Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) is not only Japan's most revered poet, he is also the one most translated into other languages. Yet, until now, no one has gathered into one volume, translated into English, the complete works.
Having spent a decade at her task, the American poet Jane Reichhold here presents 1012 haiku, complete with much of the relevant historical material surrounding them and some indication as to how each is to be appreciated.
Makoto Ueda has defined the haiku as "a comparison between the finite and the infinite which are brought together in the one experience which is the poem." This presumes that it is not only the writer but also the reader who creates this experience.