Chihayafuru introduced me to the world of Hyakunin Isshu and Heian Period, so this anime will always have a special place in my heart....
Also, the poems used in Karuta are from Hyakunin Isshu, so they're in tanka form (5-7-5-7-7)... So, in Karuta the ones on the floor are the last two lines of the poem... then the first few lines were the ones that were read. :)
Oh, I'm dealing with a man of culture (reference to memes) :D. I don't really like poetry myself, but I understand your feelings because I became a little interested in the period of the three warring kingdoms through Kingdom.
While reading the second paragraph, I remembered a few scenes of Chihaya wondering whether this was the beginning or end of one line and betting on which card she should choose.
I also love reading Kingdom, but I haven't really checked out that period in Chinese history. It's going to be pretty long, I suppose...
She likes card 17, "Chihayaburu card". :)
Some poems not from Hyakunin isshu are read to confuse the players since they're very similar...
I guess Taichi is awesome because he can memorize not only the cards, but also the cards that has been read and the remaining ones. xDDDD