Matsuo Basho and the Haikuists

The most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan, Matsuo Basho was of samurai descent and a Zen Buddhist, who became a master of haiku. He helped create a new style of poetry, capturing the meaning of the world into simple poetry. His work is celebrated for contrasting two separate experiences, reflecting the environment and emotions of a single moment, taken directly from nature. Haiku is a short form of poetry, composed of three phrases and 17 syllables. It has been employed by Basho and his fellow haikuists throughout the last five hundred years to convey an extraordinary depth of expression and ornate beauty. The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature’s finest poets, with superior formatting. This volume presents a wide selection of haiku by the leading poets of the last five centuries, with new translations, illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)