Renga

Entertainment / Literature / Renga: Japanese linked verse--a poetic dialogue formed by a succession of waka in which poets take turns composing the poem as a party-game. The rules for the games were supposedly laid down in 1186 CE by Fujiwara Sadaie (1162-1241) and Fujiwara Sadatake (c. 1139-1202). The first three lines have a set pattern of 5/7/5 syllables. One poet writes these three lines, then passes his poem to another person. That person then writes two lines of 7/7 syllables. The next three lines of 5/7/5 are written by a third person, and so on, until a lengthy poem of a hundred lines or so results. Of these long composite poems, the first three--called the hokku, are always the most important. The renga eventually develops into the renku (see below), and the hokku of these two poetic forms ultimately evolves into the haiku in the19th century. See hokku, haiku, waka, and renku.
Search Google for Renga:

Haikai Renga

Entertainment / Literature / Haikai Renga: Another term for renku. See discussion under renku and renga. MORE

Renku

Entertainment / Literature / Renku: An earthier, humorous variant on the courtly renga introduced by Iio Sogi, Yamazzaki Sokan, and Nishiyama Soin. While the form of the renku are identical to the renga, the subject-matter, tone, and vo MORE

Hokku

Entertainment / Literature / Hokku: In Japanese poetry, the term hokku literally means 'starting verse.' A hokku was the first starting link of a much longer chain of verses known as renga or linked verse. The hokku was traditionally th MORE