Throughout the course, we’ll engage with the work of 30 poets, responding to their poems through imitation, transformation, and experimentation. The list of writers includes the obvious (Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki); award-winning contemporary haiku poets Goran Gatalica of Croatia and Kanchan Chatterjee of India; and female waka/tanka poets including Izumi Shikibu (976-1030), Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) and Tawara Machi (b. 1962). You’ll gain a deeper appreciation for haiku, tanka, and other Japanese poetic forms while exploring how they have evolved across languages and cultures.

This course is open to writers of all genres who are curious about Japanese literature and eager to engage with language in new ways. You’ll receive four rounds of personalized instructor feedback on your writing, and will have the option to share daily responses with your fellow poets. We’ll also gather for two live Zoom sessions—at the end of the first and third week—for Q&A and discussion.

By the end of these 30 days, you’ll leave with:

• A unique collection of poems inspired by Japanese forms
• A deeper understanding of Japanese literary traditions and their global influence
• New creative approaches to incorporating poetic techniques into your writing

No prior poetry experience is necessary—just a willingness to engage, experiment, and let these poetic forms guide your imagination!

Who This Course is For

This course is for writers eager to explore Japanese poetic forms, from haiku to tanka and beyond, while deepening their understanding of Japanese poets and literary traditions. It’s perfect for those who are curious about the history of Japan and its influence on poetry, as well as writers looking for a structured, daily practice to generate new work. Whether you’re an experienced poet or new to poetic forms, this course will inspire you to write for 30 consecutive days and build a unique collection of your own.

Learning and Writing Goals

Learning Goals

• You will have a deeper understanding of Japanese poetics which will let you:
  • Distill your thoughts and write compactly.
  • Let poetic forms help you and liberate you. 
  • Experiment with forms to suit your writing style and purposes.
• Discover and learn from thirty memorable poets and their work.
• Develop your own opinions about Japanese poetic forms.

Writing Goals

• Write everyday—even a line—for thirty days.
• Build a unique collection of new poems.

Course Structure

• Each day for 30 days, you’ll receive a daily email featuring a poet, one selected work, a brief essay, and reference material to deepen your understanding.
• There will be optional Zoom gatherings held on days 7 and 21 for connection and discussion of our work.
• You’ll also receive detailed feedback from me on days 5, 15, 25, and 30 to support your growth throughout the course.

The post 30 Poems in 30 Days: Writing Japanese Poetic Forms appeared first on Writers.com.

When a poet works closely with another poet, we will not only know that other poet better—our understanding of ourselves and of poetry (poetry is one’s heart) also transforms.

In this one-day workshop, we will introduce our own twoness poems, and explore the creation of collaborative poetry. You will begin writing a collaborative poem, and we will offer suggestions on the final draft that you will send the following week. We will be available for free individual /pair Zoom review sessions on another date following the course.  The goal of the class is to show how freeing the twoness poetry can be. This workshop is a step toward sharing the joy of twoness among as many poets and writers as possible. We will have a wonderful Valentine’s Day evening together.

To experience “Twoness Poems” by E. Ethelbert Miller and Miho Kinnas is to accept an invitation into a world of friendship, beauty and surprise.
—Renee Shea

Please join us as two poets wishing to write together: couples (married or unmarried), friends, siblings, parent and child. We request that both participants be over 18.

Learning and Writing Goals

You will learn:

• the pros and cons of collaborating on poetry;
• different ways to write poetry together;
• what you should be aware of, before, during and after writing linked poetry;
• the importance of setting a goal;
• what type of poem to start;
• some historical examples.

You will:

• begin two pieces of collaborative writing.
• email the final draft to the instructors; they will respond with comments and suggestions.

Webinar Schedule

This workshop will meet from 7-9 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time.

The post Twoness Poems appeared first on Writers.com.

Poetry keeps flowing. Tanka aesthetics have shifted in many directions over the years within the extreme limitation of 31 sounds (not syllables, a distinction we explore in the workshop). However, this number, and the similar restriction to 17 sounds for haiku, are not inviolable, as we shall see.

But first, we will learn the rules of these forms. Only then can we challenge the rules. Finally, you will reach for freedom in your own creative writing based on our conversations about Japanese poetry.

Linked poems or renga takes an important place in the history of Japanese literary tradition. We will learn the essence of good renga and we will see that understanding how the poems are linked well improves not only our basic haiku writing but also haibun and haiga/photo haiku.

This course incorporates three 2-hour Zoom sessions and three weeks of one-to-one writing opportunities via emails with the instructor. 

Learning and Writing Goals

In these three workshops, participants will learn:

• The short poetic forms as categories: waka/tanka, haikai/haiku, renga/renku, senryu, kyoka, and others!
• The basic rules of sounds (syllables/on), and the use of kigo.
• An overview of the history of Japanese poetry forms, from 800 AD to the present.
• Haiku growing outside Japan.
• Compact expression: learning from American Haiku poets and translators.
• The range of subject matter, vocabulary expansion, and variations in tanka.
• Associations: Basho and contemporary tanka.
• Applications: Collaboration, hybrid forms.

We will write some short poems during the first session following prompts and a structural suggestion.

During the second and third workshops, we will write several more 3 and 2 line verses under various assumptions.

The participants are expected to write new works between the sessions.

A list of suggested submissions

1. A sequence of 5 haiku (three-line poems).
2. A sequence of 3 tanka (five-line poems).
3. A free verse.
4. A haibun with a haiku, and prose up to 150 words.
5. A haiga (drawing or photograph) with a haiku.
6. Linked Poems or Paired poems

Please place your work in the body of the email—please no attachments, except for the haiga. We will exchange emails after each session.

Workshop Schedule

These three workshops will run on Zoom for two hours each. Each call will run from 7-9 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time.

Why Take a Japanese Poetic Forms Course with Writers.com?

• We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
• Small groups keep our online writing courses lively and intimate.
• Work through your weekly lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
• Share and discuss your work with fellow writers in a supportive course environment.
• Award-winning instructor Miho Kinnas will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.

Click the Enroll Now button below, enter your details on the Checkout page,
and reserve your spot in the course.

$345.00Enroll Now

The post Poems of All Sizes: Haiku, Tanka, and Japanese Poetic Forms appeared first on Writers.com.