This book has a dual purpose. The first is to present in a new English translation 255 representative hokku (or haiku) poems of Matsuo Basho (1644-94), the Japanese poet who is generally considered the most influential figure in the history of the genre. The second is to make available in English a wide spectrum of Japanese critical commentary on the poems over the last three hundred years.
About the author
Makoto Ueda is Professor of Japanese at Stanford University.
"The first book in a Western language that conveys the richness, range, genius, and power of Basho's poetry. . . . A gem of a work."
—Chanoyu Quarterly