Tan renga looks like a tanka and works like
a renga. In tanka, the image developed in (approximately) a 5-7-5 three-line verse is contrasted to or augmented by a related
image in the capping 7-7 two-line conclusion. The resulting juxtaposition produces more meaning than either part could
by itself.
In tanka, both sections are written by the same person. In tan renga, the sections are usually written by different
people.
In that way,the form resembles renga. Over the centuries, poets found intricate and fascinating ways of making connections between the two parts. The chief enjoyment
in a tan renga comes from watching sparks fly between the verses. Below, the material in parentheses identifies the writer
of each verse.
around the pier
seagulls exchange pilings
we pause at chess
** Larry Gross
playing tag and leapfrog
the eight-week-old kittens
** Gail Teachworth
The link here, of course, involves similar motions taking place in each of three scenes, thereby drawing attention to similarities
in very different life styles and even species: We all are very much the same.
I gave the identical 3-line opening verse to several poets and asked them to write their 2-line capper. The name in parentheses
identifies each responder.
silencing
the foursome at bridge
geese fly south
a rim of ice on the pond
oak leaves float on the water ** (Joyce Shriver)
silencing
the foursome at bridge
geese fly south
a splash on the river
circling ripples swirl ** (Donna Thomas)
silencing
the foursome at bridge
geese fly south
above the ocean's roar
a chopper heading north ** (Gail Teachworth)
silencing
the foursome at bridge
geese fly south
and one flies over
the Trump Tower ** (Kenneth C. Leibman)
silencing
the foursome at bridge
geese fly south
these arthritic limbs
yearn for warm gulf beaches ** (Lorraine Geiger)
Responses vary in degree of seriousness as well as tone and line length. Not all follow the 7-7 syllable suggestion. Some
skip a line between the verses, some do not. Some are straight-forward responses or comparisons; some continue a previous
thought. The intended connection is obvious in some, while others challenge our ingenuity. Such variety is a great part of
the fun in tan renga, as it is in renga itself.
