The characteristics of haikai are that Haikai renga, or renku, is a work that should be treated as connected verses, and moreover, the composers and the audience shared the same room due to the fact that several people have to be involved in completing the verses continuously.
また、連句としての前後のつながりを含めて作品であること、複数人で続けて句を詠みあうという表現の性格から作り手と受け手が同一空間にいることといった特色がある。