Graduations are beginning around the country. This week think back on either your High School days or perhaps your own children and their experiences. Remember a Sijo is an opportunity to be contemplative.

Thesaurus.com

Merriam-Webster.com

Use the above link to discover the various interpretations of the word of the week. Don’t limit yourself to the first one that comes to mind. Expand your thinking.

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A new form of poetry for us to try. Yes, the Décima Challenge has come to an end after 100 weeks.

Now we have the Sijo, a Korean form believed to have first been used in the fourteenth century. It is similar in structure to various Japanese forms such as Haiku. As with many forms of poetry, the Sijo became a preferred poetry form of the yangban or ruling class as well as royalty. They were written in Chinese and were originally short songs set to music. The focus of the Sijo is usually nature and contemplation. We’ll try that to begin with.

You should use the word in the title of this post as your inspiration as either a theme of the Sijo or in the poem itself.

There are:

• Three Lines
• 14-16 syllables per line
• A total of 44-46 syllables for the entire poem.

To know how many syllables in a particular word try HowManySyllables.com.

• The first line of the Sijo usually sets the theme.
• The second line elaborates on the first line.
• The third line brings the poem matter to a close.

The setting can be nature, a favorite season, or some event of your day. Something, as I mentioned above that can be contemplative in nature.

Within each of the three lines there is usually a pause. You can hear it in the example below. The bold sections are the parts after the pause, or at least as I read/hear them. Reading your Sijo out loud will help with using the correct form.

The following example is considered the oldest Sijo in existence,

The spring breeze melted snow on the hills then quickly disappeared.
I wish I could borrow it briefly to blow over my hair
And melt away the aging frost forming now about my ears.

If I’m counting right there are 15 syllables per line. I think that would be a good target but the pattern is up to you, as per the generally held thoughts on the matter.

 

As with all of the challenges that have been hosted here be sure to;

1. Copy and past your URL into the comments below so other poets can visit and read your
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3. Reblogging is great as well.