Basho's Narrow Road by Matsuo Basho

Basho's Narrow Road by Matsuo Basho

Matsuo Basho (1644-94) is considered Japan's greatest haiku poet. Narrow Road to the Interior (Oku no Hosomichi) is his masterpiece. Ostensibly a chronological account of the poet's five-month journey in 1689 into the deep country north and west of the old capital, Edo, the work is in fact artful and carefully sculpted, rich in literary and Zen allusion and filled with great insights and vital rhythms. In Basho's Narrow Road: Spring and Autumn Passages, poet and translator Hiroaki Sato presents the complete work in English and examines the threads of history, geography, philosophy, and literature that are woven into Basho's exposition. He details in particular the extent to which Basho relied on the community of writers with whom he traveled and joined in linked verse (renga) poetry sessions, an example of which, A Farewell Gift to Sora, is included in this volume. In explaining how and why Basho made the literary choices he did, Sato shows how the poet was able to transform his passing observations into words that resonate across time and culture.

Hiroaki Sato is one of the leading translators of Japanese poetry into English, with numerous books and awards. Emi Suzuki works in illustrations and CD graphic design.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781880656204
ISBN 10	1880656205
Title	Basho's Narrow Road
Author	Matsuo Basho
Series	Rock Spring Collection Of Japanese Literature
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Stone Bridge Press
Year published	1998-07-16
Number of pages	192
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.