Tanka

Tanka's are a very famous type of Japanese poetry. They are much older than Haikus'. This type of poetry dates back to the 800th century. This form of poetry was used between lovers as thanking note after a meeting. Tanka's were written on fans or paper and tied to the stem of a flower for covert delivery.
A worthy lover was considered a skilled Tanka composer at that point of time. There are more Tanka's than any other form of poetry in the world.

A whole Tanka has 31 syllables which are divided in to five lines:

Line 1- 5 syllables
Line 2- 7 syllables
Line 3- 5 syllables
Line 4- 7 syllables
Line 5- 7 syllables

Christmas lights on trees,

The air filled with pleasant joy,

Carols spread like bees,

While children play with new toys,

There is nothing like Christmas Eve!

                                                 
                                                                                                               - Rehan D'Mello