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Biography Matsuo Basho

Poet Biography

Basho was born Matsuo Kinsaku around 1644, somewhere near Ueno in Iga Province.

His father may have been a low-ranking samurai, which would have promised Basho a career in the military but not much chance of a notable life. It was traditionally claimed by biographers that he worked in the kitchens.

JAPANESE SAMURAI / Matsuo Bashō - JapanUp! magazine

However, as a child Basho became a servant to Todo Yoshitada, who shared with Basho a love for haikai no renga, a form of cooperative poetry composition. The sequences were opened with a verse in the 5-7-5 mora format; this verse was named a hokku, and would later be renamed haiku when presented as stand-alone works. The hokku would be followed by a related 7-7 addition by another poet.

Both Basho and Yoshitada gave themselves haigo, or haikai pen names; Basho's was Sobo, which was simply the on'yomi reading of his samurai name of Matsuo Munefusa. In 1662 the firs About Matsuo Bashō - Academy of American Poets TOH