RENGA

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INTRODUCTION

The Japanese are known for their collaboration, so it comes as no surprise that we can find it in poetry too. Renga is a poetry form where two or more poets collaborate together in alternating 5-7-5- and 7-7- stanzas to form a poem. Usually, it denotes the 100-stanza-long hyakuin renga poem. 

TOGETHER IS BETTER

Have you ever had to build alone? Tell me, how quickly did the desire to quit appear? They don’t say that we humans are meant for social interaction for nothing. Even people like me crave it every once in a while. It is more enjoyable when we build and work together, though I do believe much can be done on our own, too. 

The Japanese are known for their hard work and collaboration. Everything in Japan is community-oriented. A known proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together". The Japanese surely are the embodiment of this. They are heavily known for collaboration, group harmony (wa), and collective responsibility. 

“Collaboration is the essence of life. The wind, bees and flowers work together, to spread the pollen.” Amit Ray 

Even when it comes to poetry, together is better.

RENGA

Renga is a Japanese poetry style that combines contributions of at least two poets. Alternating stanzas, or ku (句), of 5-7-5 and 7-7 morae (sound units or syllables per line) are linked in succession by multiple poets. They later gave birth to the genres haikai and haiku. (2)

THE ORIGIN OF RENGA

Renga finds its origin in the passage within the Kojiki. There, Prince Yamato Takeru and an old man spoke to each other through katauta poems, which together form a single sedoka. (2)

We can differentiate the short two-stanza tanrenga from the long chorenga. Among the long renga, we can find the 100-stanza long hyakuin renga. Nowadays, the term renga usually denotes the latter. (3)

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CONCLUSION

If we want to go far in life, we need to learn to work together. The Japanese people are the perfect staple for that. Their work is heavily known for collaboration, group harmony (wa), and collective responsibility. Even in poetry, they know how to collaborate. Renga is a Japanese poetic form that combines contributions from at least two poets. Alternating stanzas, or ku (句), of 5-7-5 and 7-7 morae are linked in succession by multiple poets into a final form. Nowadays, it usually denotes the 100-stanza-long renga known as hyakuin renga.

SOURCES

1. Image was created via canva.com

2. Wikipedia. Renga. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renga

3. Image was created via canva.com