The great Czech poet Jaroslav Seifert called Vladimír Holan "the black angel." For many years Seifert and Holan were close friends. Their work spanned a long period of time and reached its peak before World War II, remaining at its best both during and after the war. Poetically, however, they were completely different. Seifert saw life as a harmonious whole; his poetry was melodious with a tendency towards melancholy. In Holan's work, on the other hand, the dark, tragic aspects of life are most prominent. His poems are disjointed, full of unexpected changes and sudden interruptions. Holan's language differs sharply from the crystal-clear spoken language that Seifert uses. Holan aims at using the whole range of language. Literary expressions, neologisms, and symbols difficult to understand appear alongside common Czech language and vulgarisms.

Vladimír Holan was born on 16 September 1905 in Prague. Most of his childhood...