‘Tan-renga – its essential nature seems to have been distorted by the impact of maekuzuke. I’ve nothing against verse capping. Just observing that it’s not the same genre. So what most often happens in a modern context when you put two (English language haikai) people together to write a call+response is they turn cerebral and/or witty by default. It’s a shame, because the aesthetics of tan-renga – all the issues of linkage, dialogue, instinct, etc. – are just the same as renku.
Tanka – yeah, there’s not a lot of trace of ‘upper verse/lower verse’ left. Most people writing in English I’ve spoken to about it don’t understand the question.’
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ReplyDeleteLiuyue and Bandit
June 28th, 2017
‘Tan-renga – its essential nature seems to have been distorted by the impact of maekuzuke. I’ve nothing against verse capping. Just observing that it’s not the same genre. So what most often happens in a modern context when you put two (English language haikai) people together to write a call+response is they turn cerebral and/or witty by default. It’s a shame, because the aesthetics of tan-renga – all the issues of linkage, dialogue, instinct, etc. – are just the same as renku.
ReplyDeleteTanka – yeah, there’s not a lot of trace of ‘upper verse/lower verse’ left. Most people writing in English I’ve spoken to about it don’t understand the question.’
John E. Carley