An autobiographical blend of prose and haiku from one of Japan’s greatest poets.

Kobayashi Issa, known for his attention to poignant detail and his playful sense of humor, is considered one of the greatest haiku poets of Japan. Issa’s most-loved work, The Spring of My Life, is an autobiographical sketch of linked prose and haiku in the tradition of Basho’s famous Narrow Road to the Interior. This edition also includes more than 160 of Issa’s most revered haiku and an introduction that provides essential background on Issa’s life as well as valuable information on translating (and reading) haiku.