Matsuo Bashō

Basho : Andrew Fitzsimons is Professor of English Language and Cultures at Gakushuin University, Tokyo, and author of The Sea of Disappointment: Thomas Kinsella's Pursuit of the Real, as well as three books of poetry. Bashō (1644-1694) is the greatest poet of Japan and one of the major figures of World Literature. His work has inspired haiku to become the most popular poetic form in the world.