sijo (traditional Korean poetry)

[Ash999]

She grips his testicles possessively...
He gropes her breasts dominantly
November snowfall crowns majestic Himalayas, standing Erect.....
https://ibb.co/CKLG9CxQ

 

[TheRedLantern]

Here's today's attempt, this one attempting to be more overtly erotic:

On my knees, I show my love. Without words, my lips speak my heart
His pleasure, is my pleasure. My submission makes him hard.
He shudders, then slumps ... On my knees I am powerful

 

[Ash999]

Here's today's attempt, this one attempting to be more overtly erotic:

On my knees, I show my love. Without words, my lips speak my heart
His pleasure, is my pleasure. My submission makes him hard.
He shudders, then slumps ... On my knees I am powerful

Post ejaculatory depression
Le Petït Môrt.....post coitus..the little death occurs:
But Sun stays it's course in Sky.....Lonely...Majestic....bound to Duty

 

[TheRedLantern]

I found this article (oh, you guys thought I was done researching this? lol, my motivational poster was an Obsession fragrance ad I hung over my bed): Masterclass article about English language sijo

So far, my take is that what we've found might be close to the most recent look at sijo in English. For writing English-language sijo, there was a poetry journal called Sijo West that ran for maybe 10-15 years (I haven't tracked it down yet) and two books (same story). All of that stuff was collected by the people that wrote the article that AlinaX found at the top of the thread. If there's another pocket of research out there, I haven't found it yet.

Here are the two most relevant parts that I saw from the article:

Western Adaptations of the Sijo Form​

In the late 1980s, a Western haiku poet named Elizabeth St. Jacques teamed up with publisher Dr. Larry Gross to produce Sijo West, the first poetry journal to feature English-language explorations of the sijo form. Though the journal ceased publication in 1999, St. Jacques has remained an ambassador of the form and has continued to publish collections like Around the Tree of Light (1995) and Sijo Blossoms (2001).

How to Write Sijo: Step-by-Step Guide​

1. 1. Remain respectful. Writing sijo isn’t unlike starting any other kind of poem. Poet Elizabeth St. Jacques’s advice to would-be poets is to remain mindful of the origins of Korean sijo: the basic structure; the musical, syllabic rhythm; and the twist.
2. 2. Find inspiration. Your setting can be anything from a favorite place, a season, or something that happened during your day. Dial-in on the details: What are the characteristics of that place, or that season? What are the sounds and smells like? How do they make your narrator feel?
3. 3. Decide on your theme. What point do you want to make with your twist ending? Who do you want to address? The main goal is to subvert the expectations of the reader, in a small, subtle way—a mere shift of perspective or tone will do the trick.
4. 4. Fit your observations and phrases into the sijo format. Whittle down your sentences to distill their essence, choosing the most impactful and visionary words. Experiment with where you place your groupings, and note how a comma changes the rhythm. Read your sijo out loud; where are the natural pauses? How will you draw your listener in?

 

[Ash999]

Since I chanced upon this Korean gem of a poetry format with a Twist in the Tail, have been utterly fascinated by Sijo: thank you Red for sharing!!!

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

The old oak tree cannot let go. It clings to its dead, brown leaves.

The leaves must still possess the lovely hum of summer days.

I am like the birch. At the first frost, I drop everything.

 

[TheRedLantern]

Here are four sijo by Hwang Jini (sometimes spelled Ginny or Jinny). One source said we have 6 of hers but I could only find 3 sijo. There were two other poems but they have 8 lines and came from a different source, so I'm not sure what they are yet. Hwang Jini is likely to come up in any discussion of sijo because she's the most famous kisaeng (Korean geisha ... professional entertainers) and sijo are associated with these kisaeng women.

One thing to note is that she used a pen name that translates to "Full Moon" or "Bright Moon", so any references you see to moons may be her talking about herself. She referenced people's pen names, too ("green stream" is the pen name of a scholar she famously slept with). Sijo, as written by kisaeng, seem to be very metaphorical and often speak of past relationships.

Do not boast of your speed,
O green stream running by the hills:
Once you have reached the wide ocean,
You can return no more.
Why not stay here and rest,
When moonlight stuffs the empty hills?

I cut in two
A long November night, and
Place half under the coverlet,
Sweet-scented as a spring breeze.
And when he comes, I shall take it out,
Unroll it inch by inch, to stretch the night.

[Another translation I found ... I notice the use of "cut" in the first one vs "capture the essence" in the second, and the first one does not include the word "moon" despite that word being important because of the author's usage of it to refer to herself]
Oh that I might capture the essence of this deep midwinter night
And fold it softly into the waft of a spring-moon quilt,
Then fondly uncoil it the night my beloved returns.

Blue mountains speak of my desire,
Green waters reflect my Lover's love:
The mountains unchanging,
The waters flowing by.
Sometimes it seems the waters cannot forget me,
They part in tears, regretting, running away.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

When moonlight stuffs the empty hills?

Wonderful imagery
What else is getting stuffed that night?

 

[Candy_Kane54]

I apologize in advance, but part of my learning and experimentation process is to see what kinds of quirky things I can do with something new, so feel free to kick me out of the forum if this is too much

Never gonna, give you up, never gonna, let you down
Never gonna run around, and desert you. Never gonna, make you cry,
Never gonna, say goodbye. Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

I never thought I'd be Rick-Rolled in a poetry discussion ...

 

[TheRedLantern]

I write these words. I'm the writer. I am real. Are these words also?
I grow old, they remain unchanged. They are stone. I learn, I grow.
I shall die, we can not meet save for these words. Was I real?

Edit: Would love any feedback on that one, here or DMs. I'm thinking of using it in a story about the types of women who wrote these for a period piece for the Jasmine Tea story event next summer.

 

[SmilingLez]

I write these words. I'm the writer. I am real. Are these words also?
I grow old, they remain unchanged. They are stone. I learn, I grow.
I shall die, we can not meet save for these words. Was I real?

Edit: Would love any feedback on that one, here or DMs. I'm thinking of using it in a story about the types of women who wrote these for a period piece for the Jasmine Tea story event next summer.

I love it.

Flesh fades with the years,
Words carved deep remain unbound,
Echoes outlive self.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

Edit: Would love any feedback on that one, here or DMs. I'm thinking of using it in a story about the types of women who wrote these for a period piece for the Jasmine Tea story event next summer.

my only suggestion would be to have the theme of the poem reflect the theme of your story, or reflect the mood / personality of the character that wrote it.

 

[butters]

a beautiful thread

I hope to find the time and inclination to poem more in '26

 

[Angeline]

a beautiful thread

I hope to find the time and inclination to poem more in '26

That would be lovely. I've missed reading your poems here.

 

[Tzara]

A very interesting form (and thread). Here's my first attempt:

Of Distanced Correspondence

Patiently, I hope she writes one more poem, perhaps to me.
This waiting is like a tree, its flowering not yet assured,
But hopeful it has enough life to flourish blooms one last time.
​

Incidentally and off-topic, I think the username TheRedLantern is a particularly good one, especially given the interest in Korean poetry. It reminds me a little of a well-known translator of asian poetry forms who uses the pseudonym Red Pine.

 

[AlinaX]

Supergirl, child of Krypton
. swift as sunlight pursued by night
Red and blue, fierce defiance
. banish shadows and smile smile smile
Ashes fall where all was crystal
. shattering like falling tears

(Mixed feelings.)

 

[Angeline]

Piano man sounds like ice, long cool fingers traverse the keys,
a landscape of sound opens a tonal path to invite me.
I am here with him. Imagination made him live again.

 

[SmilingLez]

Old threads crackle on the screen,
Stories hang in the air, unresolved,
What happened to those voices?

Scrolling through echoes of the past,
Curiosity pulls me in,
Wonder if their paths crossed again.

Fingers trace familiar tales,
Life moves on, but I still wonder,
Do they remember these moments too?

 

[TheRedLantern]

When I'm home, the house is warm. When I'm out, the light stays on.
At my doorstep, a Welcome mat. In the bathroom, an extra towel.
Sitting alone, I wait and live. For a love that shall never return.

(that one made me cry a little to write )

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

When I'm home, the house is warm. When I'm out, the light stays on.
At my doorstep, a Welcome mat. In the bathroom, an extra towel.
Sitting alone, I wait and live. For a love that shall never return.

(that one made me cry a little to write )

And me to read, but there's no cry react. So you get hugs instead

 

[calmlikeabomb]

@TheRedLantern thank you so much for starting this thread.

Here is my humble attempt. I can't even attempt to capture all the nuances and respect that Sijo requires, but I have some skill with Prog Rock and odd time signatures, and so I tried to tell the story of an old courtesan the best I could. I hope you all enjoy it.

---

Let me be Autumn Flower, falling slowly to the ground,
Snow will warm my aching bones, until in spring my grave is found,
All I have is this cage to give, forgive me child, let me sleep.

---

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

I just have to express again - I'm so impressed with everyone writing these. I've been staring at the form and reading/re-reading all of the guidelines. I generally LOVE rules and I just can't wrap my head around these to make anything come out of my brain. Y'all are AWESOME!