J - Jueju

-

J - Jueju

Jueju is a Chinese verse that was popular in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).  It has stanzas of four lines, each line having either five or seven syllables.  The five line is called a wujue, the seven qijue; wu and qi meaning five and seven.

Apparently there is a lot more to jueju than that though, and it's difficult in English.  So forgive my clumsy efforts.

"...the process of creating a Jueju is complicated by the need to ensure the alternating of level and oblique tones in each line, which can be confusing to those who are unfamiliar with the tonal nature of the spoken Chinese language."

 www.poetrysoup.com/dictionary/jueju

Yes, young me in a hillside of mustard!


The wild mustard on the hill

is blooming in springtime still.

Far fewer than in my youth;

child's false mem'ry, or the truth?


©2024 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 11, 2024 at 7:15 PM

    I guess it would really be impossible to create a pure Jueju in English without the different tonal qualities. Loved your Jueju. I think it is often a false memory, but I know some things to be true. Looks to me like the mustard may be rarer in fields like this now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna JT SmithApril 12, 2024 at 3:43 AM

      Anonymous was Donna JT Smith...I hate how you have to remember to select now! Mine is the same.

      Delete
  2. Anne E.G. NydamApril 16, 2024 at 11:46 AM

    Maybe it's not really a proper jueju, but it's a wonderful poem.
    https://nydamprintsblackandwhite.blogspot.com/2024/04/magical-botany-j.html

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Morrigan

-
Image
 Weekly Scribblings #45: https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2020/11/weekly-scribblings-45-artistic.html A picture prompt this week, prose or poetry inspired by one or more of three paintings.  I chose two,  'Beautiful, YOU are' by Magic Love Crow, and 'Carnival Dreams' by Shelle Kennedy. 'Carnival Dreams' by Shelle Kennedy      Beautiful, you are,      though your thoughts are dark,      and bitter.      A macabre carnival of emotion      battles in you.        The heart you wear      belies the fury      of the one that beats.        Your face tells.      Tells of suffering,      loneliness,      too much despair      in one so young.      One still hoping.      Yet not daring to hope.   Hope!   The red balloon you cling to. Hope! Straining skyward.       'Beautiful, YOU are' by Magic Love Crow Look outside the gates. Outside your grim carnival and watch the crows at sunset fly in
Read more

Untitled Golden Shovel

-
Image
 Writers' Pantry #52  https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2021/01/writers-pantry-52-years-beginning.html I've been playing with some new, to me, poetry forms.  April is the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and my plans are A-Z of poetry forms.  I like to get a head start, especially since I also participate on my other blog.   This is a Golden Shovel. It was created by Terrance Hayes, an award-winning poet and professor in New York.  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/terrance-hayes The "rules" are: take lines, or one line, from an existing poem take each word and use it, in order, as an end word in your new poem give credit My poem uses the words from the last line of Edna St. Vincent Millay's Time Does Not Bring Relief (Sonnet II), "and so stand stricken so remembering him."             I had told him “yes” already, and it’s too late to change that now, so I let my words stand though I am stricken at the thought.   I am so cr
Read more

Crow and Moon - Five Very Brief Poems

-
Image
Writers' Pantry #72   photo prompt: The Sunday Muse #162     Crow, or idea of Crow. Moon's interpretation. Crow admires. Crow-in-moon admires back. a moon a crow my soul is filled   Crow and Moon meet in reflection, their own counsel to keep.  Crow, speak to me, tell me secrets of the moon. ©2021 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved
Read more