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Dodoitsu (都々逸) is a form of Japanese poetry developed towards the end of the Edo period. Often concerning love or work, and usually comical, Dodoitsu poems consist of four lines with the moraic structure 7-7-7-5 and no rhyme for a total of 26 morae, making it one of the longer Japanese forms. The form, tone and structure of Dodoitsu derive from Japanese folk song traditions.
In popular media
Dodoitsu poetry is referenced in the manga and anime series Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū in reference to its historical recitation by dancers in Japanese red-light districts. In Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Chapter: Yakumo & Sukeroku 1, one character challenges the other to sing a dodoitsu, which he does. The endnotes for the English translation of Descending Stories, Volume 2, state that dodoitsu are "A Japanese songlike poetry, usually humorous in nature, about love, work, and life. It is constructed in an unrhyming 7-7-7-5 structure and has its roots in Japanese folk song."
References
- Kenneth Rexroth, Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
- "Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū", Episode 2. There is an 2017 English Translation of the manga (Translator: Matt Alt) as Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju. Volume 2, Kodansha Comics.
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