Rengay
/ˈrɛnɡaɪ/noun
A collaborative linked-verse poetry form in which two or more poets alternate sections according to a set pattern.
Did you know?Rengay was developed in English in the early 1990s by poets Jane Reichhold and Jim Kagay, inspired by Japanese renga but designed for contemporary collaborative writing.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Japan
Japanese
連歌 (renga)
“Linked verse: a collaborative poem whose alternating stanzas are connected by associative links.”
14th–15th Century
Japanese
renga
“A major Japanese poetic practice performed collectively, often in formal gatherings.”
20th Century
Japanese
renku
“A modern term for linked verse, adopted to distinguish literary linked-verse composition from some older renga traditions.”
Early 1990s
English
rengay
“A newly coined English name for a shorter collaborative linked-verse form modeled on Japanese renga.”
Modern English
English
rengay
“A collaborative linked-verse poem typically written by two or more poets using an established stanza pattern.”