Basho and His Interpreters: Selected Hokku with Commentary FROM THE PUBLISHER
This book has a dual purpose. The first is to present in a new English translation 255 representative hokku (or haiku) poems of Matsuo Basho (1644-94), the Japanese poet who is generally considered the most influential figure in the history of the genre. The second is to make available in English a wide spectrum of Japanese critical commentary on the poems over the last three hundred years. The hokku are arranged in chronological order, so the reader can trace the gradual process through which the poet perfected his art. Basho was a tireless experimenter who explored the potential of his poetic form throughout his career, and the results of his explorations are everywhere visible in his work. The translated poems are grouped by year of composition (except for three longer groupings before 1675). Each group is introduced by a biographical section reviewing the events in Basho's life during that year. The author also provides the original Japanese in romanization; a literal, word-for-word translation; and, when necessary, an explanatory note dealing with specific words and names, contemporary customs, and the like. Because of Basho's great fame, a massive amount of critical commentary has been written on his poems. For each poem, the author provides a selection of representative excerpts from commentaries, showing how different generations (or different scholars within the same generation) have approached Basho's poems in different ways. These commentaries point up the fact that a hokku, consisting of only seventeen syllables, invites the active participation of the reader. The hokku poet leaves the poem unfinished, so to speak, and each reader is expected to "complete" it with a personal interpretation. The Introduction discusses the basic nature of hokku, Basho's contribution to its development, the history of Basho criticism, problems of translation, and other useful information. The book also includes a glossary of literary terms, indexes of the complete poem
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Matsuo Basho is perhaps the best known of all classical Japanese poets, achieving a prodigious output in a variety of genres and styles. His impact on the literature and philosophy of that country has been great. Ueda aids us by selecting some of Basho's best efforts and then relating them to the body of criticism available. This approach is especially effective, for it facilitates use of the text for the two stated purposes of translation and criticism availability. More than that, a useful chronological history of Basho the man emerges from the work and commentaries provided. Especially helpful are the references to hokku' s development into haiku, and the emergence of karumi, that style of ``lightness'' that is the hallmark of the mature Basho. Filled with erudite scholarship and evocative of an age of great literature, this book is essential for all collections of poetic literature and criticism and is highly recommended for academic libraries as well.-- Mike Heines, USAF Rome Laboratory Technical Lib., N.Y.
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