leppelepingud

Leppelepingud, Estonian for "chain poems," is a term used in Estonian literary discourse to describe a form of poetry built around linking segments in a chain. The defining technique is that a word, phrase, or image at the end of one segment becomes the starting point for the next, producing a continuous thread across the work. Variants may use multiple links, refrains, or cyclic repetition to reinforce coherence. The form can appear within a single long poem or as a sequence of shorter pieces produced collaboratively.

Practice and context: Leppelepingud often occur in experimental poetry circles, educational settings, and independent publications. The constraint-driven approach is valued as a catalyst for linguistic play and for exploring intertextual connections. Collaborative versions are common, with participants adding segments that connect to the preceding one.

Reception and significance: In Estonian letters, leppelepingud are seen as an accessible form of constraint-based writing that emphasizes language as a network of links and invites readers to trace connections. Critics sometimes highlight its participatory potential and its capacity to generate surprising associations.

Relation to other forms: The concept resembles chain poems and link poems in other traditions and shares affinities with experimental practices associated with constraint-based writing, without insisting on a single, rigid structure.