Although he isn’t the creator of haiku, Matsuo Basho is universally accepted as the poet who popularized haiku and ultimately he is renowned as the master of haiku. BashŌ was “Born into a lower ranking samurai class” in the Japanese city of Ueno his father worked for the high ranking Todo family (Burleson). By age 9 he had become very good friends with the heir to the Todo family Yoshitada. This friendship Basho had would last until the death of Yoshitada when he was just 25. Basho grieved for his friend and requested to be released by Todo, but when his request was denied he ran to Kyoto. Instead of continuing his line of work by finding a new lord, the young ronin began to journey Japan. The most famous journey of these is the cold and barren trip he made to Northern Japan, which is now a "popular object of films and "pilgrimages (Oxnam). Years before he made the journey north, Basho stayed in Kyoto where he would learn the Japanese and Chinese classics at a temple (Burleson). He returned home a few years later with a collection of his published works as well as other author’s and he would gain respect and recognition (Burleson). Some say “By early thirties, he was considered a Haikai master” (Hass, Essential Haiku: Versions of Bashō, Buson and Issa). Continuing with his journeys, he traveled to Edo where he made a name for himself among the poets (Burleson). Later in his late thirties his house burned down just adding another tragedy to his list (Burleson). Edo would be his preeminent home for the rest of his life, but he frequently traveled in search of inspiration. Basho wrote stories of his journey’s from the perspective of traveling priest in “Noh plays,” and also spirits he encountered on the way (Keene and Shirane). He died of an illness in Osaka at age 50 on his way to Nagasaki. Poet Ezra Pound noted the power of haiku especially the “juxtaposition,” and “brevity,” (poets.org). He wrote “The image itself is speech. The image is the word beyond formulated language” (poets.org). Others have noted Basho’s influence writing “One of the reasons why Bashô becomes so fascinating for the Japanese is because he is someone who represents spiritual freedom in an era in which society is so hierarchical,” (Keene and Shirane). BashŌ is undoubtedly the master of haiku.
https://qt.azureedge.net/resources/authors-images-large/matsuo-basho.jpg
https://qt.azureedge.net/resources/authors-images-large/matsuo-basho.jpg