Senryū

Form of short, comedic, Japanese poetry Senryū (川柳) is a Japanese form of short poetry similar to haiku in construction: three lines with 17 morae (or on, often translated as syllables, but see the article on onji for distinctions). Senryū tend to be about human foibles while haiku tend to be about nature, and senryū are often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku are more serious. Like haiku, senryū originated as an opening part (hokku) of a larger Japanese poem called renga. Unlike haiku, senryū do not include a kireji (cutting word), and do not generally include a kigo, or season word. Form and content Senryū is named after Edo period haikai poet Karai Senryū (柄井川柳; 1718–1790). A typical example from the collection: 泥棒を 捕えてみれば 我が子なり dorobō o toraete mireba wagako nari When I catch, The robber, my own son This senryū, which can also be translated "Catching him / I see the robber / is my son," is not so much a personal experience of the author as an example of a type of situation (provided by a short comment called a maeku or fore-verse, which usually prefaces a number of examples) and/or a brief or witty rendition of an incident