Critics agree that Basho¯ is primarily responsible for developing the modern style of haiku. Some scholars, like Makoto Ueda in his Matsuo Basho¯, claim that Matsuo Basho¯ is the greatest haiku writer. In Japanese Literature, Roger Bersihand writes that Basho¯ "made the entertaining epigram into delicate poetry, which suggests rather than expresses an idea, using simple, evocative touches under which is often a profound symbolism." However, critics agree that Matsuo Basho¯ developed his style of poetry throughout his adult years and that his later poetry is notably superior to his earlier efforts.

Critics note two distinct characteristics of poems like "Temple Bells Die Out" which were written between 1686-1691, generally considered the period during which Matsuo Basho¯ wrote his best haiku. First, Matsuo Basho¯ developed the idea of sabi or loneliness in his poems. Matsuo Basho¯'s poems...