For American students, the word “poetry” usually evokes images of Western figures: Maya Angelou’s resilience in “And I Still Rise”, Robert Frost and his classic “The Road Not Taken”, Emily Dickinson’s introspective “Because I could not stop for Death”. Unless guided by intrinsic interest, many leave the education system having only breached the surface of the (Western) poetic canon with no intention of delving deeper. Although I admittedly have a limited interest in poetry myself, I nonetheless believe that exposure to different literary forms, content, and origins can only help broaden my perspectives; this applies not only to myself, but for everyone. Here, I’ll discuss three different forms of global poetry outside the all-too-familiar terms of odes, sonnets, and acrostics.
Haiku
The haiku is likely the most well-known form of poetry out of the three forms provided here. Originating in 13th-century Japan, the haiku evolved as the opening phrase of a larger genre of Japanese poetry called renga; it became its separate form of poetry in the 17th century but only received its current name by writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century. Its rigid structure is composed of three lines with 5-7-5 syllables. While one may think their vivid imagery (often focused on nature) is created in spite of these constraints, it’s instead because of these rules that poets are able to capture a moment in time, as the ultimate goal is to convey it in a simple yet profound manner. Among the famous haiku writers are Matsuo Bashō, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa, and Masaoka Shiki.
Ghazal
The ghazal (pronounced “guzzle”) originated in 7th-century Arabic poetry, often revolving around topics of spiritual and romantic love. However, medieval Persian poets absorbed this poetic form and added it to their own culture; in the Persian tradition, each couplet was of the same meter and length and consisted of the topics of erotic longing and religious belief or mysticism. Ghazals are composed of grammatically complete, rhyming couplets called bayt or sher (most have between seven and twelve byats). Its rhyme scheme and structure is complex: The first byat introduces the rhyme and refrain (radif) which is repeated at the end of the second line of each subsequent byat, and while the rhyme word may change the overall rhyme scheme must remain consistent. The last byat includes a proper name—often of the poet’s. Ghazals are a popular poetic form in Persian, Urdu, Hindi, and other Middle Eastern and South Asian languages. Important ghazal poets include Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmad, Juan Eli, and Ada Jafri.
Décima
Décimas consist of ten-line stanzas that typically each contain eight syllables. Unlike the nature-oriented haiku and longing-filled ghazal, décimas contain a wide range of subject matters: philosophical, religious, lyrical, and political themes, satire, and corresponding responses to such satire. Décimas are popular in Spain and Latin America. Although each country has its own melody, tone, and instrument (many songs are in the form of décima), the structure remains consistent throughout regions. Some famous décima writers include Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, and Laura Esquivel.