Sunday, October 23, 2011

Brendan Slater - Three Questions (Tanka)

Brendan Slater
Brendan Slater is a father and software developer from Stoke-on-Trent, England. He has been writing Japanese short form poetry since 2009. Brendan's work has been published in Ribbons, The Heron's Nest, Notes from the Gean, Presence, Acorn, Pirene's Fountain, DailyHaiga, Tinywords and Lynx.



1) Why do you write tanka?

Tanka gives me the freedom to use emotion overtly that haiku does not. Even though I started with haiku I found it too constrained and was not able to express my ideas fully, tanka allows me to do this.


2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I enjoy all Japanese short forms, free-verse, and I am partial to English romantic verse.


3) Of the many wonderful tanka you've written, what do you consider to be your top three?


lost
under the stars
with nothing
but whispered insults
from the wind

Ribbons 6.2



face to face
in a world of sound bites
I listen
to what you read
between my lines

Ribbons 6.3



tonight
the tender moon
is waning
I mould myself around you
breathe when you breathe

Notes from the Gean 2.2


If you've been enjoying this series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response - whether it be for haiku or tanka - to the three little questions that Brendan answered. You must be a published poet in order to participate.

10 comments:

snowbird said...

Curtis, It's such a pleasure to get to know some of the poets we come across in other journals through your blog. I rather enjoy haiku more than tanka for the very reasons this poet enjoyes tanka more. Yet you can see from his work that the form that best illuminates the poem is the form to follow. His is the kind of tanka that keeps me reading it. Many thanks for bringing this poet to my attention. Merrill

Anonymous said...

hey bren,
good to see you finally getting yourself out there!

col ;)

Jane Reichhold said...

Brendan,
So happy to read your thoughts here! Way to go guy! \o/ Jane

Susan Nelson Myers said...

so nice to find such a fresh voice :) Kudos, Brendan! I especially enjoyed your 3rd piece here, and certainly look forward to seeing more of your work.

Area 17 said...

Brendan is a fresh original voice showing us what tanka is capable of in modern times.

My favourites were the first and third tanka, until I re-read them, now it's all three. ;-)

Wonderful work!

Alan, With Words

robert d. wilson said...

He also shows us that traditional tanka is effective in modern times. Brendan, well done. You make good use of makota and yugen and invite us to join in the interpretive process.

robert d. wilson said...

Brendan, thanks for showing people that traditional tanka is relevant. I like the freshness of your voice.

P K Padhy said...

It has been a wonderful reading.The expression is full of poetic flavor. The art of words muses the beauty of poem.

P K Padhy, India

http://pkpadhy.blogspot.com

Brendan Slater said...

Thank you, friends, for taking the time to leave your comments, it's very encouraging and much appreciated!

Brendan.

Gisele LeBlanc said...

I enjoyed reading your tanka, Brendan, and look forward to reading more of your wonderful work!

Gisele :)