ushin renga

Ushin renga is a genre of Japanese linked-verse poetry where two or more poets contribute alternating sections to a single poem. This form evolved from the tanka, a traditional five-line Japanese poem.1

Ushin renga translates to "serious renga" and adheres to the conventions of court poetry, distinguishing it from mushin renga, or "comic renga" (haikai), which intentionally deviates from these rules. The standard length for a renga was 100 verses, with poets linking their contributions thematically and verbally, allowing the poem's mood to shift subtly. A notable example is the Minase sangin hyakuin (1488), composed by Iio Sōgi, Shōhaku, and Sōchō. The initial verse of a renga, known as the hokku, eventually developed into the independent haiku form.123