Renku
/ˈrɛŋkuː/noun
A Japanese linked-verse poem composed collaboratively through alternating poetic stanzas.
Did you know?Renku developed from renga, a collaborative verse tradition in which poets followed formal rules while responding spontaneously to one another’s imagery.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese influence
Sino-Japanese
連句
“Linked phrases or linked verses; the characters combine 連, “connect,” with 句, “verse or phrase.””
14th–16th Centuries
Japanese
renga
“Collaborative linked verse in which multiple poets alternated stanzas.”
16th–18th Centuries
Japanese
haikai no renga
““Comic” or unconventional linked verse, a more playful and accessible branch of renga.”
Late 19th Century
Japanese
renku
“A modern term increasingly used to distinguish linked verse from older courtly renga traditions.”
20th Century
English loanword
renku
“A Japanese poetic form discussed in English-language scholarship and literary circles.”
Modern English
English
renku
“A collaborative linked-verse poem, usually written according to traditional structural and thematic conventions.”