Jue Ju

Storyline(jue ju)

This is Chinese style poetry

jue ju----- the curtailed or frustrated verse, does not mean to tell a story but to create a mood. It does in the most frugal way imaginable, and with a high tone. The impression one gets is much like that from a symphony orchestra where a solo instrument takes up the theme. A jue ju has only four lines of five or seven syllables each.

Pasted from <http://allpoetry.com/poem/1511649-Storyline-ju-wbr-e-ju--by-B_Chandler>

Jue Ju (curtailed or frustrated verse) is one of the oldest of the Chinese patterns and in the 3rd century AD the Jue Ju was very popular. It often carried "suggestively erotic themes". It does not tell a story but attempts to create a mood.

The basic rhythmic unit of Chinese poem is the single character (zi), which is pronounced as one syllable. In English the word represented by the character might be more than one syllable. Originally the Jue Ju was composed in 5 character lines. By the Tang era, 8th century it had evolved to a 7 character pattern and became fundamental to Chinese poetry.

The Jue Ju is:

• metered, 5 or 7 character or word lines. (lines should be same length)
• composed of 4 lines.
• often erotic.
• compared to Western poetry could be considered terse and compressed.
  
  秋月 (程颢)
  
  清溪流过碧山头，空水澄鲜一色秋；
  隔断红尘三十里，白云红叶两悠悠。
  
  Autumn Moon by Cheng Hao translated by Xiao-zhen aka worm, Nov 6,2009
  Over green hills a limpid brook flows
  Sky mirrored in the water of autumn hue
  Away from the distant earthly world
  Maple leaves and velvet clouds leisurely float
  "The Autumn Moon, a seven-character-'cutshorts' (jue ju), was composed by an ancient Chinese poet Chen Hao (1032--1085), a philosopher of Northern Song Dynasty. No line of the poem touches the autumn moon, but it shines every line." ~~Xiao-zhen aka worm
  
  pillow woman by judi Van Gorder
  
  Raven strands of silk tangle
  and spread over her pillow.
  With soft eyes, pleasure waits
  white curves stretch upon futon.

Pasted from <http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=634>

Thanks to Judi at PMO.

Example Poem

Steady breathing warms my neck

laughing at winter's cold assault.

My thighs touching your curves;

winter coldness overcome by warmth.