Sijo is a Korean poem consisting of 44 to 46 syllables in three lines with 14 to 16 syllables each line. Sometimes it is written in six lines, the three lines split into two. It has a beginning in Line 1, development in Line 2 and conclusion with a twist or surprise ending in Line 3.
Like haiku and other Japanese poetic forms, sijo has a venerable and ancient beginnings. Poems vaguely similar to present day sijo appeared as early as 17 B.C. but the sijo did not take its characteristic patterns until the 10th century or so. Moreover, it took about 600 more years for to the sijo to flower, although its history can be traced back to the Confucian monks of the 11th century.
Sijo is similar to the Japanese haiku but frequently uses metaphors, puns and allusions as well as other poetic device such as alliteration. Traditional sijo, a song lyric, was intended to be sung or chanted, hence its musical quality is apparent.
Delicate and compact, sijo covers a wide range of subjects such as politics, love, life, music, nature, loneliness, and even personal mundane matters like drinking and aging. It embodies the complex and unique concept of sadness and hope called Han, the very core of Korean life.
In some of my sijo, I include graphics to go with my poems, similar to my haiga, that is, haiku with pictures. I personally believe that the picture enhances the meaning of the poem and eases its understanding.
A caveat. I am not an expert on sijo nor pretend to be one. But I am intrigued enough to try to study this poetic form and hopefully be able to write some good ones. Furthermore, there are similarities between Sijo and some Philippine folk songs and other oral traditions which I am familiar with.
