Haikai refers in both Japanese and English to haikai no renga, also called renku, a popular genre of Japanese linked verse that developed in the sixteenth century out of the earlier aristocratic renga. The word meant vulgar or earthy, and the genre often derived its effect from satire and puns, though under the influence of the poet Matsuo Basho its tone became more serious. Haikai may also refer to other poetic forms that embrace the haikai aesthetic, including haiku, senryu, haiga and haibun, but it does not include orthodox renga or waka.
Facts
Place of OriginJapan, developing in the sixteenth century out of the earlier aristocratic renga tradition; its early rules were codified by the Teimon School. 1 Notable ExampleThe linked-verse sequences and prose-and-verse writings of Matsuo Bashō, who made the transformation of haikai into a literary genre his life's work during the Edo period. 1 Defining TraitHaikai no renga (renku), a popular genre of Japanese linked verse that developed in the sixteenth century out of the earlier, more aristocratic renga tradition. 1 Sources
1. Haikai (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, sentence 1
Haikai (Japanese 俳諧 comic, unorthodox) may refer in both Japanese and English to haikai no renga (renku), a popular genre of Japanese linked verse, which developed in the sixteenth century out of the earlier aristocratic renga.
Bashō section
Matsuo Bashō is one of the most famous poets of the Edo period and the greatest figure active in Japanese haikai during the latter half of the seventeenth century.
Teimon School section
The Teimon School, centred around Matsunaga Teitoku, did much to codify the rules of haikai, as well as to encourage the writing of stand-alone hokku.
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