Matsuo Bashō, born Matsuo Kinsaku, then Matsuo Chūemon Munefusa, [3] was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest master of haiku . He is also well known for his travel essays beginning with Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton , written after his journey west to Kyoto and Nara.[4] Matsuo Bashō's poetry is…