The virtual meeting for this workshop will be at 7 PM Eastern Time on February 25. You must register using the “Register for Events” link above to receive the Zoom link.
Korean Sijo (Short Song)
Pronounced Shi-jo, it is a concise Korean poetic form consisting of three lines, each containing 14-16 syllables, totaling 44-46 syllables. These lines feature a midpoint pause, akin to a caesura, although it need not adhere to a specific meter. The first half of each line encompasses six to nine syllables, while the second half should contain no fewer than five. Each line should consist of four groups of syllables that fall into natural groupings. 4/4/3/4 (total of 15 syllables) for example. Modern Sijo are often presented in six lines with breaks at the caesuras so the syllable groupings might 4/4 followed be a 4/3, or any combination of syllables as long as the total is 14-16. Sijo masters try to begin the final line with a group of 3 syllables, though it is not a requirement of the form.
Originally intended to be sung, Sijo typically explore themes of romance, metaphysics, or spirituality. Regardless of the topic, ideally, the first line introduces an idea or narrative, the second elaborates the theme, and the third offers closure, often with a twist similar to the Volta in a sonnet. Traditional Sijo lacked titles, while contemporary ones may or may not be titled.
Sijo share some characteristics with other poetic forms more familiar to us, which is why it’s helpful to learn the form. The 14-16 syllable line, for example, closely resembles the length of Haiku (no, having 17 syllables does not make something a Haiku). It also closely parallels the “American Sentence” as imagined by the beat poet, Alan Ginsberg.
Emily Dickinson was known to favor poems written in common meter, which feature alternating lines of 8 and 6 syllables (14 syllables per couplet).
Because I could not stop for death
He kindly stopped for me.
Those lines would actually be a perfect opening in a Sijo poem. Common meter is a staple in songs like House of the Rising Sun, The Yellow Rose of Texas and Amazing Grace.
Writing Sijo in English is a challenge, similar to the challenges of writing Japanese Haiku in English. The rhythms and syntax of English differ significantly from those of the Korean language. Our best hope is to capture the essence and spirit of Sijo in English rather than to reproduce the form perfectly.
Here are some examples of Traditional and Contemporary Sijo:
Traditional Sijo
The spring breeze melted snow on the hills then quickly disappeared.
I wish I could borrow it briefly to blow over my hair
And melt away the aging frost forming now about my ears.
— U Tak (1262–1342)
Oh that I might capture the essence of this deep midwinter night
And fold it softly into the waft of a spring-moon quilt
Then fondly uncoil it the night my beloved returns.
— .Hwang Chin-i (1522-1565)
Contemporary Sijo
Under our oak the grass withers,
so we plant petunias;
We water them, we coddle them,
burn their youth with chemicals.
Digesting their timely death
the oak renews our summer shade.
– Anon.
Without the pines / the wind is silent;
without wind / the pines are still;
Without you / my heart is voiceless,
without that voice / my heart is dead.
What potent power / of yang and yin
pairs us / before we sleep?
-Anon
On the night I was born, my father bought two bottles of champagne.
One he drank — one he saved to drink with me when I turned twenty-one.
He didn’t know that champagne wouldn’t keep that long, nor would he.
-David Jibson
As the Long Night Moon rises,
I struggle to finish this poem.
She closes her book
and heads up the stairs without a word.
Embers in the fireplace cool,
like those of an old marriage.
-David Jibson
Exercise 1: Write two or three (you may find it hard to stop) sijo poems, adhering as closely as possible to the form's requirements. Try to use a variety of turns in the third lines:
Argumentative: “Yet,” “But,” “Still,” “However”
Emotional: the guarded becomes vulnerable.
Imagistic: a new image reframes the old.
Temporal: present becomes past or vice versa.
Perspective: “you” becomes “I,” or “I” becomes“we”.
Mythic: ordinary becomes archetypal, or the reverse.
Exercise 2: Many Korean poets wrote sequences of sijo poems, with each stanza written in the sijo form. Write a sequence of 2, 3 or more sijo stanzas that form a single poem. You might consider taking an older poem of yours and rebuild it using the architecture of the sijo. Contemporary examples of linked sijo are hard to find so, at the risk of seeming vain, I link my own book of linked sijo below:
The best source to learn about the history and writing of Sijo is the website of the Sejong Cultural Society: (https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/). The Society recently published a book online of past winners from their annual contests. That link is HERE.
The society’s mission is to “advance awareness and understanding of Korea’s cultural heritage among people in the United States by reaching out to the younger generations through contemporary creative and fine arts.”
The site contains links to video lectures on Sijo as well as articles on writing and teaching Sijo at various levels. The society holds an annual competition open to residents of Canada and the U. S. for several age groups and publishes the winning entries. There is also an International competition for all countries.
The Why of This:
Learning to write Korean sijo in English opens up a surprisingly rich set of benefits—creative, cognitive, and even philosophical. The form’s constraints are tight enough to sharpen craft, yet flexible enough to invite real play. Drawing on what’s known about sijo’s structure and pedagogy several advantages emerge. writing.sejongculturalsociety.org Association for Asian Studies.
🌿 Creative Benefits
1. A built‑in architecture for clarity
Sijo’s three-part structure—theme → development → twist—gives you a ready-made narrative arc. It’s like a miniature dramatic engine. Practicing this repeatedly strengthens your instinct for pacing and emotional turns.
2. A new way to think about the volta
The sijo twist is gentler than a sonnet’s turn but more deliberate than a haiku’s juxtaposition. Working within this middle ground helps refine your sense of tonal modulation and surprise.
3. A constraint that fuels invention
The syllabic pattern (traditionally around 44–46 syllables) and the expectation of balanced lines force you to choose words with precision. This constraint often leads to unexpected imagery and tighter diction.
🧠 Cognitive & Linguistic Benefits
4. Cross-cultural pattern recognition
Sijo sits at an intersection of Korean, Chinese, and broader East Asian poetic traditions Association for Asian Studies. Writing it in English trains you to notice how ideas travel across languages and how form shapes meaning.
5. Enhanced sensitivity to rhythm
Even in English, sijo retains its musical DNA. Because the form originated as song, its cadence encourages you to hear your lines rather than just see them on the page.
6. A deeper understanding of translation
Writing sijo in English—especially if you read classical examples—teaches you how poetic forms migrate. You start to see what is universal (theme, turn, closure) and what is culturally specific (certain metaphors, tonal expectations).
🎨 Artistic & Pedagogical Benefits
7. A compact form ideal for iterative practice
Each sijo is short enough to draft quickly but complex enough to reward revision. This makes it perfect for daily practice or for exploring variations on a theme.
8. A bridge between poetry and philosophy
Traditional sijo often explores cosmological or metaphysical themes studylib.net. Working in the form nudges you toward contemplative thinking—an elegant counterbalance to more narrative-driven Western forms.
9. A form that welcomes modern subjects
Contemporary sijo competitions encourage writing about anything—technology, personal memory, politics, humor. The form becomes a container for whatever obsessions you bring to it.
🔧 Practical Writing Benefits
10. A training ground for compression
Sijo teaches you to compress without flattening. You learn to:
- distill a theme
- develop it with equal weight
- pivot meaningfully
- land a resonant final image
That’s a skill transferrable to essays, fiction, and even professional writing.
Crazy Wisdom Poetry Circle 