"The Essential Haiku" is a collection that features translations of works by three of Japan's most renowned haiku masters: Bashō, Buson, and Issa. Edited and translated by a prominent American poet, the book not only presents a selection of more than 300 haikus, capturing the concise and evocative style of the original Japanese poems, but also includes brief biographical sketches of the poets and an enlightening commentary that contextualizes their work within the broader scope of Japanese culture and the haiku tradition. This anthology serves as both an introduction to and a deep exploration of haiku, offering insights into the philosophical and aesthetic foundations of the form.
The 12174th greatest book of all time
Robert Hass was born in San Francisco and lives in Berkeley, California, where he teaches at the University of California. He served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1995 to 1997. A MacArthur Fellow and a two-time winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, he has published poems, literary essays, and translations. He is married to the poet Brenda Hillman.
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