Description: With the utmost economy and skill, the haiku poet paints a vast mural on a narrow canvas. Working within the strict 17-syllable limits of the traditional Japanese form, Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) and other masters evoke elements of the natural world -- cherry blossoms, harvest moons, snow, nightingales -- to conjure up timeless moods and emotions. This volume features dozens of Basho's poems (he is considered the greatest haiku poet), as well as works by his predecessors and ten of his disciples -- Kikaku, Ransetsu, Joso, and Kyoroku among them. Intended principally for readers with no knowledge of Japanese literature, this carefully selected treasury includes a transliteration of the original Japanese for each verse; most poems also include a brief explication.

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