Sunday, April 7, 2024

Day 7 2024 ~ How to write a “Dodoitsu Poem” for #NationalPoetryMonth ~ "30 poems in 30 days"

We are going to write a DODOITSU poem today. Fun times!!!

Like many Japanese poetry styles, this one focuses on counting syllables – but not the same three lines of 5,7,5 syllables as the Haiku. This one is DIFFERENT ~

Here’s a bit of background:

Dodoitsu poems appeared around the late 1860s. They were favored by working-class citizens. The name’s translation is basically, “quickly, city to city.”

The Dodoitsu has even been called the “Japanese limerick” as most revolved around love, work, and daily life, from a humorous perspective; so as a general rule, they did not explore deep thoughts. But rather, they were used as a way to record those off-the-wall funny moments in one’s day.

I have a dear friend who writes AT LEAST a poem a day and includes her poems in her journal as they usually reflect her day. See what you come up with.

 

Here is the format:

FOUR LINES: (only counting syllables – no rhyming required, nor excluded . . . just whatever).

The first 3 lines ALL HAVE SEVEN SYLLABLES.

And the 4th line has FIVE SYLLABLES.

 

That’s it ~ simple, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought. You give it a try. Write as many as suits your fancy today.

Here are some examples I wrote a few years ago:

 



More to do than I have time

Still, I write this little rhyme

A moment here, moment there

Need a cherry coke!

                © 2021 Stephanie Abney




 

Taught the boys to do some math

They groaned about it too much

So now they have to shout out:

We love math! Love math!

                © 2021 Stephanie Abney

 

I love my grandkids so much

They’re very entertaining

They melt my heart with a smile

Yes, come stay a while

                © 2021 Stephanie Abney

 


PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they create them and especially once they post them. Thanks so much!

*** Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog or elsewhere on social media ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO EACH DAY’S SPECIFIC BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.

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