Sublime

Basho,

Basho wrote his haiku in the simplest type of Japanese speech, naturally avoiding literary and “highbrow” language, so creating a style which made it possible for ordinary people to be poets. Bankei, his contemporary, did just the same thing for Zen,

In Japan, poems should not be tethered to the entanglement of a person’s ego. Humility, modesty, and a keen eye for small details in the natural environment are key attributes. As Basho said, “If you want to learn about the pine, then go to the pine, if you want to learn about the bamboo, then go to the bamboo. When you have become one with them, t

His most celebrated poem is: Furu ike ya! Kawazu tobikomu Mizu no oto The old pond A frog jumps in The sound of water As with most haiku, the images are taken from the small details found in nature and then the imagery is used to paint a thousand pictures and convey sentiments that elude verbal definition.

The beauty of Basho’s prose, however, took the negative aspects of old age, loneliness, and death and imbued them with a serene sense of beauty.

En un siècle, le Japon a produit cinq grands poètes : Basho (1644-1694), Issa (1763-1828), Buson (1716-1783), Shiki (1867-1902), si l’on compte Taïgi (1709-1771) qui me laisse un peu froid. Sauf son poème sur l’été. « Averse d’été Un son brusque et fort Au-dessus de la forêt.