1 If you can count syllables, you can write a senryu [Sen-REOO]. It doesn't rhyme, and it doesn't need a title. Senryu is a Japanese form of poetry similar to the haiku, since it is made up of only three lines with the same syllable pattern of 5-7-5. It is the subject matter that makes a senryu different. While a haiku deals with nature and seasons, a senryu dwells on people matters; it can even be funny!
2 First let's look at how a senryu breaks down into a total of seventeen syllables.
I doze on the couch.
5 -I/doze/on/the/couch.
The cat moves in, making a
7 -The/cat/moves/in/ma/king/a
Bed of my stomach.
5 -Bed/of/my/sto/mach.
3 How do you think the author feels about having a cat sleep on her stomach?
4 Let's write a senryu together. We'll describe a child eating an ice cream cone. For the first line, you will need to provide two syllables, and I'll provide three. You may choose two one-syllable words or one two-syllable word.
