Pagine1644–1694 · Iga Province, Japan · also known as Basho, Bashō
Matsuo Bashō turned the short, playful hokku into an art of stillness and insight — what we now call haiku. His most famous poem, about an old pond and a frog jumping in, is perhaps the best-known short poem in the world. The Narrow Road to the Deep North (published 1702) mixes prose and haiku from a long journey on foot through northern Japan.
Begin with The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
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Matsuo Bashō turned the short, playful hokku into an art of stillness and insight — what we now call haiku. His most famous poem, about an old pond and a frog jumping in, is perhaps the best-known short poem in the world.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is usually considered Matsuo Bashō’s best-known work.
Most readers start with The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Both refer to the same writer. Other spellings and names include Basho, Bashō.
Many of Matsuo Bashō’s works are in the public domain; we link to free editions below.