Product Description

Japanese haiku has for many centuries been a much-loved form of poetry. Composed of 17 syllables, it can convey the essence of an emotion, a fleeting moment in nature, or a throwaway comment. This collection is a selection of 60 classic haiku by masters such as Basho, Kyoshi and Shiki, arranged by season and covering all the most popular subjects. The text features an introduction explaining the background to Japanese haiku and a short biographical note about each of the major poets. It should serve as an introduction to the treasures of Japanese poetry and art.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #168765 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 96 pages

About the Author
David Cobb is president of the British Haiku Society. His haiku have appeared widely in anthologies and won a number of international awards. He is the editor of The Genius of Haiku: readings from R.H.Blyth, The Haiku Kit and co-editor of The Iron Book of British Haiku.

Customer Reviews

A good introduction
Before reading this book I knew relatively little more about Haiku poetry and I found this book informative and easy to read. The book begins with a brief history of the Haiku then explains the basic characteristics of a Haiku and how to appreciate them. The book then moves on the Haiku themselves, each of which is reproduced in both their original Japanese as well as in English, and split into sections arranged by season. The book also includes over thirty beautiful paintings from the British Museum's collection, all of which are paired with Haiku that are most appropriate. As someone relatively new to the subject I found this book was a good introduction to Haiku poetry and is also a good book to just dip into every now and again.

Beautiful
This is an exquisitely designed book and the poetry, divided into four seasons, a wonderful selection from centuries of haiku right up to the twentieth. The paintings enhance the poetry beautifully, and what really adds to the enjoyment is the inclusion of the Japanese in both western and original script, so that even if you only know a little Japanese - or none - you get a feeling of the poem that may be absent in the translation. This couldn't be better.