Hi all
I like to write poems. Almost all of the ones I've written are in English. I was thinking of writing one in Hokkien and wanted to know whether there there is a particular form of writing Hokkien(or chinese in general) poetry.
Any help appreciated ~ Jilang
Hokkien Poetry
The most typical form of a Chinese poem consists of five or seven-character phrases arranged into stanzas of four phrases each. For Mandarin, I recommend the celebrated Tang poems, such as the three I've posted in this thread: http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum ... 5470,65527
For Hokkien, poems can be divided into two categories: literary (classical) poems and vernacular (folk) poems. For example, the celebrated Tang poems are meant to be read in the literary voice. This is quite an advanced subject (as well as an endangered art), so I recommend that you start out with poems in the vernacular voice, such as a 七字仔 (chit4-ji7-a2). These consist of
* seven-character phrases
* stanzas of four rhyming phrases
Here is an example:
半暝月娘 puann3-me5 gueh8-nio5
半暝月娘入紗窗， puann3-me5# gueh8-nio5# jip8 se1-thang1#
偏偏照我守空房。 phian1-phian1 cio3 gua2# ciu2 khang1-pang5#
關窗將月緊緊送， kuainn1 thang1# ciong1 gueh8# kin2-kin2 sang3#
送去隔壁照別儂。 sang3 khi3 keh4-piah4# cio3 pat8-lang5#
(# = tone sandhi boundary)
For Hokkien, poems can be divided into two categories: literary (classical) poems and vernacular (folk) poems. For example, the celebrated Tang poems are meant to be read in the literary voice. This is quite an advanced subject (as well as an endangered art), so I recommend that you start out with poems in the vernacular voice, such as a 七字仔 (chit4-ji7-a2). These consist of
* seven-character phrases
* stanzas of four rhyming phrases
Here is an example:
半暝月娘 puann3-me5 gueh8-nio5
半暝月娘入紗窗， puann3-me5# gueh8-nio5# jip8 se1-thang1#
偏偏照我守空房。 phian1-phian1 cio3 gua2# ciu2 khang1-pang5#
關窗將月緊緊送， kuainn1 thang1# ciong1 gueh8# kin2-kin2 sang3#
送去隔壁照別儂。 sang3 khi3 keh4-piah4# cio3 pat8-lang5#
(# = tone sandhi boundary)
You're welcome!
By Ｘ#, I mean that Ｘ doesn't go through a natural tone change (tone sandhi, i.e. the 5→7→3→2→1→7 cycle).
By a phrase, I do mean a line of the poem I've showed, although it is common practice to put multiple phrases on a single line.
I forgot to mention that my previous post focuses on traditional forms of poetry--- you are certainly free to come up with your own form!
By Ｘ#, I mean that Ｘ doesn't go through a natural tone change (tone sandhi, i.e. the 5→7→3→2→1→7 cycle).
By a phrase, I do mean a line of the poem I've showed, although it is common practice to put multiple phrases on a single line.
I forgot to mention that my previous post focuses on traditional forms of poetry--- you are certainly free to come up with your own form!
Thanks again.
As for the forms, I'll have a go at doing that traditional form you described though I'd like to ask whether it is only suitable for those very poetic and 'beautiful' poems or any type of poem.
I'm not sure about coming up with my own form but even in my poems written in English I just write however I feel like and the only form that might be apparent is the rhyming system such as an AABB form or an ABAB form so if I try to write Hokkien poetry without using a traditional form I'll probably write similar to how I write English ones.
As for the forms, I'll have a go at doing that traditional form you described though I'd like to ask whether it is only suitable for those very poetic and 'beautiful' poems or any type of poem.
I'm not sure about coming up with my own form but even in my poems written in English I just write however I feel like and the only form that might be apparent is the rhyming system such as an AABB form or an ABAB form so if I try to write Hokkien poetry without using a traditional form I'll probably write similar to how I write English ones.