"Here for the first time in English the subtle nature and beauty of the haiku is revealed in lucid commentary that emphasizes its rightful place in the realm of poetry....Informative discussion and carefully selected examples, along with quotations from Japanese thinkers and poets contrasted with those of Occidental poets, critics, and philosophers--T.S. Eliot, Allen Tate, John Dewey, Benedetto Croce, to name but a few--illuminate the fascinating character of the Japanese poetic mind and its vital contribution to the poetic tradition of the world. Intriguing analyses of the possibilities of the haiku for poetic expression in English and a concise, informative history of the development of haiku will interest both the general reader and the student of poetry and Japanese culture as well. Richly illustrative are modern original haiku in English and many superb translations of well-known Japanese originals."--Page 2-3 of cover