Kyoka is to tanka what senryû is to haiku – its counterpart.
- Whet: The poem sharpens the reader’s attention with its elegant setup. The first two lines lull us into a serene image, and the pivotal third line—‘as consequences’—acts like a whetstone, honing the edge of the satire to come. It prepares us for the emotional twist, making the final lines cut deeper.
- Wry: The humour is dry, ironic, and quietly devastating. ‘My heart / now donated to Goodwill’ is a masterstroke of wryness—it’s absurd, self-deprecating, and culturally loaded. It mocks the idea of emotional discard, consumerism, and perhaps even the poetic impulse to dramatise healing.
