Tanka  is one of the oldest Japanese poetry forms. There are five lines in a Tanka poem. The basic structure of a Tanka  is 5 – 7 – 5 – 7 – 7. In other words, there are 5 syllables in line 1, 7 syllables in line 2, 5 syllables in line 3, and 7 syllables in lines 4 and 5. Tankas are written about nature, seasons, love, sadness and other strong emotions.