haikai (genre); haikai poetry
Collective term for haiku, haibun, haiga, senryū, and related forms. In modern usage, often refers to the broader poetic tradition stemming from Bashō and his school.
Bashō is known as a master of haikai.
At this poetry gathering, you can learn traditional haikai.
haikai no renga; humorous renga
Historical abbreviation for 俳諧の連歌, a 16th-century style of linked verse characterized by humor, wit, and often vulgar themes. Distinct from the later refined haikai of Bashō.
See also: 俳諧の連歌
Haikai no renga was a humorous linked verse that broke with waka tradition.
Yamazaki Sōkan is considered the founder of haikai no renga.
Poetic or literary use, often describing something as absurd or comical in a refined, waka-like context. Rare in modern everyday language.
That poem has a haikai-like wit.
His behavior can only be described as absurd.
川柳 is a type of humorous poem similar to haiku but without seasonal reference, often considered part of the 俳諧 tradition.
Standard kanji form; used in modern contexts for the broader haikai genre and historically for the renga style.
Rarely used kanji form; the first character 誹 carries a nuance of 'ridicule' or 'satire', reflecting the humorous origins.
From Middle Chinese-derived elements 俳 (playful, actor) and 諧 (harmony, jest). The term originally referred to humorous or unconventional linked verse, later broadened to encompass the refined poetic tradition.