Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Bashō
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Bashō
Yellow letter tiles on a teal background spell 'what is a haiku?' with abstract calligraphic scribbles in the background
Statue of Basho, the renowned Japanese haiku poet, standing in traditional clothing and holding a staff, surrounded by lush greenery in Tateishi, Tokyo.
At a Glance
default image
Bashō summary
Quizzes
Row of colorful books on a bookshelf. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
The Literary World
Illustration of "The Lamb" from "Songs of Innocence" by William Blake, 1879. poem; poetry
A Study of Poetry
4:043 Dickinson, Emily: A Life of Letters, This is my letter to the world/That never wrote to me; I'll tell you how the Sun Rose/A Ribbon at a time; Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul
Famous Poets and Poetic Form
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) only confirmed photograph of Emily Dickinson. 1978 scan of a Daguerreotype. ca. 1847; in the Amherst College Archives. American poet. See Notes:
Poetry: First Lines
Related Questions

Bashō: References & Edit History

Additional Reading

Haruo Shirane, Traces of Dreams (1998), is a study of the cultural context of Bashō’s poetry. Makoto Ueda (compiler and trans.), Bashō and His Interpreters (1991), gives both traditional and modern comments on the haiku of Bashō.

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Anniversary information added. Jan 01, 2026
Anniversary information added. Nov 24, 2025
Media added. Sep 19, 2025
First paragraph modernization. Feb 15, 2024
Invalidated site: The European Graduate School - Biography of Matsuo Basho. Oct 31, 2019
Add new Web site: University of Colorado Boulder - Center for Asian Studies - Biography of Matsuo Basho. May 30, 2019
Add new Web site: Poetry Foundation - Biography of Basho. Mar 28, 2017
Add new Web site: The European Graduate School - Biography of Matsuo Basho. May 29, 2012
Added photograph. Aug 26, 2009
Media added. Jul 14, 2008
Bibliography revised. Sep 28, 2006
Article revised and updated. Sep 28, 2006
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
View Changes:
Article History
Revised:
By: