is a tradition of so-called linked poetry, which originated in Japan. It can be identified as an independent tradition from around the beginning of the sixteenth century.
Renkuwas a stylistic variant of an older, and more serious, kind of linked poetry, called
renga. Originally,
renkuwas called
haikai no renga, or just
haikai. Since ancient times, the word
haikaihad been used to describe poetry of various forms that was comic, disobedient to rules, and did not fit into any established category, but from the sixteenth century it became closely associated with this kind of linked poetry that was written in an unorthodox style. The term
renku, which is more common today, started to be used only in the beginning of the twentieth century. Despite this, it is often used even when…
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Citation: Jonsson, Herbert. "Renku Linked Poetry". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 February 2019 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=19529, accessed 20 April 2024.]
