1. RENGAS

2. What’s a Renga?

3. Renga Defined
•
•
•
•
•
•
An Ancient Japanese Party Game
Collaborative poetry
One person writes a stanza and passes it on
to the next
Alternates between haikus and couplets
Stanzas “link” with one another
Dependent on imagery

4. Haiku



Three lines
Syllable Count: 5-7-5
The first haiku is called the “hokku” and it is
traditionally written by a distinguished guest

5. Couplets

In Rengas, they must be two lines of 7
syllables each

6. Example
See “Seasonal Miseries”

7. “Linking” Stanzas

Write down an image suggested by the
previous stanza
 Parallel
image (something similar)
 Contrasting image (something different)
 Shift focus to another aspect of the same image



Repeat prominent sounds
Make a play on words/pun inspired by the
previous stanza
Continue or contrast the mood

8. Rengas Travel Through Ideas



The point of a renga is to explore an idea in
many different ways
It is a conversation
New ideas will be introduced, others
forgotten, but the focus is still on one topic.

9. Let’s Try It!