U T'ak (1262-1342), author of this oldest surviving sijo-adaptation by Dr. Larry E. Gross, PhD.

When introduced to the sijo, North American poets are usually enchanted by the sijo, a three-line poetry form with a long and distinguished history in Korea. Sijo derives from the old Hyangka songs of the Sylla empire (668-936) and the prose songs of the Koryo kingdom (918-1392). However, it wasn't until the conclusion of the latter era that sijo came into its own. Actually, there are three sijo forms - Chungsijo, Changsijo and Pyongsijo. As the first two forms have greater syllable counts and irregular line lengths, the shorter, more melodic Pyongsijo has been the preferred choice among Koreans. The Pyongsijo then - now identified simply as sijo - is the form with which North American poets are becoming acquainted.

I was introduced to sijo in 1992, when guidelines for a couple of American competitions arrived with an information sheet about the sijo; it provided a brief history, explanation and two translations of classical Korean sijo by Kim Unsong who is a sijo authority now living in California. Immediately, I was captivated by the form. That year, I boldly entered both sijo contests. To my amazement, my attempts earned 2nd and 3rd places, and I was firmly hooked. But, how to learn more about sijo? No one I knew was familiar with - much less writing - the form. I turned to Kim Unsong, a sijo authority now living in California, who generously helped broaden my knowledge and encouraged me to continue writing the form. As a result, the number of my original sijo were growing, some being published in poetry publications.

Unbeknown to me, Kim Unsong felt my sijo were different. Then, in a May 2, 1994 letter to me, he made the following announcement: "Classical Korean Sijo, their elegance notwithstanding, need modernizing in imagery and delicacy, using (a) keener and finer sense which you (apparently) command." This statement made me take a long, close look at the sijo by North American poets. It became clear to me that North America sijo in general differed from classical Korean sijo - in style, subject matter, expression, line lengths. Indeed, the sijo form in North America was definitely being revolutionized. However, I was concerned: many poems didn't seem to be sijo at all.

To help introduce sijo and provide more understanding about the form, my articles began to appear in North America publications. However, it wasn't until Dr. Larry Gross, PhD, of Florida, editor of HWUP! and TOP Poetry Newsletters, accepted a sijo article from me, that I learned he too was deeply interested in the form. In fact, he had introduced sijo to his readers in HWUP!, May 1992, as well as in his book, How To Write And Publish Poetry. Also, his 'adaptations' of English translated Korean sijo impressed me, as did his own sijo. Finally! - a North American poet whose devotion to sijo equaled Kim Unsong's and my own.

It should be mentioned that as of 1971, articles and/or books by In-Sob Zong, Richard Rutt, Peter H. Lee, Jahiun Joyce Kim, Kim Unsong and other authors introduced North Americans to classical Korean sijo. As with other foreign poetry forms - such as Japanese haiku - it has taken time to spark North American interest. As fate would have it, poets in the 1990s have become more receptive to this charming poetry form.

Because Larry Gross and I knew of no other North America poets consistently writing original English-language sijo, and because most poems we had read seemed to miss important elements of the form, we felt a need to establish guidelines. Working through our own differences of opinion, the following guidelines (somewhat different from those of Korea's sijo, but maintaining primary characteristics) were established:

The sijo is a 3-line poem consisting of 45 syllables. Each line has 14 to 16 syllables. Line 1 presents a problem or theme, line 2 develops or "turns" the thought, and line 3 resolves the problem or concludes the theme. The first half of the final line employs a "twist" by means of a surprise in meaning, sound, tone or other device. To end with originality of wit, a profound observation or a strong emotional finale is a must. The sijo has a pleasing musical quality woven intricately throughout that is most important because even today, favorite sijo are sung or chanted. While imagery (metaphor, simile, pun, etc.) is employed in many sijo, it is not mandatory.

In the West, the sijo often appears as a six-line poem -- that is, each of the three lines is broken in half, with each couplet separated by a blank line to emphasize distinctiveness. Presenting it this way facilitates printing. However, some poets believe that by splittinglines, the uniqueness of the form is weakened. Also, there are those of the opinion that a 6-line sijo presented with a blank line between each group of lines (as Kim Unsong does) disturbs the flow. I don't agree. The pause between lines often enhances variations transpiring in the poem. Because I find the 6-line style visually appealing, many of mysijo are presented this way. Clearly though, the 6-line format is a
Western development.

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