Junction Books

Matsuo Basho is renowned worldwide as the ruler of the Haiku. While the haiku originated before Basho and was beginning to spread across Japan, Basho gave the poetic medium a heightened prominence and respect. Basho’s haikus are composed mostly out of his personal experience. He was known largely for his style, which was simplistic yet full of a deep wisdom.
Basho was never comfortable with his poetic fame, and he departed on many journeys in his search for a fuller understanding of his purpose and his unhappiness. Ultimately, Basho is a poet celebrated for his ability to use simplistic verse to convey a sense of wisdom and understanding. Even as Basho fell ill and grew closer to dying, his last poem is composed in a pure, unadorned manner but manages to communicate a startling sense of emotion.
The works and teachings of Matsuo Basho are exceedingly relevant to modern poetry and prose. By learning the wisdom of simplicity from Basho, poets can come to more fully understand the importance of meaning within poetry. While more dense poetry will always have a place in the literary world, it is important to remember the value simple words and verse can also have.