A Conversation for Ask h2g2
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Linking Haikus, the Renga form
mikeypie Started conversation Apr 3, 2003
Japanese linking poems, renga, are a form of haiku where the first part is written in syllable counts of 5-7-5. Then, a response is written (by someone else, please 
) in syllable counts of 7-7. THEN an answer to the response is written in syllable counts of 5-7-5 where the whole thing repeats itself until people tire and return to the four-word post. 
The form:
(first player)
To communicate (5)
Is more than sounds and gestures (7)
People are the root (5)
(second player)
Put love into all your words (7)
Or hollow shells are revealed (7)
(third player)
Embraced by mankind (5)
Vacant animosity (7)
Without compassion (5)
...
Some history, by Jane Reichhold:
In the 9th - 12th centuries, Japanese poets competing in contests revived an old Chinese form by linking tanka poems together in a novel way. The poem was "broken" in half so one author wrote the 5-7-5 part and another responded and finished the poem by adding his (mostly men did this though it was first done by a woman!) 7-7 part. Instead of stopping there, someone else wrote a new 5-7-5 poem to "answer" to the previous 7-7 link and they named the genre renga -- meaning linked elegance. This proved to be so much fun poets were soon writing poems of 1,000 and even 10,000 links.
For tips or if you'd like to learn more about japanese poetry:
http://www.ahapoetry.com/haiku.htm
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
philbo baggins Posted Apr 4, 2003
Seven-syllable replies
Are maybe too difficult
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
philbo baggins Posted Apr 4, 2003
Learning meaning by doing
Do I learn by being mean?
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
philbo baggins Posted Apr 4, 2003
A path in life left travelled
Better that than never seen
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
2legs - Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side... Posted Apr 4, 2003
the footprints in shallow earth
quickly fade out of our sight
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
philbo baggins Posted Apr 4, 2003
Unnoticed footprints
Were they ever really there?
Story of my life
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
McKay The Disorganised Posted Apr 5, 2003
Where we have walked Though traces are hard to discern Lives have been touched
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
Where we have walked
Though traces are hard to discern
Lives have been touched
Living lives untraceable
How have we been truely known?
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
McKay The Disorganised Posted Apr 5, 2003
Where we have walked
Though traces are hard to discern
Lives have been touched
Living lives untraceable
How have we been truely known?
Through tears we have shed
By the love we have shared
Shall our route be known.
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
mikeypie Posted Apr 11, 2003
The route is the path that's seen
Mind and heart may be elsewhere
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
mikeypie Posted Apr 12, 2003
Inconsequential
A posting today is kept
Tomorrow it guides
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
mikeypie Posted May 17, 2003
Time passes, affecting words
Do the words pass throughout time?
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein Posted May 18, 2003
Link* 
Linking Haikus, the Renga form
kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website Posted May 19, 2003
Passing words moving
to overtake our absence
in time we return
Key: Complain about this post
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Linking Haikus, the Renga form
- 1: mikeypie (Apr 3, 2003)
- 2: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (Apr 3, 2003)
- 3: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (Apr 4, 2003)
- 4: philbo baggins (Apr 4, 2003)
- 5: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (Apr 4, 2003)
- 6: philbo baggins (Apr 4, 2003)
- 7: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (Apr 4, 2003)
- 8: philbo baggins (Apr 4, 2003)
- 9: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (Apr 4, 2003)
- 10: 2legs - Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side... (Apr 4, 2003)
- 11: philbo baggins (Apr 4, 2003)
- 12: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (Apr 5, 2003)
- 13: McKay The Disorganised (Apr 5, 2003)
- 14: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (Apr 5, 2003)
- 15: McKay The Disorganised (Apr 5, 2003)
- 16: mikeypie (Apr 11, 2003)
- 17: mikeypie (Apr 12, 2003)
- 18: mikeypie (May 17, 2003)
- 19: abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein (May 18, 2003)
- 20: kea ~ Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded but very well read blue and white website (May 19, 2003)
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