Renku

found: Princeton encyclopedia of poetry and poetics, 2012(Haikai: (literally, "comic"), more properly called haikai no renga (comic linked verse), refers to a number of poetic forms that emerged in the early mod. period in Japan (1615-1868). The term is used in Kokin waka shû to refer to unconventional or humorous waka. With the devel. of renga (linked verse) in the med. period (1185-1600), the term haikai no renga denoted a variety of humorous linked verse that was written between sessions of orthodox renga composition. As a courtly form, orthodox renga forbade the use of nonelegant words (such as Buddhist terms and Chinese compounds); haikai no renga, however, permitted it)

found: Renku home website, July 10, 2013(Haikai no renga, usually now called renku by the Japanese, is a style of linked poem that reached its height in the work of Bashô (surname Matsuo, 1644-1694) and his disciples. The tradition began almost a thousand years ago (some would say longer ago than that), and is very much alive today in Japanese, English, and other languages.)

found: Higginson, W.J. What is "linked poetry?", via WWW, July 21 2014(Renku began in the rising middle class in Japan, about 300-400 years ago. It is also called haikai no renga, and was the main type of poetry practiced by the famous poet Bashô (today known outside of Japan mainly as a "haiku poet"). Renku is a popular version of the aristocratic renga; in renku linking is based mainly on an intuitive sense of what connects. In English, "renku" stanzas usually alternate three and two lines. Each length (36, 20, or 12 stanzas, for example) has special rules governing when certain topics should appear and so on)

found: Official definitions of haiku and related terms, via The Haiku Society of America website, Aug. 1, 2014(Haikai: "Haikai" is short for haikai no renga, the popular style of Japanese linked verse originating in the sixteenth century, as opposed to the earlier aristocratic renga; Renku: A renku is a linked-verse poem in the popular haikai style, particularly as practiced by Bashô and later poets writing in his style. In Japanese, "renku" is a modern equivalent for haikai no renga. Usually written by two or more people, a renku's most important features are linking and shifting.)

found: Wikipedia, July 10, 2013(Renku ("linked verses"), or haikai no renga ("comic linked verse"), is a Japanese form of popular collaborative linked verse poetry. It is a development of the older Japanese poetic tradition of ushin renga, or orthodox collaborative linked verse. At renku gatherings participating poets take turns providing alternating verses of 17 and 14 morae. Initially haikai no renga distinguished itself through vulgarity and coarseness of wit, before growing into a legitimate artistic tradition, and eventually giving birth to the haiku form of Japanese poetry. The term renku gained currency after 1904, when Kyoshi Takahama started to use it.)

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