Understanding and Submitting Sijo
Writer and editor explores a poetic form and publishing opportunity
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Can poetry win a war? If it’s a Korean poetry form called sijo (pronounced shee-jo), and a military general wrote it 700 years ago, then yes.
I recently edited Sijo: Korea’s Poetry Form, not as a poetry expert, but as a book consumer reading for clarity and consistency. What I learned, among other things, is that ancient war heroes wrote sijo poems to stave off enemies, or perhaps just to play mind games. Sijo has proven itself a winner, in war and in literature.
In modern day, sijo offers more opportunities to win money and literary praise than military wars, and it is enjoying a renaissance, with contests paying significant sums.
There is a chance right now to win up to $500 for a 44-46 syllable poem. The deadline to enter the Sejong International Sijo Competition is September 30. There is no entry fee and the winner earns $500, the runner-up $250, and honorable mentions $100.
So what is sijo? Often compared to Japanese haiku, sijo is also a short Asian poetry form accessible to all writers. Like haiku, it follows a line and syllable formula, with some flexibility allowed. But sijo goes beyond haiku in its capacity to tell a story, evoke an emotion, and execute a twist.
I have written many sijo, some languishing in my desktop tabs, others waiting for consideration at journals, and one that took second place in the Los Angeles Sijo Competition. Here is my approach to writing a sijo.
Consider the form
Tell a story.
Evoke an emotion.
Create musicality with language.
Write the poem in three lines. (Some modern poets divide each line into two.)
Follow the prescribed syllable grouping by line:
3-4-4-4
3-4-4-4
3-5-4-3
Total syllable count for the poem should be 44-46 syllables.
Incorporate a three-syllable turn or twist at the beginning of the third line. Use the remainder of the poem to resolve the turn or twist.
Step one: draft
Have a scene in mind, a story, or an interaction where something happens. Write the first line in 14-16 syllables.
Continue the story in the next line with another 14-16 syllables, expanding with more detail or additional information.
At the beginning of the third line, use a 3-syllable phrase that indicates a shift in tone, or a turn in the story. Complete the third line with a resolution to the twist. This line should also total 14-16 syllables.
Step two: revision
Return to the beginning and rearrange words to establish a musical rhythm according to the prescribed syllabic formula. Since I am a ruler-follower, I work to substitute words, rearrange sentences, and rewrite entire lines just to achieve the exact syllable count. Experts say there may be flexibility, but I find success when following the formula:
3-4-4-4
3-4-4-4
3-5-4-3
Consider more than just the number of syllables. Read for musicality and listen to the stress in a phrase. Often, the first syllable in a grouping will be the accented one. Does each line read like a song? Is the poem easy to read aloud? Are there interesting words and sounds? Is the language creative, expressive and evocative?
Step three: twist
A defining element is sijo’s three-syllable twist at the beginning of the third line. Just like a story or essay, sijo requires movement or change. A character might have a realization or alter course. There might be a shift in mood or unexpected surprise. Use the twist to signify to the reader that something is different. Then, with the remaining syllables present a resolution.
Step four: checklist
✅Evokes emotion (anything from melancholy to humor, nostalgia, frustration, gratitude, fear)
✅Tells a story
✅Uses interesting vocabulary
✅Sounds like a song
✅Relates to universal feelings or situations
✅Totals 44-46 syllables, with approximately 15 syllables per line
✅Third line begins with a 3-syllable twist or turn
✅Ends with a resolution to the twist
Step five: submission
Dr. Lucy Park, director of the Sejong Cultural Society, is the mastermind behind the Sejong International Sijo Competition. She is passionate about spreading a knowledge and understanding of Korean culture. Like the sijo poem that transformed an ancient war, she believes sijo poetry today can transform the world’s understanding of Korean culture.
Submissions are now open—enter a poem.
Eligibility: Open to all ages, all nationalities
Fee: No fee
Prizes: $500-$250-$100
What to submit: One sijo poem (44-46 syllables) written in English
Deadline: September 30, 2022
Submission: Click here for online submission form
Resources
Book
Sijo: Korea’s Poetry Form, ed. Lucy Park and Elizabeth Jorgensen with essays from David McCann, Mark Peterson, Seong-Kon Kim, Linda Sue Park, and Kwan-ho Seo.
Examples
Sijo poems on the Sejong Cultural Society website
Articles on Medium.com
Sijo Poetry Contest: How to Write a Winning Poem
Sijo: The Scoop on this Poetry Form
Videos available at Sejong Cultural Society
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