Known Japanese poet Matsuo Basho composed haiku, infused with the spirit of Zen.
The renowned Matsuo Bashō (松尾 芭蕉) during his lifetime of the period of Edo worked in the collaborative haikai no renga form; people today recognize this most famous brief and clear master.
It was just okay. I read one other book from this Peter Pauper Press series: Cherry Blossoms, Vol. 3. I enjoyed that one much more. I'm not sure whether it was the selection or translations. In the intro of Series 4, we find out Peter Beilenson, who translated the previous three volumes of this series. I have not yet read 1 and 2 for comparison, but I MUCH preferred volume 3 to 4.
There were very few poems that caught my attention. I found myself immersed in the book as I went along in Vol. 3. That didn't happen with this book.
Haiku Harvest is a sweet collection with delightful vintage woodcuts. While there are a lot of recognizable names, it was nice to find some poems I hadn’t read before. Worth it, especially for lovers of vintage books and haiku collectors.
A collection of charming poems by Haiku masters. Such stunning images presented in a few syllables! Each poem is like a sip of cool water on a long hot day.
This collection ranges from the elegiac to the contemplative to the joyful--and sometimes joyful haiku can be a little too cute. So not every poem here is a gem. But most are. And it's probably good for the soul to chuckle at the old masters every once in a while.