BOOK: History Of Haiku

From time to time
The clouds give rest
To the moon beholders.

Moonlight slants through
The vast bamboo grove:
A cuckoo cries

The old pond
A frog jumps in
The sound of water.

Each is a Haiku written by Japan’s Matsuo Basho and translated by R. H. Blyth. The beauty and simplicity of a Haiku is easy to enjoy, but difficult to write. Basho was a master writer and Blyth was a master translator and interpreter. His interpenetration went beyond enjoyment though and showed a deep understanding of Japanese aesthetic sensibilities and culture. If you’re serious about understanding Haiku and want to increase your appreciation and enjoyment Blyth is must reading. His 1964 two-volume work, The History of Haiku, is a perfect introduction. Unfortunately I believe it is out of print, but can be found used or borrowed from a library. Blyth interpretations are sound and based on his many years of living in Korea Japan. He was devotee of Japanese culture. Today his interpretations are sometimes criticised as one-dimensional, but there is a certain old school soundness to his ideas. Blyth will tell you what makes Haiku significant. And he does a fantastic job of showing how to use Haiku to appreciate life more fully and how through Haiku you can see life from a different perspective. Blyth also wrote, Haiku, 1949-1952, in four volumes, his masterwork, but I have not read it. There are other Haiku books, but Blyths still remains the classic.