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SENRYU
INTRODUCTION
Haikus are very popular and well-known, but they are not the only three-lined Japanese poetry form. While Haikus focus on nature, another three-liner called senryu focuses on humor and human foibles.
ONE, TWO, THREE — I WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH, YOU WILL SEE
When walking along the beaches or through the forest, one might hear a haiku springing from the trees. But at a party, humor is needed to put people at ease.
A Senryu is a Japanese short poem similar to a haiku. It is named after Karai Senryū and grew in popularity among common people. As a haiku, it also consists of three stanzas, 17 ons and is structured in the 5–7–5 pattern.
NOT A HAIKU, BUT A SENRYU
What distinguishes a senryu from a haiku is its theme. Senryu focuses more on human foibles and humor than on nature. Also, it does not include a kireiji or kigo word. (2)
ITS HUMBLE BEGINNING
As it was the norm for the haiku poem, so too the senryu began as an opening part (hokku) of a larger Japanese poem called renga and eventually evolved into a stand-alone poem. (2)
