INSIGHTS INTO VÁCLAV HAVEL’S CONCRETE POETRY
INSIGHTS INTO VÁCLAV HAVEL’S CONCRETE POETRY

Summary/Abstract: The paper aims to present Václav Havel as a concrete poet. Since he used in his visual poems powerful and sometimes contrasting themes like “war”, “peace”, “barrier”, “words”, “humane”, etc., we chose three calligrames from the book titled Antikódy (Anticodes) to analyze. Specifically, we interpret the visual representation of the subject matters, taking into account the shape, typography, visual impact, symbolism, and the poet’s internal triggers. Although Havel’s visual poetry has not gained international visibility and popularity like his prose, we strongly believe the ones we have analyzed are eloquent examples of dignity, morality, courage and compassion for the human beings. Last but not least, these visual compositions can be considered the testimonial of the experiences and actions which he undertook to condemn the atrocities of communism in his country and the international armed conflicts.

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