Which term is a Japanese poem of five unrhymed lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern?

Which term is a Japanese poem of five unrhymed lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern?

• A. Haiku
• B. Villanelle
• C. Tanka
• D. Denouement

Answer: (C)

Understanding poetry forms and their structures helps you match descriptions to the right term. A Japanese poem with five lines arranged in a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern fits the traditional form known as a tanka. This form is defined by that exact five-line, 5-7-5-7-7 layout, so it matches the description precisely. Compare this with a haiku, which uses three lines in a 5-7-5 pattern—not five lines. A villanelle is a longer form (19 lines) built from repeating refrains, not defined by a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable scheme. Denouement isn’t a poetry form at all; it’s a term from narrative structure referring to the ending of a story. So the five-line, 5-7-7-7 pattern described points directly to the tanka.

Understanding poetry forms and their structures helps you match descriptions to the right term. A Japanese poem with five lines arranged in a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern fits the traditional form known as a tanka. This form is defined by that exact five-line, 5-7-5-7-7 layout, so it matches the description precisely.

Compare this with a haiku, which uses three lines in a 5-7-5 pattern—not five lines. A villanelle is a longer form (19 lines) built from repeating refrains, not defined by a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable scheme. Denouement isn’t a poetry form at all; it’s a term from narrative structure referring to the ending of a story. So the five-line, 5-7-7-7 pattern described points directly to the tanka.