Try Your Hand At Sedōka Poetry! Writing Prompt
One beautiful aspect of poetry is the many forms it takes. No one demands a poet stick to a writing in a specific type of poetry. However, writing in forms unheard of or new to the creator is one way to stretch creativity and give the muse a boost. Today, we’re doing that with a sedōka poetry writing prompt.
The sedōka, or “head-repeated poem,” is a type of unrhymed Japanese poetry with 38 syllables. It consists of two katautas, which are half or incomplete poems addressed to a lover. Although the katauta is formed from three lines and a syllable count of 5/7/7 or 5/7/5, the sedōka specifically uses two katautas of the 5/7/7 variety. In addition, the second katauta in a sedōka acts as a response to the first.
My first attempt at sedōka poetry writing was in Fresh Flowers.
Pink petals unfold
embracing the rising sun,
cool dew glistening in light.
Beautiful roses
in a garden colored bright,
snipped, gracing a table top.
BONUS: This time, use the answer-and-response form of the sedōka to write two poems: (1) a traditional lover’s poem and (2) something that turns from happy to terrifying.
