Today on Ethical ELA I encountered a poetic form new to me: the lantern. My understanding is that it is a five-line Japanese shape poem beginning with a one-syllable noun followed by successive lines of nouns containing two, three, and four syllables, ending with another one-syllable noun, all connected to and building on the first word.
I was immediately captivated and had to give it a try.
It is challenging.
In my mind the lantern image morphed into a lamppost, a symbol with much personal meaning. Like the indelible image in Narnia, a lamppost marks the way home for me: one stood in front of the house where I grew up. Whenever I was out at night and turned the last corner, I’d see the light of that lamppost.
I went with the image. I kept the syllable count but gave up on sticking with just nouns. I could write a lengthy essay about all the other meanings the lamppost holds for me, but this is poetry; interpretation belongs to the reader.
It is dark and dreary in my neck of the woods today, pouring rain… perhaps that’s another reason the lamppost remained.
I needed a bit of light.
To the Lamppost
Your
good light
still guides me
home through darkest
night
lit bits and pieces 
That form does sound challenging! And, you did a great job with the poem.
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Thank you for reading and for your words; I gave up on adhering just to nouns for the lamppost poem and took poetic license with the lantern form. Making the title do more work helped enormously!
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The joy of writing comes with knowing the rules and then breaking them, yes? I’m glad I cam across this post on a dreary ice day at home. Thinking poetry is in line for my Tuesday Slice…
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What an image you provided with your lantern lamppost poem. I’m grateful for the light extended to guide us through whatever darkness we’re facing. I may have to try this form.
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