The Absolute Gravedigger

This book, published by Twisted Spoon Press in Prague, showcases the work of Vítězslav Nezval, an avant-garde poet whose 1937 collection represents a peak in his artistic evolution. Merging Poetism and Surrealism with political themes from the pre-World War II era, the collection is marked by remarkable verbal and visual creativity. Nezval's imagination is unrestrained, exploring a variety of forms, including imaginative free verse, formally rhymed quatrains, prose, and visual art, featuring six of his decalcomania images. Alongside his earlier collections, this work is crucial to interwar Surrealist poetry. It shifts focus to darker themes of decay and entropy, with line breaks in shorter poems creating fragmented language that invites multiple interpretations. Influenced by Salvador Dalí's method of "hand-painted dream photographs," the poems venture into unexpected realms, evolving until they either resolve or dissolve, much like electron clouds. Nezval's language remains meticulously controlled, allowing him to navigate the vibrant uncertainties of Surrealism, crafting recognizable yet surprising shapes that meld images and concepts into a dazzling kaleidoscope.