The English translation of the title is "four poems." According to Sims Reed (Modern Books April 2011), Four visual poems by Josef Hirsal created using repetitive words, typographic motifs or repeated letters. Loose as issued in original publisher's black paper wrappers, typographic motif of Hirsal's initials in gilt and green to front wrapper. Rare samizdat collection of visual poems by the Czech poet Josef Hirsal.Josef Hirsal (1920 - 2003), renowned experimental Czech poet, Surrealist, childrens' book author, friend of artist and poet Jiri Kolar and co-signatory of Charta 77 published this short collection of innovative visual poems in 1965. The poems use repeated words to build up a visual and sonic matrix, on the page and the tongue. The first poem consists of a repeated series of words: 'bude je bylo' that gradually - through typographic manipulation - reverse into 'bylo je bude'. The second poem is a repeated grouping of consonants ('c', 'h', 'm', 'n', and 't') used to create words using the single vowel 'a'. The third poem - an homage to William Faulkner - uses his name as the central spine of the poem. The final poem is the repeated word 'akt' aligned vertically down the page with the addition of the letter 'f' three times to make 'fakt'. This work of Hirsal's is rare with one copy listed in COPAC, at Leeds, while WorldCat lists only a copy at Northwestern University, Illinois. Although no specific limitation is stated, the number of copies printed is likely small. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner. https://aspace.lib.uiowa.edu/repositories/5/archival_objects/892686 Accessed March 13, 2025.