Senryu
/ˈsɛn.rjuː/noun
A Japanese short poem, usually in three lines, that humorously observes human nature and everyday life.
Did you know?Senryu began as a name for humorous verse contests in eighteenth-century Japan, taking its title from Karai Senryū, the poet-judge who popularized the form.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese writing tradition
Sino-Japanese
川柳
“The characters literally mean “river” and “willow”; they were later read in Japanese as senryū.”
1718–1790
Japanese
柄井川柳 (Karai Senryū)
“The pen name of a Japanese poet and judge of humorous verse contests; the name literally evokes a river willow.”
18th Century
Japanese
川柳 (senryū)
“A form of comic or satirical verse associated with the contests judged by Karai Senryū.”
18th–19th Century
Japanese
senryū
“A short verse form resembling haiku in structure but focused on human behavior, social satire, and everyday absurdity.”
20th Century
English
senryu
“An English literary loanword for the Japanese humorous short-poem form.”
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