Kwadraty (Squares) [Poetry collection]

Near Fine condition; Soft creases across corners, some small stress lines to the spine, foxing spots on the back cover, stamp on the front cover dated by April 16, 1925 indicating that the current book copy of 1000 printed is obligatory copy of Zamosc Voivodeship "Starostwo Zamojskim. Egzemplarz obowiazkowy. Naklad 1000 egz. 16 kwiecien 1925."

Bibliophilic, originally designed second poetry collection includes 21 poems with a strong Futurist and Dadaist orientation. Author's radical poetic experiment consists in using language and dictionary accentuating new rhythmic qualities and establishing new interesting figures of sound. Verbal sound effects is stressed by experimental avant-garde typography - handmade typewriter font, different size of the letters, unusual lines layout etc. But the main thing that distinguishes current work from other futurist poets writings is the author's desire to combine avant-garde trends with literary tradition. He wrote typical Futurist poems containing a strong folk elements. Unlike other futurist poets attitude towards modern civilization here is more complex. As a true futurist, author was fascinated with technology, but at the same time he feared its consequences and turned towards folklore as the only sphere that had preserved unspoiled human nature and the simple forms of life. Thus, he explored the resources of the folklore tradition and used them in his poetry in an attempt to enrich 20th-century civilization with the values preserved within that tradition. After this publication author moved away from Futurism towards the idea of modernist rural literature. But, later works along with local dialect stylization and rhythms of folk songs still combined with the avant-garde idea of "freedom of expression”.

Modernist graphic cover design of the current book created by artist and author's wife Wanda Mlodozeniec.

Stanislaw Mlodozeniec (1895-1959) one of the leading representatives of the avant-garde in Polish poetry of the 20th century, and a founder of Polish futurism. Was close with the members of Polish avant-garde movement "Formists". At the turn of 1919/1920 founded the futurist club Katarynka (Hurdy-Gurdy) around which centered Krakow futurism, and participated in futurist activities.