Basho's Haiku: Selected Poems of Matsuo Basho

This is a book I will refer to over and over again. The introduction alone is worth the price of the book. Dr. Barnhill gives us a glimpse into the haiku master's mindset. Basho's haiku becomes more than poetry to be read and appreciated. We are exposed to the poet's genius, breadth of knowledge, and understanding of nature. It is easy to read one of Basho's haiku and to appreciate it as a good haiku. But to understand what Basho was saying is another thing altogether. There are those who argue that it is not important to understand a haiku poet's mindset in order to understand his poetry. Dr. Barnhill disagrees. Basho, like a lot of poets in Japan, wrote poetry influenced by his cultural memory, the natural environment, and social context. One cannot fully fathom the intellectual depth and beauty of Matsuo Basho's haiku without insight into his mindset. Take, for example, Basho's haiku. Reviewed by Robert Wilson