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The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology (Dover Thrift Editions)

Average customer rating:

Name Me Something Else A Buck Can Get You That Brings So Much With It
Big things come in small packages
A surprisingly good collection
An Excellent and Quaint Little Book of Haiku at its Best
An interesting collection of haiku

The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology (Dover Thrift Editions)

Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486292746

Book Description

Unique collection spans over 400 years (1488–1902) of haiku history by the greatest masters: Basho, Issa, Shiki and many more, in translations by top-flight scholars in the field. Editor Faubion Bowers provides Foreword and many informative notes to the poems.

Customer Reviews:

Name Me Something Else A Buck Can Get You That Brings So Much With It.......2005-09-24

Dover Thrift Editions are a wonderful idea. For between a dollar and two dollars each, someone can own the greatest works of human literature, philosophy, history, and poetry. Spectacular concept!

In this volume, five centuries of Japanese haiku as composed by some of the genre's greatest masters is translated and compiled. This works as either an introduction to these "written snapshots" or makes a nice addtion to the library of a haiku fan.

Big things come in small packages.......2004-11-30

Anyone looking for an inexpensive book of haiku could do no better than "The Classic Tradition of Haiku : An Anthology." Packed inside this affordable little book are 200 poems from 72 authors, including masters such as Basho and Issa, as well as novelist Saikaku Ihara and a horde of others.

The haiku are presented in a straight-forward chronological fashion, stretching over about 400 years. A few rengas are included early on, to demonstrate the origins of the poetic form. There is little critical analysis or information on the haiku format, apart from a simple 3-page introduction that offers a bare-bones explanation and some footnotes regarding untranslatable words and author's histories. (ie: Who is a student of who, etc...)

An additional bonus of this book is that, not only can you see the evolution of the haiku, but you can also see styles and trends in English translation of haiku, as the anthology provides the work of 45 different translators, including dignitaries such as Allan Ginsberg, Alex Kerr and Lafcadio Hearn. Several of the most important poems are given multiple English translations, so you can see how the interpretation of the translator affects the final product.

A weakness is that many of these translations, especially the early ones, are of dubious quality, with author's attempting to define the meaning of the poem for English-speakers, and eliminating essential functions of haiku such as the non-sequitur "twist" ending that juxtaposes the imagery, or sets it's final scenery. Often, the important final line is first in the English translation, removing some of the power. Of course, the Japanese original is always given as well, so you are welcome to make your own judgment

Weaknesses aside, at the price of a Dover Thrift Edition, there is no reason for someone interested in haiku not to have this book in their collection.

A surprisingly good collection.......2001-12-20

Despite a misleading definition of haiku on the back of this book (continued in the introduction), and despite the tendency of Dover Thrift Editions to use the worst possible translations for other books they have published, this is an authoritative and valuable collection which offers translations of quite a few works otherwise difficult to find. One of the most valuable elements of the book is its printing of multiple translations of one poem -- while some of the translations (particularly from the early part of the 20th century) are execrable, it is fascinating and instructive to see how various poems have been approached.

This book is a great addition to any library, but don't let it be your only haiku book -- be sure to read William Higginson's "Haiku Handbook" as well as "The Essential Haiku" edited by Robert Hass and "The Haiku Anthology" edited by Cor van den Heuvel.

An Excellent and Quaint Little Book of Haiku at its Best.......2001-07-12

I really enjoyed reading this book because I love the beauty and simplicity of haiku poetry. Although this is a relatively thin book, it contains very resourceful and detailed information about the haiku poets and thier inspirations. I really appreciate the author's acknowlegement of the female haiku poets, in which most became buddist nuns, proving that women were just as an important part of the haiku scene as the men. In conclusion, this book is a pleasure for the senses and a must for anyone's library.

An interesting collection of haiku.......2000-09-23

This volume has several characteristics to recommend it: (1) it provides a transliteration of the Japanese to give the reader a sense of the sound of haiku (2) several times it provides multiple translations of a haiku, giving the reader a sense of the different approaches to translation (3) it provides a collection that is a cross-section of haiku throughout its Japanese history rather than concentrating on the best known.

It has some negatives - too many footnotes that could have been handled in a less intrusive manner such as who is the student of whom or what is the best known haiku of the author. The willingness to use footnotes allows the editor to direct the reader's response in a positive way.

If you have any interest in haiku, you will want this volume in your collection.

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