The Japanese haiku is one of the most widely known forms of poetry in the world. Haiku, or "beginning verse," evolved from a 16th-century Japanese poetry form known as the "renga." Haiku is admired for both its simplicity and its depth.
Matsuo Basho was a famous haiku poet who lived in 17th- century Japan. He described haiku as "simply what is happening in this place at this moment." The following haiku are by Basho.
