Renku, or "linked verse," is a style of poetry that became popular during the Edo period (1603-1867). A renku poem is written by several people: the first poet composes a poem in the haiku style, with a pattern of 5-7-5 syllables. The next poet develo ps the theme with another poem, this time with a short pattern of 7-7 syllables. The two poems together form the first stanza of the renku. This process is repeated several times, alternating the patterns of 5-7-5 and 7-7 syllables, to form the completed renku. The end of each stanza is also the beginning of the next stanza; the stanzas are thus linked together.
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