How to Write Sijo Poetry

The sijo is an ancient form of Korean poetry that often employs pastoral (related to a shepherd's nomadic lifestyle in the countryside), metaphysical or cosmological themes, though other subjects are allowed. A classic sijo consists of three lines of 14 to 16 syllables each, for a total of 44 to 46 syllables. Some modern poets have begun to split these lines in half to make the poem a sestet (6 lines), keeping the syllable count. A sijo is normally narrative, without rhyming or meter.

Similar to a sonnet, a sijo may introduce a situation (in its first line), a development (in line two), and a conclusion or twist. However, a sijo's conclusion is seldom witty. Like haiku, sijo may include metaphors, puns, or symbolic word play.

Examples:

I See No Anger

I see no anger in the sky, just an artistic rendition,
a child's jigsaw puzzle of cobalt blue, white and ominous gray.
Rather, I count my blessings in an endless celestial palette.

Geometric Domes

Elegant beauty of geometry hides in plain sight
Architects can only dream of such vogue appreciation.
Tourists crane their necks gawking at unexpected works of art.

Copyright © 2008 by Jack Huber-
All rights reserved.