Poet of the Month: Matsuo Basho

Drawing of poet, Matuo Basho.

Matsuo Basho is the father of haiku poetry!  This Japanese poet was born in Japan in 1644.  His literary name, Basho, came from the plantain trees [basho] near a hut that was built for him. He composed stanzas of haikai no renga (a sequence of linked verses, usually by a group of poets), whose opening, and most important, stanza (hokku) was later separated as the verse form haiku.  His poetry is noted for its sensitive exploration of nature of beauty, loneliness, suffering, and death. He traveled a lot and was very spiritual.  He died in 1994.

For more information about Matsuo Basho, see Mr. Cantu or click here for haiku worksheets!  To read haikus written by elementary school students, click here!  Would you like to enter a poetry contest?  Get your parents permission and click here!