Dodoistu is a Japanese form of poetry that is sometimes performed as a folk song. The Dodoitsu comes from the old agricultural roots of the Gombei, the people of Japan's back-country. The majority of Dodoistu poetry was handed down through oral tradition and was performed to the accompaniment of shamisen, a three- stringed instrument.
A lot of Dodoistu poetry focuses on love, humor or the unexpected, though there are many Dodoistu poems that also look at nature and beauty.
It has 26 syllables: 7 in the first, second and third lines, and 5 in the last line. (7-7-7-5).
Example Poem
'Tis Better… (A Dodoistu)
All triumphs end differently,
some with flourish and refrains,
some with frequent curtain calls,
others fade to black.
© Lawrencealot - Oct. 19, 2012
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The Japanese wrote in, sound units: mora. A mora is often more than one English syllable, which is why when the Japanese forms are written in English syllables are not counted. We just don't go over the maximum mora. Less is always best.
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