Yes, “link & shift” (連想 轉換) is the key principle in renga, and by extension, haiku.
1. Link & Shift in Renga
Link (連想) Each stanza must have a subtle but meaningful connection to the previous one.
Shift (轉換) Each stanza must also introduce a new angle, image, or feeling, preventing repetition.
This balance between continuity and transformation creates renga’s fluid movement, like ripples in water.
2. Haiku as a Compressed Renga Moment
Haiku originated as the hokku (發句) - the opening stanza of renga.
The kireji (cutting word) in haiku functions like the shift in renga, creating a sudden turn in perception.
Haiku doesn’t tell a linear story - instead, it juxtaposes two images, creating an unexpected shift in meaning.
3. How Link & Shift Works in Haiku
Haiku links two images or sensations but then shifts to create depth.
For example:
(An old pond)
(A frog leaps in,)
(The sound of water.)
Link Old pond & Frog jumps in (both natural elements).
Shift The last line doesn’t describe the frog but shifts attention to sound & silence.
4. The Link & Shift Effect in Other Arts
Japanese Noh & Kabuki Scenes transition in a renga-like, associative way.
Mikami Kan & Improvised Music Performers react to each other’s sound, constantly shifting motifs.
Haikai Aesthetics (e.g., Basho’s Travel Writing) Journeying itself is an act of linking & shifting through landscapes and time.
5. Link & Shift as a Worldview
In renga & haiku, life is not fixed - it is a continuous process of linking and shifting.
This reflects the Zen and Daoist view: everything is in flux, interconnected yet ever-changing.
Conclusion: Haiku Is a Micro-Renga
If renga is a long journey, then haiku is a single step in that journey.
Both work by “linking” what came before and “shifting” to something unexpected.
Would you like to try composing a renga sequence based on this principle?
