Choka

[Tinker]

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry
The Epic
Japanese Verse

The choka (長歌 long poem) was the epic, story telling form of Japanese poetry from the 1st to the 13th century, known as the Waka period. Storytelling was rare in the Japanese language during the Waka period although it is found in the Man'yôshû and even the Kokinshú. Most often the Japanese poet would write epics in classical Chinese. Still, the occasional poet with a story to tell would tackle the choka, the earliest of which can be traced back to the 1st century. It describes a battle and is 149 lines long.

Originally chokas were sung, but not in the Western sense of being sung. The oral tradition of the choka was to recite the words in a high pitch.

The elements of the choka are:

1. a narrative.
2. syllabic. Composed of any number of couplets made up of alternating 5-7 onji (sound syllables) per line. In English we can only treat the onji as a syllable.
3. unrhymed.
4. concluded by a hanka, an envoy in the form of the waka, 31 onji or sound syllables in 5 lines with 5-7-5-7-7. "han" meaning repetition, the hanka is to summarize the choka. The word tanka is often substituted for hanka or waka (they are all rooted in the same 31 syllable, 5 line form, their root seems to make them interchangeable with only subtle differences to separate them.)

   Here is my attempt to provide a highly condensed version inspired by the history and features of the choka.

   Tale of Honor by Judi Van Gorder
   
   Kilimanjaro
   fresh snow crunches under foot
   narrow mountain path
   traveled by lone samurai
   seeker of vengeance
   returned from war, tracks his prey,
   young brother's killers. . . .
   
   at rise of the waning moon
   sneak thieves strike village
   novice boy challenged jackals
   dagger drawn thrust low
   youngster's entrails ripped and spilled
   cowards run to hills
   with sun high in winter sky
   sibling soldier stalks,
   prowling panther poised to kill

   disciplined, steadfast
   trained warrior against pack
   jackals ring soldier
   jab, snap, samurai honor
   blood on Kilimanjaro