Otokar Brezina (1868-1929) was the most prominent Czech poet of his day. HIDDEN HISTORY, however, is not precisely poetry but a collection of poetic essays. Brezina's creation of this entirely new genre represents the apotheosis of his work, as well as a prime example of his ablity to apply metaphorical language to an exploration of the mystical links between art and life and between the visible and invisible worlds.