The distance between lines in a renga
 

Cage on renga, in the introduction to Themes and Variations:
 
"Successive lines are written by different poets. Each poet tries to make his line as distant in possible meanings from the preceding line as he can take it. This is no doubt an ttempt to open the minds of the poets and listeners or readers to other relationships than those ordinarily perceived [...] Thus an intentionally irrational poem can be written with liberating effect"
 
for a long time I remembered that this was the guiding force behind a renga, but then I couldn't confirm that (I wonder if I first heard it from Cage)
 
I believed for a while that I was mistakenly thinking of the bantu (see Hass)

> tagged with #meaning, #network, #poetry, #collaboration

> created Apr 8, 2025 at 5:44:07 PM


> part of unfinished everything


search unfinished everything


unfinished everything is an original work / ongoing project (1997-present) by jeremy p. bushnell

selection, arrangement, and original text available for creative reuse under this licensing arrangement

authors' quoted words are their own.


home | @jpb.bsky.social