Issue 6 – September 2026 - Editorial
Simplicity
One of the most common reason that I do not select a tanka for Quail Eggs is because it strikes me as overly complex, where the writer has tried to include too much; too many images, too many adjectives, an attempt at narrative, or a thought that needs to be explained, this explanation often appearing in the last line.
Simplicity is something that seems to me to be at the heart of tanka. This can apply to what is said as well as to how it is said. There is an art in saying something simple, or in saying something simply, which also allows for expansion in the reader’s mind.
I personally think there is also an art in saying just enough to help people see though the apparent complexities of life to the simple truth of the matter.
This editorial was brewing in my mind at the same time as I was re-connecting with a group I have had an on-again, off-again relationship with for many years, the Quakers. Quakers believe in the importance of both simplicity and truth and that seems to me to be in harmony with the spirit of tanka.
Alison Williams - Editor
Beautifully expressed dear Alison. I always have this feeling that my poems are too simple. Your words motivate me! Grateful for including my tanka and tanka prose. 🙏💕
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear that was motivating!
DeleteAlways the most constructive and discerning perspectives eloquently articulated and wisely espoused by this masterful editor and outstanding journal, thank you for enormously helpful insights and knowledgeable assistance appreciating nuances and mechanics of this integral form, tremendously valuable your editorials, no exaggeration they are one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of scholarship in the short form arena friends and admirers cherish considerably!! Congratulations talented featured contributors deepest gratitude for the crucial things you are doing, haiku has a lot of help but Quail Eggs is holding English Language Tanka accountable and facilitating thriving keeping practitioners on track almost singlehandedly these days, which is an incredibly laudable and impressive accomplishment seriously worth celebrating!! 🎉
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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