Tanka IV — Summary

In Lewis Alexander’s “Tanka IV,” the speaker stands in the early morning, aware of the cold sky and the blue jays’ loud calls. Then comes a quiet, almost plaintive question: where are the larks? The contrast matters—blue jays are brash and present, while larks usually bring a gentler, brighter song at dawn. Their absence leaves a gap. The speaker’s ears are “tuned in,” waiting, but the air feels heavy rather than promising. There is a sense of strain and hope mixed with disappointment. The poem creates a mood of stillness and loneliness, as if the morning is incomplete without that missing song. It captures the feeling of listening for something beautiful that used to be there, or should be there, but does not arrive.