To Walk in Seasons

Haiku, beloved and traditional Japanese poems consisting of three lines containing a total of 17 syllables, have held a growing fascination for readers and writers in the West. This anthology of translations is an introduction to haiku. "To Walk in Seasons" is designed to help the beginner discover haiku for himself, and eventually create his own haiku poems. It includes a lively and sensitive introduction on the nature of haiku. It also contains a study guide aimed at recreating the thought processes behind this terse, concentrated form. Selected poems by the major Japanese haiku poets -- Basho, Buson, Isa, and Shiki -- are the focal point of the anthology. Also included is a section devoted to less celebrated figures, such as Kikasu, Onitsura, and Rogetsu, who wrote individual haiku rivaling those by the masters. -- From publisher's description.