Naga-Uta

Naga-uta, also called choka, is an early Japanese poetic form built from repeated lines of five and seven sound units (more accurately, morae rather than English syllables). It ends with a final pair of seven-unit lines. The form is longer than a haiku or tanka and was used for extended, often ceremonial or narrative poems.

Because Japanese meter does not match English syllable counting exactly, the pattern is best understood as a traditional 5-7 rhythm followed by a closing 7-7 section.

Example

Morning mist rises
5-7 lines keep unfolding
River, field, and road
Birdsong, labor, memory
Close with two lines of seven

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