COCTEAU Jean Lot n° 15

Le Cap de Bonne Espérance, poem (Éditions de la Sirène, Paris, December 1918); in-8 square, paperback, filled cover. Original edition, 510 copies printed, one of 500 copies on bulky paper (n°253), in perfect condition. For this collection, in homage to his friend Roland Garros, Cocteau uses an original typographical composition that accompanies his free verses, as indicated in the preface: "It is a hidden architecture, this play of balance below, that gives the work, apparently lame, harmony. If the reader does not see it, at least he suffers the wrist [...] I used for Cape Town a dry line that breaks, that fits together, undulates by small masses, prevents the distracted gaze from sliding too softly, invites him to punctuate alone. The margin does not frame the text. It is inside, distributed by him"...