The 7th Hoshi-to-Mori International Tanka Contest - 2005 Comments on the Selection, English Field Theme ： " Clothes " 　The tanka is a from of poetry that is both very ancient and very noble. It is short ーー only five lines using 31 syllables arranged in the pattern of 5 ー 7ー 5 ー 7 ー 7. The poet has to take this apparently stiff, artificial form and try to bring it to life with a very careful choice of words ーー the right words in the right places. 　But we must also remember that a tanka is a musical form, so we should be careful in our use of rhythm and tone. We have to know how to make the tanka both speak and sing with a human voice, and make ideas and thoughts sound with the voice of truth. 　So the tanka's strict syllabic form presents a real creative challenge to poets. It can be compared to a block of wood or ice that the poet must curve carefully into a natural shape. Above all, it is a truly musical form, and should flow like a song or a prayer, each line moving easily and freely into the next, and thus creating an elegant and rhythmical whole. 　There is a soul sleeping in the tanka. We have to handle it with respect and love, to make it waken from the silence of print or handwriting and speak the secrets at its heart. But it takes many years of practice, with many failures, to make a tanka move and sound like a living organism, breathing with the secret rhythme of its own mysterious power. ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊ 　I have read carefully and with great interest this year's selection of tanka. The theme, "Clothes", offers many posibilities and at once suggests many poetic images to the imagination. But it is also a subject that requires strict attention to form, like a beautiful dress or an elegent suit. The poet has to think of himself or herself as someone who has to wear the form chosen for its style of words, meanings and textures. 　Most of the tanka for competition seem to have been composed without serious thought for the underlying meanings of the theme. Others were too personal in their emotion, thus losing the sense of classic form in favour of weak sentimentaly or a dreamy romanticism without depth of feeling. I am also sorry to say that many were carelessly written in incorrect English. I felt it was such a pity to spoil good ideas by sloppy presentation. 　In the end, I decided that there was not one tanka deserving of the Grand First Prize . Here are the three winners I finally chose with great difficulty ーー. 1） lying here and there the soldiers' naked bodies along the roadside stripped of their guns and clothing sand and sunlight gilding them. （in this good tanka, I was struck by the originality, and the irony, of a clever reversal of the theme of "Clothes". I felt that there were weaknesses in the structure : for example, it would have been much better to start with "along the roadside" thus setting the scene, and to place "lying here and there" in place of it in the third line. But it flows quite well.） 2） His shabby monk's clothes Replaced with the finery Of a head abbot, How can Crazy Cloud make love In such stiff brocaded robe? （I like the feeling for form in this tanka, reflecting the contrast in the two kinds of clothes. But the name of "Crazy Cloud" requires some explanation : the image here sounds out of key （like the finery, perhaps.）. "Robe" ーー robes.） 3） Every drawer thrown Open, spilling on the bed And across the floor But within this disarray Lays an outfit for today. （Quite a vivid sketch of a woman's wardrobe, with a very striking "break" at the end of the first line between the adjective and the verb, suggesting confusion, disorder. But I dislike the break between the third and last two lines, spoiling the compact tanka shape. And "Lays" is not correct English : it should be "Lies".） 20 June 2005 James Kirkup Signature Go to the award of the 7th contest Go to the top Copyright(C)2001 Hoshi-to-Mori, All Rights Reserved.