciated.
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