Matsuo Basho

Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)

Matsuo Bashō was a major Japanese poet of the Edo period and a master of haikai and hokku, the form later known as haiku. His poetry joins close observation of nature with simplicity, travel, and reflection. Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior), blending prose and verse, became a landmark of Japanese haibun and travel literature.