4 Dariusz Śnieżko Mateusz Skucha W German Ritz Anna Na Bożena Karwowska piński Zdzisław Ła Anna Na ojciech Śmieja Texts andtheBody Index ofContent Sports andLiteraturein1918-1939(selectedexamples) From IdeologyoftheBodytoIdeologizedCarnality: Gender StudiesToday: BuildingTheory, Traveling Theory Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz. An AttemptataPost-feminist Reflection . Female Perspective inSzymborska’sPoetry: of JulianPrzyboś “My Poems arePsychosomatic”: MotiveImpulseinthePoetry Introduction How DidtheOldPolish Body Read? Somatic Experiences ofReading . A ManlyArtefactandaMysterious Poet .AroundQueerTheory siłowska siłowska ...... 13 6 33 21 57 51 75 90 atarzyna NadanaKatarzyna W Jeanette Sł Łukasz Pa Piotr Oczko Piotr Sobolczyk ojciech K How toBeaQueen. The BarenessofaClergyman:Priestly Poetry asaMinorityDiscourse?. and ManuelaGretkowska. Stereotypes ofMaternityinProse Works ofAnnaNasiłowska of Przedwiośnie . Purity, Dirt,andtheChaosofRevolution: OntheTwo Parts A Contributiontothe“Archeology” ofGayStudiesinPoland Why IDoNotWant toWrite aboutOld-Polish Male-bedders: Miron Białoszewski’shermeticpornographies włowski ud ab y yba ...... 174 147 135 101 167 118

5 6 No 4” about “our war against Satan, the world and the body” calling the body “our home” existence. A century later, Mikołaj Sęp-Szarzyński, a distinguished poet, speaks in “Sonnet has left the body/ it stood in the meadowgreen” ascribes to thesoul a separate, posthumous perfected and awarded through eternity. A verse from a 15th century folk lament:soul “The The body should be subject to penance, and its desires restrained,so that thesoul could be centuries old frame of the dualism of body and soul, firmly rooted in theCatholic tradition. elements of newer criticism. frame of reading. to the body A turn and to somatic readings one is of the poststructural outside the text, which seems inasmuch necessary asdifficult to solve withina structural Roland n’y Barthesil to say: used dehors du a pas texte. And yet, there exists something a record of spiritual life, and matter on the other. Texts are related to thought, and closed. one. Dualism, strongly embedded in the European models, places on the one side text as notis exclusively spiritual, it may cause physical effects, includingsexual arousal. text –which we have known since the days of Russian Formalism. The act of reading itself accent and pace have their source in articulation, evengesture finds its place in a literary and appetite. The presence of the body does not only mark itself thematically, intonation, birth, adolescence, and aging. another Or list of notions, such as meat and food, hunger, death,sex, illness, love, lust and its varied forms, sport, beauty, disability, violence, shame, basic condition. Thus, the spectrum issuesof relatingis broad to body indeed, including body present is asa problem related to the fundamentals of human existence, asits most expressed aloud, since the time of oral literature has passed; it read is quietly. And yet, the presumed, imagined, phantasmal, described and expressed with words, moreover, rarely bodies to for the duration of the play. In literature, it a more is abstract matter: the body is izing in the vibrations of voice and stage movement of the characters that actors lend their body?to the In theater studies, the problem of the body related is actor, to the material- Text v In Poland, the cultural background of the discussions on the matter always rests on the The relationship between the spiritual and the carnal side of humanityis a complicated Literature consists of texts, and texts consist of sentences and words. What ties them .Body but literature reveals eventhat which repressed is and denied. assigned the lower position and repressed one is of the unpleasant consequences of dualism, body must have burned with the flame of lust.Establishing a hierarchy where the bodyis yearning to set oneself free from the tension results in such a strong adverse declaration, the the body. How burning must be the desire, if an unremitting war to be is waged on it! If the sustains the dramatic tension of the metaphysical turn the is constant resistance posed by a declaration of interest in metaphysics, one could reverse such reading and posit that what one of the classical works of the Polish counter-reformation, read used to be primarily as that often subverses the previous order of understanding. Thus, Sęp-Szarzyński’s if sonnet, move beyond the dualism in an attempt to express the undivided entirety of man. life, our newer literature those views themes rather asa challenge to avoid stereotypes and the idea of one’s relation to the body of asa form conflict, are still present in Polishsocial of dualism and the hierarchy ascribing superiority to the sphere of the spiritual, aswell as sensual desires. Only death and salvation can put this end. Although to an the tradition tradictions in a tragic conflict between the spiritual longing forGod and the low sphere of man lives in of a state constant internal struggle. He can never find peace, torn by con- but also seeing in the senses the reason for our fall. As a result, according to Sęp-Szarzyński, the sensitivity to discriminatory practices and a rejection of systems. tions such asexperience, case study, affect, excess, and transgression. isThis signaled by a transition from the structural approaches, relying on textual terminology, toward no- criticism responds faster than other branches of humanities. Newer humanities witnessed the main field for that kind of deliberation, however, usuallyit turns out that that literary of historical criticism that turned to materiality. In fact, literary studies are not always Foucalt, feminism and gender, gay, queer and transgender studies, aswell asvaried types Theoretical impulses behind such readings are varied and include writingthe of Michel pretation that emerged from the encounter of poststructuralism and newer humanities. The notion “body”of is a common denominator forseveral different methods of inter Interpreting literary texts involves reading them suspiciously, reading that in a way Text v. Body Nasiłowska -

7 8 it contains no longer reflect on the problems of the post-1989 decade, havingwritten been in on similar issues and assuch, carries a similar title, to be printed. The presentselection includes essayswritten a little later, after 2001, but focuses the journal, which quickly entered university reading lists, and asa result a second edition had decided to publish i tekst Ciało [Body and Text], a collection based on materials published in positing their owntheoretical solutions. texts by Polish researchers of literary perspective phenomena, and written from a new Showalter or Toril Moi and Luce Irigaray. From thebeginning, very we have included also by Helene Cixous,Laugh The the of Medusa, from 1975,translations of essays by Elaine and the next one in 1995,containing, among others, my translation of the French manifest humanities, had to begin by importing content: we published the first feministissue in 1993 Teksty, attempting Drugie to promote certain themes, reading strategies and directions in woman ing role of women on the job market and new career models. At that time, the the conflicts surrounding matters such as taking away abortionrights from women,grow - treated initially asa Western fad on the one hand, and on the other, asan expression of was its pioneer. Feminist issues were absent from the public debate after 1989, and later [Second Texts], eventhough Pełnym [In Głosem Full Voice], fully devoted to feminist issues, Foucauldian inspirations aside, feminism claimed the body. and the critics have coined a disparaging term of “menstrual literature” to use against them. making the taboo practically non-functional. Young female writers wrote about adolescence, behaviors were written about. There came a wave of works on motherhood and pregnancy issues, required a careful reading. Gay novels began to be published, non-heteronormative ties stimulated the emergence of new issues while works of literature that introduced those appeared first in the Polish literary tradition after 1989: impulsesoriginating in humani- texts that openly or indirectly subvert the stereotypes. It difficult is which to say of these discourse and consistently repressed, negated and depreciated; on the other hand, literary repressions. A suspicious reading asks, whether the same happening is today. that the areas covered by fundamental notions evolve and the body subjected is to constant themes such aspleasure, family, woman, man, boy. The French longue durée has shown presentis in regulations, norms and guidelines, connections (or a lack between thereof) the History a story, is of of talking Sexuality about sexuality, talking about the ways that sex the ways of understanding and treating the body. Foucault’s last work, the unfinished The the depth of those relations, while focusing on the ways of portraying human identity and political importance, disclosing the connection between power and knowledge, aswell as in his approach, was the introduction of the notion of the body asa self-standing topic of form of demographic research, histories of disease, epidemics and famine. What was new it has been, for a long time now, the object of investigations performed by historians: in the sance prison) dela , Michel Foucault insisted that the theme of the body not is a new one, So widespreadSo was the interest in the feminist issues of Teksty that Drugie in 2001we The history of feminist reflection in the Polish academia is closely tied to Thus, on the one hand, we have textual research present revealing in the a theme In the 1975Discipline and Punish: The et punir.the of Birth Prison (Surveiller Nais- Texts andtheBody was in viewed positive terms, even though she was depicted grotesquely by writers. Tekst i ciało [Text and Body]. The essays Teksty Drugie business 2 1 who first published in our journal,wrote and published their books.own could speak of possible –this export time it Polish is diagnoses that are the focus of interest. a period when gender and gay studies were no longer a novelty. And, naturally, this time we must rather speak of feminisms (in the plural), gender thought has spawned several quite a necessary condition for this approach. experiencing one’s ownsexuality. Borkowska believes the disclosure of one’s gender to be turn, defined women’swriting using the “metaphor of yeast”: thatgrowth,is budding and writing by women as their physicality was an object of repression. Grażyna Borkowska, in Molly’s monologue in Joyce’s Ulysses and the writing of Jean Genet, it so not is necessarily through rhythm, pulsing intonation, emotionality. Cixous believes the way was paved by abstractwriting, asopposed ways to several of writing, does not ignore but reveals it Kristeva) outlined a program of writing that includes an account of physicality. Women’s (as well asother writings of the French poststructural criticism, by Luce Irigaray and Julia – its connection corporeality. to the The manifest of écriture féminine by Helene Cixous rather those that allow will to take further steps. reference points that would narrow down the notion of gender to a more precise term, but upcoming researchers representing a spectrum of disciplines, one no will longer seek those pedia, It seems, however, that with the publication of the Polish mutidisciplinary gender encyclo- formativity of patterns. For a time, Judith Butler’s work was a major source of inspiration. as it revealed the ambiguity and the process of shaping cultural patterns, or eventhe per adjective “cultural” [płeć kulturowa]. As a term, gender appeared highly promising, mostly “płeć” to denote both, while the English “gender” translated is descriptively by adding the language does not distinguish between and sex gender on the lexical level, using the word and basic academic term in humanities, transplanted in its English form, asthe Polish fighting discrimination. time, For a certain “gender”fulfilled the role of thekey notion mostly on women’s careers, the latter stress the importance of protecting motherhood and by strong differences between the liberal and the pro-social approach; liberal activists focus mostly for social movements and the attitude of engagement in the current debate marked the notion of feminism rarely is in used Poland in the context of literary criticism, reserved

A lot has changed from the day the first feministissues appeared. Firstly,several authors Among the reasons why “feminism” was abandoned was the asa label fact that one As a term, “gender” loses something that distinct was very about it in the early period Text v. Body Nasiłowska IBL: Warszawa, 2001. 65-76. 1995, reprinted in: Ciałoi tekst. Feminizm w literaturoznawstwie –antologia. szkiców G. Borkowska Teksty drożdży.“Metafora , Drugie ?” kobieca poezja Coto jestliteratura/ ZapolskiejGabrieli (1999). (1999),międzywojennego K. Kłosińska, (1996), E. Kraskowska, niewieścim. Piórem prozy Z problemów kobiecej dwudziestolecia Cudzoziemki. o polskiej Studia prozie kobiecej (1996); M. i duch Janion Kobiety inności Odojewskiego. (1994); feministyczna Włodzimierza w twórczości G. Borkowska, Próba 2000,after books thefollowing were ofbiggest importance: I. Iwasiów, Kresy listhere, a full It isimpossibleto include itwould betoolong. Among thosepublished Encyklopedia Gender,Encyklopedia prepared by the Institute of Literary Research and a team of 2 Ciało, pożądanie, ubranie. O wczesnych powieściach 1 Further, today, -

9 10 pioneered among priests by Jan Twardowski, an author popular very in Poland, however, literature, in its current incarnation, it an is entirely new phenomenon. Modern poetry was Despite the fact that literary writing by priests has a long tradition rooted in the old Polish for Polish literature, undoubtedly complex culture, way. tied to Catholic but in a very to us to be particularly interesting to the foreign reader: it a phenomenon is characteristic women’s writing after 1989. Wojciech Kudyba’s essay on writtenthe poetry by priestseems from comprehensive, but nonetheless interesting outline of the new phenomena emerging in Masłowska, Manuela Gretkowska, and my ownnovel, Księgapoczątku, provides a brief, far first circle of poetry closes. Białoszewski could be asa representative viewed of the post-war avant-garde. Thus, the Czesław Miłosz, younger considered by a generation, him a competitor. Meanwhile, of Polish poetry. Julian Przyboś was an important member of the inter-war avant-garde; the perspective of the body, and on two other poets of extreme significance for the history and Miron Białoszewski. In other words, essays on two Nobel winners, Prize from viewed we present essays on the poetry of Julian Przyboś, Wisława Szymborska, Czesław Miłosz, on several criteria –that of the discussed author was one of the more significant. And thus, the following volume. We selected what we believed to be the most interesting texts, relying field of research. works of literature and rediscovering old literature in this fashion became an interesting triarchal pattern, often has a second, much more complex layer. New readings of classical bisexuality was not a secret to her. What on the surface appears asa heteronormative, pa- a description of his fascination with a woman and unambiguous signals that her husband’s today we have at our disposal the diaries of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and his wife, containing socially imposed camouflage, absentfrom personal diaries, no longer obscures anything; of diaries and letters of the 20th century writers was another important contribution. The that no longer camouflage, use including the novels by Michał Witkowski. The publication development of literature contributed to such state of affairs,several books were published pear; right now one can hardly imagine literary studies without this reading strategy. The interpretations related to the lives of writers. Gradually, more detailed work began to ap- anti-biographism (that of is, focusing solely on the text) by introducing information and his reading, similarly to several feminist and gender readings, undermined the principle of exists terminology allowing to speak evenabout that which “inexpressible.” is Furthermore, a narrow subject, one not to be discussed, and, in fact, shameful. He has shown that there work from the 90schanged a long-standing belief that in Polish literature, homosexuality is of codes understood only by the insiders and the inexpressibility of the desire itself. Ritz’s of presence of homosexual themes in Polish literature: camouflage, sublimation, presence author of several essays and a book on Iwaszkiewicz’s studies. Ritz described the mechanisms area of Polish literary studies represented by a single, lone pioneer –German Ritz, a Swiss to a variety of programmatic attitudes, and ultimately dissolves in transgender approaches. differing approaches, descriptive ranging treatmentfrom a very of the literary material German Ritz’s essay presents a theoretical perspective; those on the prose of Dorota Text not is and asmuch Body the theme, asit a keyword is for the essays contained in Also, the history of gay studies in Poland tied is to Texts andtheBody Teksty. It Drugie was, initially, an will continuewill to develop. tentatively. The body cannot be ignored, superseded or negated and thus,somatic criticism great influence on the body has a centuries-long tradition in our country. and proves, by referencing examples from old Polish literature, that the question of the text’s the past centuries. Dariusz Śnieżko explores further the theme of physical effects of reading issue rarely explored far, so and by many historians believed to be non-existent in Poland in Polish literature, discusses them at length. His innovative essay gap fills a huge – is it an of the era. Piotr Oczko, despite his declared unwillingness gay to discuss presences in old also to the growing wave of fascism, in other words, to the fundamental political problems literature connects the cult of beauty of the masculine body not only to homosexuality, but the historical background: Wojciech Śmieja’s essay on the presence of sport in interwar obvious in case of this particular group of poets. We have also included texts discussing the freedom to express opinions on controversial matters should not be taken assomething The present volume stage summarizesof analyses, a certain but does somewhatit Text v. Body Nasiłowska Translation: Anna Warso Anna Na siłowska

11 12 months before his death. in spiritual:the my are poems psychosomatic” confessed – Przyboś to Brzękowski a few bez daty Without [Diary Date] he says: 3 2 1 divides into perception and proprioception: expressesPrzyboś his “accord with outside the world” through that activities psychology The Forest]) “For a long now, time for many years (perhaps evensince W głąb lasu [IntoDepth The Of

imprecisely as accord described –can with outside the be world. against in thatwords difficult is which to put so whichbut most generally – and thus most movements of body, the of pace steps, the pauses and accelerations of gait. And, above all, or ina forest, or a park. swell with oxygen among a stroll, as my inan fields, the does open space, heart I take when through process the of composition, not sit through, and I walk my poems I do at a desk. bestThe among poems…weremy notsomething pondered on written sittingor I was while Motive ImpulseinthePoetry ofJulianPrzyboś “My Poems arePsychosomatic”: piński Zdzisław Ła Przyboś, 138 recto. Collection]A.[Brzękowski’s Letters Literatim, Muzeum Mickiewicz inv. 2192, vol. 13, A letter to J. from 21May 1970, Brzękowski Korespondencja J. Brzękowskiego be thuspresented to thereader inPolish, followed by a working translation. (AW) Most ofPrzyboś’ to English; hasnotbeentranslated volume andpoemtitleswill poetry Composing my verse its peripatetically, rhythm and sound against breath, the I check 1 my sustained writing has been by my inasmuch living, sense carnal inthe as [Diary Without Date], Without [Diary bezdaty Zapiski Warszawa: 1970. 177-178. 2 Zapiski It of. In something was also he Zapiski never made a secret 3

13 14 of movement and for beat?” heart the with its dimensions, altitudes those and velocities imperceptible for physicalthe sense On otherthe hand, space flightscause doubts: “how is one to experiencewith one’sbody, its own weight) that ignored from they calls ground, the prolonging state the of orbiting.” in heavenly abyss. Some of liberated felt them truly space(liberated inthis good from so hand, it is tempting: “I envy astronauts the ‘orbited,’ who from freed gravity, immersed must felt be physically –hence his ambivalent attitude toward spacetravel. one On the over of matter,victory inertia the an overcoming of force the of gravity. It is a victory that than a natural way of world, inthe being it is almost a manifestation, a sign of pride inthe opposites. usually stands Przyboś upright, It evenerect, inhis poems. is for himmore literature, one would to place need Julian and Przyboś Miron apart Białoszewski as polar proprioception, despite that fact the already in1927an anonymous that reviewer observed offocus attention. critical The critics were, however, far less interested theof in aspect questions of of perception perception, visual especially inPrzyboś, have long the been ofhistory theorists, ideas and writers). It is, therefore, not surprising least inthe that the culture (which inlastthe drewcommentaries few critical decades from philosophers, for as base the cognitivehas models and served standards of rationality Western inthe as such, an since ancient of object the inquiry It times. of sense the sight was also was that Unlike of sense the sight, richest the of our interms senses of provided information, and, 6 5 4 of their speakers, but if such a taxonomy was to be introduced to 20 of speakers,but their was ifsuch to be a taxonomy

I am notI am aware of any classificationthat poets posturethe based of upon be would 2 . life…He left mechanics engineers.to the operating machine the is far more interesting and he felt its pulse, rate is which heart the of that his predecessorssame kind of drewpoetry from nature…Przyboś that realized that hand fromscaring us. He pavements, thought poetry he could rooftops extract and machines,the chatter didnot the echoed Przyboś know man. Hisand racket poetry of machines. He was worldthe of Olympic athletes, latter,the worldthe of machine operators…Two years ago Wierzyński and sing of Przyboś muscle and inspiration the it provides. The former into looks hidden from our and personal collective consciousness. to our independence and movement through world the that it has for most the remained part prioception, nearly was first 200 described years ago. within so deep us It so integralis and that fact the possibly of our position most the all senses, and crucial movement or sense pro - Today, as ever, of we only talk fivevision,senses: hearing, touch,taste, and smell. This despite Texts andtheBody ,. bezdaty Przyboś Zapiski 172 and198. Anon. “Z nowych poezji.” Poetry] [OnLatest MyślNarodowa. 1927 Vol. 2. 56. The BodyAnd The Self. Cambridge, MA: 1998. 245. Position and Movement:Subjects.” withDeafferented Studies Bermudez, L. et. al. (eds) Cole, J. Paillard, J. without “Living Touch andPeripheral aboutBody Information 6 5

4

th centuryPolish that I ran!” nothe does want to control reality, he wants to yield to it. Przyboś, the world the Przyboś, is a place where crosses one andhorizon. walking, the walks while wondering were, ifthey perhaps, “a result of boredom or abulia?” artistic onethe lying included down. dismisses poems the inBiałoszewski’s Przyboś Było i było in a life of uninterrupted happiness and of part best the his work. sand a stimulant miles, that replaced alcohol and other physiological stimuli, resulting estimates Quincey De that inhis life, he must have distance the walked of 175-180 thou- but he wandered, while peripatetically, traversing up to 30 of miles flatday: per terrain that preceded and accompanied creative activity. Wordsworth created not at his desk work of English Romantics is impressive inthat regard, physical the especially effort 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 [In Splügen Alps] that justice does to the “sense of height and climber’s the effort.” summit.” contrasts Przyboś “W Szwajcarii” with Mickiewicz’s “Na Alpach w Splügen” mountainsthe is transformed into inhis poem a swan-like an glide, angelic flight to the “W Szwajcarii” gait.at poetic “Onetheir not does thefind experience of a tourist or a hiker in Słowacki’s English wanderers. did have They their share of brilliant exploits (for instance, in1818 the fearthe of a being that isenergetic. too the “breathtakingthe anthropocentrism” form surroundings. the The temptation nature, to conquer typical of our civilization, worldthe to his energy, one irresistible so that one gesture, one glance suffices to trans- of his body, programmatic for Białoszewski. and at samethe time, as if a project for a new genre,literary resulting from positionthe

In Przyboś, the erect body isIn an erectthe body indicator Przyboś, of “I existed mobility: high only to the degree And he when wants to test of truthfulness the his great predecessors, looks Przyboś One must regrettably admit that Polish Romantic were poets no match for the Any vigorous suspicious action seems to the one lying ofdown: speaks Białoszewski Białoszewski, on other the hand, praises lying down. “Lying down” is a title of a poem, “MyPoems arePsychosomatic”… Łapiński Skręt, R. (ed.)Kraków: 1984. 203. Przyboś, J. “Znowu narodzinnych polach.” Pismazebrane works] [Collected Vol. 1. Shore: in NatureandCulture WesternAncient from Times the18 to the Endof Thought and instructive, of ideas, historian by anAmerican C. J. Glacken. Traces ontheRhodian expressiona forgottenstory, back thisparticular to bring I am recalling bothcharming Kraków: 2001. wybrane (Prace , Vol. 5)251-262. also:See Stawiński, J. poezji. .” Przypadki należąco “Miron Białoszewski: epigramaty Berkeley,CA:Century. 1973. 494. Thornburn, D. and Hartman, G. (eds.)Ithaca, NY: 1973. 180. Shattuck, R. MustBe Place:“This The From Wordsworth to Proust.” Romanticism. Przyboś, J. krainie” “W błękitu Liniai gwar. Vol. 1. Kraków: 1959, 294. Przyboś,J. “Z powodu Białoszewski, H.M. Rozkurz,Warszawa. 1980. 117. Przyboś, J. pojętą.” gwiezdnie “Ziemią Pisma… 221. 9 But it is or an impededrun, rather, an eagerness to run, an impatient pace. For [In Switzerland] –a walk that involves climbing, panting and sweating in Było i było Mirona Białoszewskiego.” Poezja. 1996, Vol. 2. 98. 8 is something that to overcome: tries Białoszewski 11 Meanwhile, one the that down looks walks on 7 Przyboś focuses completely focuses Przyboś on submitting 14

12

th

13 The The 10

15 16 would find perhaps,it, the in following description. form for Should with walking. we Przyboś’ search for wanderer, a perfect a poem we – 3,843m.),but lacked perseverance. they It to make took Przyboś up for neglect. this Mountin the Blanc massif Antoni Malczewski reached summit the of du Aiguille Midi 18 17 16 15 poems, perhaps, that he would able be to, just as “bare-footed the shepherd” geese inone of his and until from last the verse. that He moment thought, on, to walk, he never ceased expressed only through language.” to gestures, expression, facial expressing with one’s wholethat self days these which is returnedhis speech to the source of word, the to the gestic genesis of human language: “Odrodzenie”the weekly, “Reading Breza’s observes: Przybosz feel as if prose, I often laudatory for speech writer the Tadeusz Breza, awarded for his achievement literary by attention to the relationship of words and gestures inhis essays and prose as well. In his shade of gesture, expression or intonation information carries precisely of because its where tradition is well established of and conduct rules clearly outlined, where each language. He is open, first exchanged signals and foremost, in an environment to the to trace inBreza return the to that is which primal –inhuman psyche, inbehavior and of Breza’s writing, emphasizing instead. something It secondary challenging is truly and non-verbal communication. Interestingly, overlooks the poet the most striking aspect help of rich,ifsomewhat chaotic, knowledge resulting from research the of para-verbal helpthe of sound” oldest stratum and of “belong language.”to the nant role of itselements deictic are which nothing than else “gestures indicating with gesture due in grammaticalto thethe domi structureinscribed hasof- been his poetry exceedingly common inPrzyboś’ work but it is meaningful. always Even very more so,

The poet histook firstpoet decisiveThe third the steps volume, Sponad Przyboś pointsPrzyboś to those features of Breza’s prose analyzed can which be today with the The latter and walks poet Thesametheperforms is motif at time not a gesture. 3 are on. focused in a clairvoyant gesture of hope and motioning to follow himtowards a destination his eyes column, presented Mickiewicz, as a pilgrim, is on his way, fierce and inspired, raising his hand One of Parisian squares hosts most the beautifulmonument of At our poet. top the of a high Texts andtheBody Przyboś, J. Odrodzenie. 1946, Vol. 3. 2. Głowiński, M. andOkopień-Sławińska, A. (eds.) Wrocław: 1978. 297-307. w wierszu. i literaturea. Przybosia.” O składnikach deiktycznych w liryce Przestrzeń Językoznawczego. 1971 Vol. 28. 11. also: See Łapiński, Z. na ziemi i miejsce “Miejsce Kurylowicz, J. Podstawowe morfologiczne. kategorie Polskiego Towarzystwa Biuletyn Przyboś,J. “Mickiewicz.” Przyboś, J. July]. zebrane. Pisma “Lipiec” Vol. [ 1. 114. 15 conjure (or anything a brook with else) he running; could conjure certainly 16

Linia i gwar. Vol. 1. Kraków: 1959: 269-270. 18 [From Above] (1930) 17 Przyboś devoted Przyboś 19 remembers movement the of muscles. remembers its physiology, his psyche remembers body, the and movement the of thought from his ancestor, not he does give up archaic the strata of personality. His spirituality actionscal give actions. place to mental But he transformed man not does break away eyes,”the although only imagination.” the “in longer physical, but mental energy. Thelanguage is still “entirely outside, destined for simplestthe image” hero the “enormous uses still amounts of energy,” however, it is no entire work. “Inarticulate cries” turn into onomatopoeic dissonances. “In order to conjure itwhereas flesh, inthe cultured the manpoem’sthe is maker, creator the a hidden of simplyThey their divide roles. Theprimitive poem’sbecomes man the hero, present in However, inPrzyboś’s poetry, “cultured the man” not does repress “primitive the man.” “source of word.” the ofmemory “gestic the genesis of human language,” inother words, universal, biological feels among best nature and spontaneity. seeks At origin of the his poetry, there liesthe wants sophisticated to present communicative processes. on other Przyboś, the hand, conventionality. context, Breza social isinthe immersed investigates convention and signed to thesigned muscular motives was his contribution personal to the tradition. His poems Poland, and later expressionist inthe movement, and importance the that as- Przyboś and processes of nature. states the experiencing by experienced others and analogy, even,by further states the hereuses notion the of “empathy,” inother words, identification. Empathy involves co- closelythe watched with. Psychology events external that we are inclined to identify agitation, to the linked semi-conscious pattern of future result can activities, also from

To sum up, mobility external is replaced by internal inother mobility: words, physi - He returns same motif to theinhis analysis very of Mickiewicz’s “Farys”: Empathy triumphed Romantic inthe era.It made a comeback of Young period inthe We usually put muscles something. inmotion But we when muscular want to do 4 movements of internal feelings, images and ideas. towards inside the of man. Cultured, strong man endows words with power the of evoking weight, it not does point to the things outside but evokes them in the imagination, it is directed of cultured the man economical, became word the –a small movement of tongue the –gained simplest image. Primitive language was directed entirely outside, for destined eyes.Speech the and gestured a lot, consuming enormous amounts of physical inorder energy to conjure the accompanying gesture and movement –received its meaning and power. Primitive man cried humanwhen word isthe began, this when speech old, –compared inarticulate cries to the body. Later, expression was economically reduced of to movement tongue the –and is this say They that primitive man expressed himselfwith gesture and movements the entireof “MyPoems arePsychosomatic”… Łapiński Warszawa: 1950. 179-180. Przyboś, J. “Słaby i mocny wiersz.” [Strongandweak poem]Czytając Mickiewicza. 19

17 18 essays, Przyboś returned to what he called a “motor-auditory he called essays, returned ovary,” Przyboś to what describing it as: already worn out metaphor, on takes concrete shape here and is almost literal. In his for a physical extension poet the of his substance. Its “organic” character, a distant and ence of poems’ the but speaker retain also direct connection to the creative initself. act liberates one from that effort. Thus, emphatic imagesa recurrent not- only experi are charcoalthe burner is a muscular equivalent effort, ofas well poetic as the eventan that The quotedpassage composition aboutpoetic comesfrom where the a verse effort of something for me. As following inthe passage: my internal actionsparallels find outside of me, thatand someone can else experience of interchangeabilityand and object, a sense of that motor sense sensations, a certain include identificationwiththe environment, conviction of isomorphism the of subject 22 21 20 vocal cordsvocal and tongue. the is a solidified productpoem the actionsof system thatthe – of articulatory is, of lungs, not born of only poem, the eye and inthe but heart, the throat. inthe also A printed organism,their find expression – also or,perhaps, first and foremost the –in sounds listeners discovered that human the is always body matrix the of poem.” the on was nonetheless listeners. the Przyboś able his “The own of to impart truth poetry tions. Reciting he challengedhis poems, his voice to a fight.” Failinggrotesquely times, at inherent vigor, muscularity.” “He rebelled against physiological imperfections and limita- and recorded reading the of his own for poems radio. the was a juror popular of several recitation competitions, participated inpublic readings, lamented contemporary the outside practiceof pushing spotlight. the He spoken poetry not does find that full believed realizationits a poem Przyboś until it is recited, and he futureexhibited sensitivity fate high to the of his works life. literary and further their reader is assignedrole the ofspectator a mute of psychosomatic events. But, poet the internal biography of hero lyrical the inasmuch as currentthe situation around him. The edge of consciousness, very the contents that world in the result of poem the from the

In one of ofhe “infant-verse.” speaks poems the motion and creativesensations, effortThus,bodily the tied of to the in Przyboś, One of participated critics who the events inthose noted that Przyboś’ voice “lacked Przyboś’s effort artistic aimed mainly to capturethe contents whatof is located on 5 Texts andtheBody Przyboś, J. “Jaskółka” Pismazebrane. [Swallow] Vol. 1. 224. Gronczewski, A. “Podwieczorek z torturami.” MiesięcznikLiteracki. 1988No. 23, 69-71. Przyboś, J. poematu.”“Ciężar weight ofthepoem]Pisma… [The 253. breathed out. breathed straightened up bent forward a burdened charcoal burner, throwing offsackthe for me 20 22 A work that is composed being is 21 v poeziiv his attention to the “semantic gesture,” Jan Mukarovsky gave a lecture on motorické dění writings, until issue the was overshadowed by In structuralism. 1927,before he devoted data. Aestheticiansprocess of reception speech diligently –to acoustic studied those 25 24 23 ates over course the years. of several In its 1985 formulation, it is explained as follows: – I wish to outline briefly just one them, createdof Libermann Alvinby - and his associ competingguistics. Several theories of “motor of perception” speech theory came to life After a fewthe abandoned decades, element thelaboratories in resurfaced of psycholin- to capture an unexpressed phenomenon.” ofsense hearing and muscular-motive the attempts poet place the when taking sense, “a directional tension of gift the towardsof speech twosenses of expression: towardsthe 20 features of language. the One should note, perhaps, that first inthe three the decades of fails justice to give ences inPrzyboś to how deeply his intuition reached into basic the to the receiver. quantuma certain transmitted to be needs of energy verbal physically from author the of his works, his readings of (despite them that discouraging results), reveals a belief its surroundings. Finally, poet’s the persistent concern for possibly the realization fullest ofidea principle the of empathy allows for a motive symbiosis subject the and between nature. The motif of gesturepoints motor to the origins thelanguage, of and Przyboś’s that man –and incarnation: his most perfect an artist –is a creature that is motive by separateseemingly elements.theme The of a wanderer is a personalization the idea of

th century, linguists wrote a lot as superior about experiences – inthe articulatory the character. to its qualitative phonic makeup, and as basis for the rhythm, has, which of course, a motive intonation, acoustical the needs which extension of word the but is indifferent more role auxiliary external of of meaning, a token being or, finally,basisthe for serving of role auxiliary the of eliciting generative the even movements or to the corresponding to it, more important than what is heard. What is heard is reduced almost to during one›s own reading, only or as experienced a possible movement –is incommensurably although ithold takes of also whole the organism movement, – this either realized actually ment that generates acoustical sound, and isorgans, most active articulatory inthe bareThe accoustical side the of word has a relatively minorpoetry. significance in The move- But my attempt at capturing and commenting on of function the motor- experi From “motive”the Przyboś’s perspective, between work a connection discloses 6 “MyPoems arePsychosomatic”… Łapiński and Answerability: Philosophical Early Essay s. Austin, TX: 1990. 313. Bakhtin, M. Problem ofContent:“The and Material inForm CreativeVerbal Art.” Art See: Mukarowsky, J. děnívpoezii.”“O motorické Prague: 1985. Przyboś, J. kwiatem.”“Nowość potrząsa Czytając. Mickiewicza 27. , 24 and Mihailpoignantly Bakhtin observed: 25 23

19 20 28 27 26 programmatic metaphor: future inthe easier to understand that captured Przyboś everything and describe inhis One may onlyof emergence the assume that of be similarit as theories, a result will (although erroneous) that belief a motor reception requires of poem acoustic sensations. spective, insistencethe aloud presents to read itself poetry as a result of a characteristic almost organically binding and sender the receiver the In of per new the poem. the empathy, active only presented inthe far so to be believed world, becomes a principle only note how concurrent it is took with directionintuitively. the Przyboś For instance, refrain from summarizing arguments infavorI shall of referenced the theory, I will The following claim is of similar importance:

grounds, be expected to have.grounds, expected be translation from) auditory the appearances that sounds the might, on purely psychoacoustic automatically, listeners perceive phonetic and to let structures so without mediation by (or motor is directly concerned, is to make theory conversion the from acoustic to gesture signal language. The adaptivefunction perceptual the of side thewhichwiththis side of mode, sible for also production the of phonetic structures, and of part larger the specialization for mode, different inimportant ina specialized occurs waysfrom the auditory mode, respon- only epigenetic development it into play. to bring claim, Onthis perception of gestures the Rather, speak. is what they dowhen they is innately link the to speech specified, requiring argue, is not association, a learned a result of that fact the what listen people hear they when production share of same the set invariants, must they intimately be linked. This link, we perceptionthe first:of speech if speech and secondThe is a corollary claim theory the of such. To perceive an utterance, is then, to perceivepattern a specific of intended gestures. as “labial,” “stop,” “nasal,” but features these are attributes of gestural the events, not events as Phonologically, of course, gestures the themselves must as groups viewed be of features, such of a labial stop gesture and [m]of that same gesture combined with a velum-lowering gesture. Phonetic segments are simply groups of one or more of elementary events; these thus [b]consists phonetic categories. They areeventsthe elementary of productionspeech perception.and for example, “tongue backing,” “lip rounding,” and “jaw raising” –that provide basis for the These gestural commands arethe physical underlyingreality traditionalthe phonetic notions- forcall movements of articulatorsthe through linguistically certain significant configurations. phonetic gestures of speaker, the represented brain inthe as invariant motor commands that The firstclaim the of motor theory… that is perception the speech ofobjects the are intended Texts andtheBody

Przyboś, J. o manifest.” “Więcej Pismazebrane. Vol. 2Skręt, R. (ed.)Kraków: 1994. 171. Przyboś, J. o manifest.” “Więcej Pismazebrane. Vol. 2Skręt, R. (ed.)Kraków: 1994. 171. .”Revised Cognition 21, 1985. 2-3. Libermann, A. M. andMattingly, I. G. Speech Motor of Perception“The Theory of signifying tongueof signifying onto cords vocal the and onto drive the transmitting motions the and labors of my body 28 27 Translation: Anna Warso 26 - expression and that clear expressions are not entirely true.” that definitions,paradoxically, do act not of the forneed meet every in clarity inscribed are…helpless against phenomenon the of female literature/poetry, as we are convinced literature and what femininity inliterature is or should Borkowska be. that believes “we stake, as it is not entirely clear how one exactly expresses femininity language inthe of femininitytheir language inthe of literature. And precisely this is core the of issue the at ture author the whether is or male female, what matters is rather how can express they of women’s writing. Thereseems to grow a convictionthat notit does matter for litera- 3 2 1 nothing about is of fact this consequence to poetry,” “Women make up about of half world’s the billion several inhabitants, domen, and so to the stereotypesto the and formulas created by men for women. Feminist criticism, on the within world male the (or order an almost complete) meant a complete submission as well as different the ways of defining femininity. For instance, femininity defined here evenmore is, infact, seriousas it concerns concept the of “femininity” ingeneral, determine shape the of work,” excellent of Wisława essay on poetry the Szymborska (among others.) “Gender not does

An Attemptata Post-feminist Reflection Female Perspective inSzymborska’sPoetry: Bożena Karwowska Ibid. 1995. Vol. 3/4. 38 Borkowska, G. drożdży.“Metafora kobieca.” /poezja Coto jestliteratura Teksty Drugie, Warszawa: 1996. 17. postaci polskiej współczesnej. literatury Kontynuacje. Brodzka, A. andBurska, L., eds. Baranowska, M. –two polesoftheeveryday.” i Świrszczyńska “Szymborska Sporne 2 observes Grażyna Borkowska observes discussing characteristics the 1 says Małgorzata Baranowska in an 3 The problem we are facing

21 22 dealing withdealing female literature/poetry” –Borkowska example didnot a single use from emphasized, wherever and connectionthe body the textthe between is revealed, we are literature/poetry –having assumed that “wherever gender the subject of is speaking the about it it. or It even describe is thus no coincidence that in her attempt to define female ture and unfit criticism literary in seem work,reference unablemuch to her to reveal poetry while Szymborska while herself has not attracted interestpoetry particular of feminists. the ing general the phenomenon of women’s writing, find little application to Szymborska’s order. Interestingly, opinions presented above, despite extreme their regard poignancy - of stereotypical images of women and femininity, created of as part symbolic male the female voice, dominated by imagination, male the had to work its way through world the terminological frame.terminological Thus, for instance, Cynthia Griffin Wolff, notes thatin literature: the Polish language significant. is also subjectsthe of feministthat analysis.two fact these Theare very not distinguished in or values culturally (feminine) their relationship determined while remains one of nity” includes, two terms: infact, biological affiliationa set of (female) and properties its meanings to itsown It needs. not does help also that what is referred “femini to as ­ other hand, attempts to tackle popular the (patriarchal) of uses category this and adjust 8 7 6 5 4 work by models the created by men. Ritz German that fact dominated women have intheir is allowed due themselves also to the to be Wolffbelievesthat a sufficiently non-stereotypical female literature is yet to emerge which Several feminist categoriesSeveral nor attacks world male the order, inother words, Szymborska’s is not feminist poetry. may neither result on problems focuses the from that fact the her poetry of women,

Clearly, problems the with concept the (or, perhaps, with concepts) the exceed That Szymborska’s “femininity”largely the escaped attention of feminist criticism literature …as conveniences to the resolutions of dilemmas. masculine of needs the fundamentally problems…Womenare…tailored masculine to meet appear in definitionsthe of women’s seriousmost problems theand solutionsproposed to these problems Texts andtheBody eds., Warszawa:2000). feministyczna. Siostra teorii i historii(Krytyka literatury. Borkowska, G. andSikorska, L., ina recent(in thefootnote) book onasa research feminism method andperspective. PolishIt isastoundingthenameofonly Nobel female poetappeared Prize justonce aspects. andSzymborska’s new criticism both feminist have to include developed poetry my essay. Oneshouldbearinmind, though, thatinthe12years from itspublication Borkowska’s –Grażyna poetry ex-centryczna” “Szymborska in –thatI refer to further ofSzymborska’s inananalysis onecategories attemptto usefeminist only recall I can Ritz, G. płciw ujęciuporównawczym.” “Dyskurs Teksty Drugie,1999. Vol. 5. 117-123. Issue. Edwards et. al., eds. Boston: 1972. 207, 208and217. Griffin-Wolff, “Mirror forMen:C. Stereotypes of WomeninLiterature.” Woman: An 1997. 1-15. andthePoliticsGender Literary Criticism. of Betsey, C. andMoore, J., eds., Blackwel: Betsey, C., Moore, J. “Introduction:So Far.”Story The The Feminist Reader: Essaysin 8 – especially those that those emphasize –especially of litera aspects political - 5 believes that believes inPolish poetry, the 4 6 7

of poetry,” discussing a stranger Szymborska.also is poet] “[The to theRomantic powerthebelief in important for her poetry. by same the tradition. Borkowska astutely that observes tress, nor with patriotic the maternal figure, norwith any other role assigned to women same persona time, has her nothing poetic in common with a platonic (or demonic) mis- patriarchalthe world, refusing to accept established the of model a Romantic At poet. the a poet, a role almost exclusively for reserved men; she not does fitthe in existing order of notdoes stand for anything that Polish the tradition literary associates with role the of 13 12 11 10 9 world],the in other words, place the for humanthe andmale both being, female, is no to come from seems for a future where time woman’s the struggle the poetry place [in present, eventhough it is formed within discursive their frame. “Sometimes Szymborska’s Szymborska’s not does enter discussion a direct with tradition, the poetry nor with the dimensions,several hierarchies their while are culturally determined. In other words, Szymborska didnot that and see male the female roles areprecisely defined very and in deliberations over what was once referredintimate to as matters. It almost as seems if shows, targeted, afterall, mainly the at female recipient, and creating a culture of public notdoes accept it either. It approach a similar takes novelties to cultural –such as talk its existence.cause It it not seems to notice over passes it. It not does it reject but it a challenge to feminist criticism, even though it is a realization of of its several postulates. of female spaceand value inliterature and culture. As such, Szymborska’s poses poetry tion that go beyond will categories the and formulas aiming to fight forthe recognition While entirely and undeniably feminine, Szymborska’s voice demands poetic a descrip - Szymborska’s poetry. [of nouns such as “bard” or “poet” inPolish notdoes give lessons, she was not chosen by gods the etcetera. My form masculine use notshe does claim to know more nor understand more than her readers and therefore ment strategies.” strategies” her to conclude led that “as a result, Szymborska feminist the rejected replace -

These These are notthe categoriesonly descriptionthat poetic whenof the critics rejected Szymborska’s not does fightthe existing tradition poetry of be- gender discourse feminist, exhausts her richness. oftices deconstruction and feminism, however, no formula –neither deconstructivist, nor by imposed thinking “patriarchal” the order. In Szymborska sense, this approaches prac the - Szymborska’s proposal is astounding. poetic It is a consistent criticism of universalist, abstract Female Perspective inSzymborska’sPoetry… Karwowska Borkowska, G. drożdży…”“Metafora Ibidem 58. Ibidem poetto “poetka.”a female [AW] Polish are nouns andverbs gendered, asa result to “poeta” a malepoettranslates whereas 46. Ibidem Borkowska, G. ex-centryczna.” “Szymborska Teksty Drugie, 1991. Vol. 4. 58. 11 notes Borkowska. To clarify, Szymborska’s is not a bard, nor a patriotic poet, 10 At same the that time, fact the Szymborska is a woman, is decidedly 9 Borkowska’s attempt feminist the to use category of “therapeutic 13 12 ] is intentional –Szymborska simply

23 24 but transform can also into a norm, as for Onion” instance in“The from A Large Number: through obvious,the by distinguishing from “other.”the emphasizes Otherness differences along lines the of and sex gender. In humanity fact, inSzymborska’s is defined poetry man, it is, first and foremost, a humanbeingthat not does yield to the divisionrunning antagonizing deconstruction of stereotypes the that tradition. male the daily glorify instead it is a non- associated neither with something inferior nor with a struggle; for centuries have to be believed domain the been of women is, inSzymborska’s poetry, order, looking at worldthe through categoriesthe of domesticthe and privatethe that Szymborska’s femininity. constructing hierarchies As a result, that ignore existing the dichotomous discourse of patriarchal is one of society most the interesting features of longer notes Małgorzata necessary” Baranowska. 16 15 14 our convenience of and mind. peace The differences be can (natural) biological artificial,created also but by men, often for great men paintings inthe typical product of culture and ordinary, the living man, as in“Wrong Number” where notionThe very of “people” is dichotomous –includingthat theand other,the stereo- as metaphysical? tion is to Kristeva’s closer rejection of dichotomy the of and masculine the feminine the

Szymborska’s persona is not poetic determined by juxtapositionthe of woman against Texts andtheBody further indicated as[M, indicated further page number](AW) Trans. andClare CavanaghHoughton Barańczak MifflinHarcourt: Stanisław 2007 as[NCP, indicated further page number. from a Dog. Monologue of Quotations 1957-1997. Trans. andClareBooks: Cavanagh.Mariner Barańczak Stanisław 1998, Further quotations from Szymborska’s poems basedon Poems: NewandCollected Criticism. Belsey, C. andMoore, J. Blackwell: 1997. 201-217. Kristeva,J. “Women’s Time.” Baranowska, M. i Świrszczyńśka…” 8. “Szymborska fills this devout fills onionist nothing but pure onionhood its innards don’t exist onion,the now that’s something else more aren’t deceased, they shallowly: they’re dead. To preserve of our mind, peace animals die though he’s got wrong the number? He lives, he errs. so refuses to give up, put receiver the down, And ifsome man silly from calling town … fuss as simply nocturnal view they rude Above it inscarlet robes all, or nude 15 The creation of a model that Thecannot creation categorizedbe of a model the existingby Feminist Reader:andthe Politics EssaysinGender Literary of 16 (NCP 166) (NCP 113) 14 Perhaps, Szymborska’s then, - posi here), aware of its past lives eventhough –as she says in“Speech AtLost The and Found”: feminine (the [of “person” or a being a person and “being” inPolish] is rather telling 17 implicit but clearly implied, very boldlyfeminist and yet obvious seemingly description that provides and best the most the complete explanation of and history humanity. This key notionsthe inSzymborska –and not deliberate,knowable scientifically processes but(male) of because what is hysterical (female.) It is coincidence –by way, the one of man not of because what great is masculine, and heroic; not of because what is rational our hand, or our shrugging shoulders. In other words, we have become and remain hu- actions such as jumping out of our skin,losing our minds, turning a blind eye, waving tions that are colloquial, figurative(in the typicalsense) of women ratherthan men, thatto suggest we owe process the of evolution and gradually becoming human- to ac The divisiontakes place elsewhere.Although not explicitly, Szymborska’s seem poems of “only himwho speaks cally just whittled with his handa rocket né fin/a flint, ship.” female gender –describing human the in“No being End OfFun” Szymborska ironi- There is no difference sexesabove of pastthe – forms of verbs indicate male both and male Always and above human, all an individual Szymborska’s being, is almost speaker never separateness and individuality. Szymborska emphasizes in“Among The Multitudes” but a single human “of being its temporarily human kind.” What matters here is precisely a woman, contraryone to what from of might logic the patriarchal expect dichotomy, that he created are just but one categories. of type several What lies at center the is not centerin the of world the inSzymborska’s poetry, but as “other” the and categories the same degree that anyto the “other” –that is man. And indeed,man is not positioned cies, disregarding (cultural) the differences of gender. Szymborska’s female “I” is human atLooking man the from a distance enhances (biological) the homogeneity of- his spe

Female Perspective inSzymborska’sPoetry… Karwowska Widok z ziarnkiem piasku (1996). z ziarnkiem selection Widok the masculinesingular forms. thepoemin herexhaustive did notinclude Szymborska szpitala” thinkof oneze poem(“Relacja I can from Sto pociech uses ) where Szymborska 17 , although it –and can be quite often is – female. In its non-gendered form it is who’s got my coat, fur who’s living inmy shell I’m not evensure where exactly I left my claws, Someone from an anthill, shoal, or buzzing swarm much less separate. I could have someone been but I can’t complain I didn’t get a choice either wedeparting, supposed, from a stage less tragic leaveThey behind, we’d less like to think, feeling and less world, (NCP 127) (NCP 267) (“Seen From Above” NCP 151)

25 26 in the “center.”in the out to provide a perspective more interesting than symbolic the positioning of man the tion, from places assigned symbolically to women. And, perhaps paradoxically, it turns In other words, it is a voicecoming from places marginalized by patriarchal the - tradi of Szymborska’s poetry. us return Let again to Grażyna Borkowska: of world the from of seen perspective the female, “domestic” wisdom is characteristic 19 18 [człowiek] but individual. reveals male a seemingly her imagery also ironicallyspeaks of humans ingeneral, not only she noun male the does use form “man” Irony inSzymborska’s is directed at poems men to such a degree, that poet whenever the a result, female inSzymborska’s the speaker work refers to men ironically. negates –or at least questions hierarchical –the element of pairings the inquestion. As superiority. Thus, shenot does negate her place the or juxtaposition of metaphors, she symbolic order, nor she want does to swap places with man, the of idea the rejecting his Szymborska’s woman not does feel inferiority resulting from adoption the of male the

Asking question the “Where Hélène is she?” Cixous invokes oppositions: several the greatthe of world, book the of act a play, sixth the a reverse of a painting. from a dream and from waters. deep Szymborska’s is a modest on gloss margins the poetry of from corner the of a room, from from scenes, the behind a museum showcase, gutters of a city, location voice. of speaking the It amazes and astounds as it comes places from – unexpected The originality of Szymborska’spoetry, at least at firstglance, isdetermined specific the by Texts andtheBody 1997. 91. andthePoliticsin Gender Literary Criticism. of Belsey, C. andMoore, J., eds., Blackwell: Cixous, H. Attack/Ways andOut: “‘Sorties’: Out Out/Forays.” Feminist Reader: Essays Borkowska, G. ex-centryczna…” “Szymborska 51. a discourse is organized…By dual, hierarchized oppositions. Superior /Inferior. … Always same the metaphor: we follow it, it transports of us, inall its forms, wherever Logos/Pathos Intelligible/sensitive, Head/heart, Father/Mother, Day/Night, Culture/Nature, Sun/Moon, Activity/passivity, Thisthree object took billion years to emerge. pumped by ten ounces of heart. Ten cells. Ten billion nerve pints of blood This adult person male. This on earth. (“A Film From The Sixties” 94) 18 19 miracle that is our usual, daily life. death to emphasize is used generalthe lack of understanding of uniquenessthe of the existence. For instance, in“In Broad Daylight” from The People on TheBridge, a heroic and at same the she time presents it from surprising the of of perspective everyday the familiartradition. her with latter, readers the She to be expects to understand its rules is a natural consequence in patriotically-oriented the of especially being a man, Polish greatness of man. Szymborska not does question core the of or masculinity heroism that –aswho in“Pieta” –becomes something of an exhibit museum inthe dedicated to the ofmodel includes, masculinity after heroicalso all, that deeds arepaid for the by woman seriously. very taken be Age promises tomorrow.”skill/ us a Golden In other words, world the of men cannot disagree with the playful (but observation that true) also “dentistry turned to diplomatic What is public and (i.e., is therefore high masculine) simply also laughable. One cannot posturing displayed for public. the where is associated masculinity not with pity but with amusement resulting from the include status and professional success but limits, their exceed can as also in“Smiles” sphere of home and sphere the of demands that man must outside faceinthe world. These Female irony (asis kindfound this the inSzymborska’s the isbetween born poetry) Here is an image of from man seen domestic the perspective. It is not to be underestimated either, as it influence exerts upon entire humanitythe – Female Perspective inSzymborska’sPoetry… Karwowska stop no one talking, would At sight this no one would and slowly moving towards door. the him,aboutbeing himstanding up, straightening his sweater, and there would nothing be strange about that “Mr.yell from doorway: the Baczynski, phone for call you” – Sometimes someone would we a friendly, need of gleaming set teeth. outcomes’sthe unclear still –once ina while, The game’s complex,the goal’s far out of reach, pearlyTheirwhites they’remean full of cheer. still And that’s why statesmen have to smile. For now, though, he up has curled and gone to sleep. on homeostasis cosmonautics. inmegagalactic Tomorrow he’ll give a lecture A human, ifwe eversaw one. Poor little beggar. He’s no end of for fun, you all say. with that ring inhis nose, with that toga, that sweater (No End OfFun NCP 107) (NCP 153) (Going Home NCP 123)

27 28 becomes synonymous with battle, it is simply a raceagainst dress the on sideof the that represents which woman. the Even if, as it is in“Museum,” struggle that patriarchal the everything tradition puts on sideof the irrational, the inother words, of feelings and ability the to err, as in“Wrong Number” –“He lives, he errs.” so Life is For Szymborska, life is a commonplace “Museum” but –as poem inthe also –a presence treat as “other,” the for example in“Laughter.” to be,herself for used example She can inchildhood. at look from them a distance and The female speaker of Szymborska’s poems the remembers charactersalso that poet the ashthe tree,” she says a female character from past. the In “Landscape,” already painted as woman the “under “used to be” construct, she understands as a cultural enough them role to enter the of characters that created stereotype, her as a cultural inother words, characters that she she visits Troy, she understands Lot’s wife, or becomes Cassandra. She remembers the ment, but aware is also of cultural the determinants of her existence. As beautifulHelen, a woman, not speaker the only remembers previous the stages of her biological develop- anderal man inits female form. As man, is primarily speaker the a biological entity. As pity.” This is notthe only difference the between way Szymborska refers to man in gen- When clearly thespeaker identifieswith the woman, irony is replacedwith “good-natured Texts andtheBody The battleThe with my dress rages still on. As for me, alive, I am still you see. rightThe hasshoe defeatedthe foot. The hand has lost outglove. to the The crown has outlastedthe head. as a commonplace event. treatedbe –such a pity – commonplace this because event would inmid-gesture,freeze mid-breath I have a few snapshots I know her, of course. The littlegirl I was-- only given to me for safekeeping. despair,I never use since it isn’t really mine, What I want to say comes inready-made phrases. that Song the hidesbehind of Songs. I don’t see and crabbed the blotted draft I’ve my never seen children’s father naked. I don’t know games the of heart. the (NCP 192-193) (NCP 30) (NCP 70) the existingthe and surrounding the modernity. relations with people but elements with several also of surrounding the world, including waythe about she talks herself as she “used to be.” employspoet The it not only in her not from acceptance the of “external” or “existing” stereotypes but is an extension of patriarchal attitude to women. device, another game thatThey arethe simply a literary ridicules reveals and a voice, inSzymborska’sspeaker and never appear poems they other when women are discussed. tributed to women by patriarchal the stereotype are not typical of tone the of female the malicious conversation. from a somewhat almost like a snippet Malice and gossip at - Beginning The and End already in much even earlierif it poems, is employed most superbly in “Hatred” (The or rival simply anyabout unacceptable a potential “other” [woman], heard could be something inSzymborska’s new poetry. The tone, however,that women can to talk use abovementioned “A Memory” is an exception of here, perhaps a foreshadowing also at Tablecloth”) the –Szymborska’s work not does at look woman the as “other.” the The instance, year olds thirteen the (“A Moment inTroy”) or little girls (“A Little Girl Tugs sentimentally-ironicone similar intone to the attitude “future to other women” –for is a relativelyWhile a description of “hercommon old self” theme inSzymborska’s work, representing different generations, conditioned their by relationshipswith men. fromself past the is at same the time a reflection theon relationshipsbetween women In “A Memory”, from Chwila Szymborska’s characteristic tone irony of will good towards “others” the develops Female Perspective inSzymborska’sPoetry… Karwowska another’s secret to betraywhen onlywho knows I’m just an ordinary woman I don’t owe you nothing, where you came from It’d better ifyou be went back met lovely the with girl a smile. Only Agnieszka, a widow, they’re predicting rain for days. tell you, don’t come just yet, you,I thought: call I’ll I remember a few events. for a couple of little poems. I feel good-natured pity from her brief life. ): “See how efficient is,/ itstill how itkeeps in itself shape” sounds [Moment], poet’s the most recent volume, looking at her (NCP 73) (NPC 74) (M 43) -

29 30 be in“Hitler’sbe First Photograph” ( The PeopleOn TheBridge ). The stereotype not does stereotype appear, does years later, inSzymborska’s description of a photograph, it will Album” and consists a sentimental when to stereotypes, of people that refuse to yield non-existencethe of singular realization of stereotypes. Thus,the familyfrom “Family mnie] –is worth mentioning context. inthis The non-existence spreads –intofurther “***” – “Nothingness changed for also radically me” [Nicość przenicowała i dla siętakże about “nonarrivalthe in citythe of N.” example here. Also, openingthe is a good of did not happen matter as much that as those did. Szymborska’sRailroad Station” “The ing unusual about woman,” that fact the world inthe of a “non-existing things that trait of a Woman”: A woman is, afterall, a constant volatility,someone who “mustbe a variety,” as in “Por time, it is difficult to define thenotion of an “ordinary woman”Szymborska’s in poetry. manner –her presence on margins the of “high” the of modes culture. At same the Describing herself as “an ordinary woman,” obvious she stresses –ina paradoxically 20 itself is no as, surprise according to Lacan, “the woman not does exist.” conventional way is fairly typical of Szymborska. commentary –noticing issues the by raised feminism and (not) solving ina (non) them it concerns also godly –inother words –most honored characters. Precisely kind of this nism, except inSzymborska it is not a phenomenon judged only negatively since inart A commentary on such perception of has femalethe a lot body in common with femi- sameand categories is subjected female the to the body of appraisal aesthetic as is. art above,In poem the woman the of and image the her role of body, the are a function “skinnythe sisters,” Szymborska writes: current stereotypes of beauty. In “Rubens’ Women” (from Salt A woman is someonesubject to fashion is body also whose and is who subjected to the See: Another typical feature of her work ison focus the what not does exist, in which Texts andtheBody The Feminine Sexuality. London: 1982. Young, young as ever, looking young. still Can’t figure outboltthis and a bridge.builds Curls up with Jaspers or Ladies’ Home Journal. and tough loose A screw as nails. Weak, but on takes anything. Naive, but gives advice. best the with pudgy angleswith and pudgy a chubby god For sky eventhe bulges here seventeenth,The alas, holds nothing forthe unvoluptuous. Thetwentieth silverscreens. thirteenthThe century would havegiven them golden halos. (NCP 47) (NCP 161) ), noticing absence the of 20 There is noth- - It is a voice of a woman feels who – as an individual but culturally to man –equal also (if The woman’s voice inSzymborska’s poems is not a battle shout or a submissivewhisper. death of loved the one. Szymborska’s and expressed poems, is, infact, only written fully poems inthe afterthe addressee position inthe of “other.” the The“you” lyrical appeared relativelylate in “I” of beloved the and at same the pronoun the –unlike time “he” not –does put the one’sto maintain own self,“I”, the “separateness” the to stress and for respect the the Szymborskapoems, reaches for pronoun the “you” –incontrast which to “us” –allows a quiet coexistence with another man, a mature emotion of a mature person. In her love In other words, love is a privilege of youth, a stereotypical emotional torrent but rather but precisely through miracle the of everyday: In her later love poems is expressed not with grand words, not through extraordinary the In her early work, love isa lack actually of love, an impossibility of meeting ideal the love where she abandons practically existing, the patriarchal tradition of female poetry. Interestingly, play this of stereotypes reappears inSzymborska’s especially about poems rather that fact the it is gone forever away.” And it is not stereotype the of first eternal lovethat makes so importantit but as “something [that] was and wasn’t there us,/ something between went on and went but reality itself. Similarly, Szymborska’s love recollects speaker in “Love At First Sight” rarely.” What is important for our existence is not stereotype the to describe used reality –“couldn’t populate– writes poet the years,/ planet the it ina million comes along so reality, or describe allow to see and often actually common“Trueopposes sense. love” Female Perspective inSzymborska’sPoetry… Karwowska to contemplate from afar. and only by enough, youI survived by enough, ordinary about it and I really don’t see anything And it just happened so that I am with you Thecaught doesn’t sing fish with my voice. beneath roots the of trees. I am close. too I don’t flutter over him,don’t flee him I am for close too himto dream of me. it introduces me to death. not indreams, evenseen unremembered, it what does others the can’t manage: still Yet just as it exactly is, (NCP 241) wypadek (“***”Wszelki (M 47) (NCP 55) (1972))

31 32 zation, allows patriotism the of ancestors the forgotten. to be patriotic Polish culture, instead of agitating for creation the of another veterans’ organi- belongingA voice to someone –perhaps who paradoxically –growing out of very the to heroes, “after warsomeone / every has to tidy up.”Beginning”). End And The (“The knowsnor who that yield to anyone. of It belongs evenifhistory a woman is a voice divisionthis should remain inforce), and as a result, not does to fight need for anything, sence ofsence self-assured femininity, awarded eventually, with Nobel the Prize inliterature. This is probably one the of reasonswhy to captureso difficultit is thees- describe and heroes male life were while leaving more to fulfill important and historicalsocial roles. dissent.was a quiet, That peaceful and, naturally,caring forthe continuity everyday of categories of world the that live all was they left inwhile to them, from apart adaptation, ticipate init, just as women didnot participate, for centuries, creation inthe of descriptive not have to actually change reality, can who simply –as a non-existent entity –not par And, is which probably most typical of women, it is voice the of someone does who Texts andtheBody And less than that knowwho little must make way for those what about was this all whoknew Those (NCP 229) Translation: Anna Warso - 1 to “feminists.” readings) and frequently ironic. nism which in itself is rather (as not superficial he does exhibit familiaritywith feminist and inculture. Resentment towards gender remains, however, deeply rooted individual inthe psyche by healed adult. the kindof wound that to be needs of adolescence and a particular “old-fashioned anti-feminism” of turn the of century. the He associates it with a period resentative of Nature” from Visions from San Francisco against Bayspeaks poet , the ridiculousnessthe of character the hidesa large of dose hypocrisy. male Miłosz regards with suspicion Mickiewicz’s presentations of Telimena, convinced that to Miłosz’s sensitivity particular to subjects often unspoken of, even or neglected. openly was, perhaps, strongthe presence of feminism at American universities that contributed “W stronę kobiet,” [Toward Women] 1993feminist opened the issue of Teksty. It Drugie lectures in collected onesthe presented inTheLand of Urlo. Świrszczyńska’s He discussed also inhis poetry and about talking of her experience corporeality different used criteria of valuethan of popularbeliefs Anna circles, literary inthe Świrszczyńska he embraced poetry the As a critic, Czesław Miłosz has shown remarkable openness to feminism. to the Contrary

It is same the resentment that resurfaces inMiłosz’s work, despite his interest infemi- He himself with suspicion. views also In “A Short Digression on Woman- as a Rep Women inthePoetry ofCzesław Miłosz Anna Na translation proved unavailable, I provide myown (working) translation. (AW) Collected Poems: 1931-2001. Trans. Hass, Robert Ecco: 2003. a canonical Where possibleI provide translationsof Miłosz’sWhenever poemspublished inNewand 1 Its tone or is polemical, perhaps ironic. poem presents The characters of siłowska The Witness of Poetry and his short essay about her life and work, Provinces Provinces contains a poem “One” titled [Them] dedicated

33 34 spiritual worship. The image of love presented, for example, DenisRougemont de by has associated holiness with resignation from fulfillment, as withwell as chastity and Europeanthe culture as that emerged which after the Rome fall of to barbarism,poetry personal complex.personal It a distinctly cultural has character. also presents sidesinhis work. both His ambivalence not does have nature the of a deep, dangerous,be i.e. moment the one when of sidesof the conflicts the is hidden. Miłosz hostility go hand inhand, harmoniously maintaining tension. It is repression that may tormentedthe Ego is torn opposite between of poles same the relationship. Love and mitment. Sometimes, strong attraction is compensated with reflex the of aversion and relation to the biographical experience. imagination, in re-creating webthe of meanings to “femininity” tied rather than the character individual. of For a particular my I am part, mostly interested poet’s inthe Powszechny, figure the Also thewife, of appearingthe farewell in poem published inTygodnik images of archetype, femininity. not directly to other necessarily tied is a powerful poets’ inthe born mind –with exception the of figures the of mother andwife. Mother Theof purpose my essay is to present the and discuss phantasms, or images of women characterized by ambivalence and uncertainty regarding real the meaning and value. in positiveviewed terms. His attitude to the latter, i.e. to his own projections, is often most, phantasms of poet’s the mind. constituting Those part of a love relationship are characters, a creation of former the mind. the Both and latter the are, first and fore- ship and differentwith women in general, seen only fleetingly or as imaginary recalled a double optic: different values are associatedwith women part as of a love relation- ferent: exhibit they passive resistance and know more about life than one might think. of violence unaware of patriarchal their dependency, suggests something poet the dif- ideas” and “faith genius.” inthe While feminists tend to perceive such women as victims passive, ordinary wives, “caretakers the of and socks pants,” patiently sufferingthe “grand 2 composed a poem expressing love nor a lover’s confession, a classical erotic or a farewell companied not Miłosz does by aspect. write traditional sacral the love verse: he never of of scenarios experience love. the social feeling inthe inscribed to confirmseems that cultureour perpetuatesthe ambivalence of “lowly”sex and “high”

Freud of experience ambivalence the believes inseparable from to be seriouscom - In work the of Czesław Miłosz, images of women and love are into inscribed In Miłosz’s work, love often appears dimension in sexual its and thereonly it is ac- From of times the dolce il stil nuovo Amore sacro Texts andtheBody Discourse: Fragments. Trans. to Polish by M. Bieńczyk. Warszawa: 1999. Love andEroticism. Trans. to Polish by P. Fornelski, Kraków: 1996; R. Barthes. A Lover’s Warszawa: 1975; J. Kristeva, Histoires d’amour, Paryż: 1983; O. Paz.Flame: TheDouble textson love by: K. alsoclassical See Zachodu. Starczewska. miłościw kulturze Wzory the Westernin Love World. occupies a clearly separate place, one conditioned by biography the and Trans. to Polish by L. Eustachiewicz. Warszawa: 1968, 1999. , inother words, almost from of beginnings the 2

intensity of experience. the scratch but distance the him and between introduced the characters not does the lessen are often intentionally and womanfrom blurred. creates Sometimespoet the a man to a different order of reality, they are a reflection ofa better existence. intensity. Time influence no exerts destructive belong, fromthem,they upon as the onset, grow old, or become vague –exempt from universal the law of retain aging, they their distant youth inVilinus, as for instance in“Example.” Miłosz’s erotic memories donot of discovery same the moment,a repeated evenifit happenedago, time a long inthe governing Miłosz’s erotic imagery. insteadof of poem, the “like.” Telling stories from past the is one of principles the somewhat neutralizes boldness the of Miłosz’s expression: “I liked” says speaker the 3 brings understanding of one’s own and partner’s the fate as human beings. existential The lovers truth. are surrounded theby memory of Paradise andcarnal love couple of experience man achieves who to the unity with woman, andof finds a sense Perspective gazeembracing changes the quickly short inthis passage: from a divine tions of eros inPolish poetry. Annalena” – Jan Kott one ofverse to be boldestthe recollecparticular this - believes are, pseudonyms, infact, such as for instance in“Annalena.” “I liked your velvet yoni, names character and,literary their beginning, indicates from very the that names the love itself is absent. What is recurrent of “She” is memory the sex. bearsdifferent there is no foreplay init, no overcoming of resistance, and ingeneral, of history the His is, thus, a vision of liberated love and sex. joyful greatest 60s,although in the he had approached issue the before. times already several influencedhighly the by sexual Westernrevolution: his interestthe in wassubject clearly to embody Romantic the lover, or Tristan or Don Juan. In it fact, that seems Miłosz was he never wrotepoem; about longing for an absent or lost beloved. Nor didhe evertry

Descriptions of such moments donot have to be on memories, personal based those However, one not will find nostalgic reminiscences of loss inhis work, but rather, Further, Miłosz’s not does have of function the “attracting” poetry beloved: the Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz Nasiłowska protagonist, Annalena. Clarissa of Annalena appearsinthenovel by OskarMiłosz, where itisgiven to thesensual sacral yoni, similarto theone inPolish ‘noc’ [night] and ‘dno’ [bottom].” The name bold recollection oferos, one oftheboldest inPolish poetry. There isa dark ‘o’ inthe 2000. 124. “Womanhood word isreferred from inthis to witha Sanskrit Kamasutra Kott, J. ziemi.”“Objęcie Poznawanie 2. Miłosza Fiut, Częśćpierwsza. A. (ed.)Kraków: And we have searched for real the place eversince. At her night pulse. Her I sensed mortality. Of Knowledge. by I was archangel’s expelled the sword. two,I am these twofold. I ate from Tree the GardenDelights: “The Earthly of Paradise” 3 The past, The despite its indelible intensity of experience, ( 403-404)

35 36 in “the real place”. dimension A new reveals itself. ences become spiritual division the physical the between and spiritual the is abolished intensitythe of sensation that comes to the fore. In moments like that, physical- experi to moral assessment and judgments. They areseparate from reality ments spent with Onuté appear distinctive so that are they out taken of daily life, subject 4 by can highest the level Sacrum of sublime the reached. be two These neighboringpas- ready Guest the to receive knowing that only by becoming one flesh beingseized and ness that Thomas taking Communion.after experiences The boy feels privileged and passageThe quoted above is followed book thethe in descriptionby of a sense of light- stronglyis also pronounced. myth shares most the with hermeneutic the tradition and context the of Plato’s androgyne Complementing eachother, femininity and create masculinity one whole.particular This Similarly, elsewhere: feel it approach. Jan Kott notes of sense that is whata renewed experience they one. Their fate is shared theso is and utopia of “the place.”real Even loversthemselves woman, universal and mythical. Man transcends his “self.” Man and woman become or different otherness. Several persons behindthe hidenames butthere is only one

This type of sexual sexual Thistype relationship of fromfree is sense the of sin. In The Issa Valley mo , him to confess secret.(44-45) their sweet that shehe time the knew was waiting, all waiting for himto touch her, and it made himfeel him with her stayedAndsqueeze knees. they that way, as sunthe rolled across sky, the and And is this how It was Onuté performed: would lieflat back,on her him towardpull her, and It “her” in is difficult Miłosz’s to identify work. She is not branded separateness by Texts andtheBody that had apparently previously beenunclear.that had previously apparently Regardless, to formulate ina more helped megreatly they precise issues mannerseveral Miłosz session, despitethefact thatshared were conclusions not reached atthetime. the andthediscussions heldduring essay indebtedto Fiut initscurrentisgreatly form others thathad beenalready commented (wherever on I agree by with him.)My Fiut I donotdiscusstheir potentialdevelopment inmyessay,part.) asI donotdiscuss wieczny. O poezji, Miłosza Czesława inthechapter “We Erosa” władzy (the “Androgyne” were anddiscussed alreadyThose motifs interpreted Fiut inMoment by Aleksander all over. all Yet was this not just any girl, but Onuté, and nothing could have prevailed on On a bitter, bitter earth. Yes, is this my gift to you. Above ashes Into and masculine feminine longed which for eachother. For a man and a woman. For one plant divided Waking up ina royal by bed a garret window. things are.All Now, for two the of you How perfect “After Paradise” 4 But cultural references are not of key importance here, it is (407) arche - . She has become of a model Stoic wisdom. cleansed her fromexperience lowly feelings and irrational emotions of world.the an exception either, person but an extraordinary one. Age she is a concrete and ticipants of joint the festivity of existence. Irena, from “Example” (from It enigmatic. Women quoted inthe are poems not real people but transformed par personality, not does push forward plot the of novel the that initself is somewhat outlined as a character, attributes she is given only a few and has a genealogy, no areof experience the puzzling. equally Onuté from The Issa Valley is not clearly profane cannot crossed with be helpthe of known techniques. And participantsthe knows. amandi There is no ars It? explained. What Nobody ritualsnot should to experience performed to be be and sacral poetic. –sexual, energy 5 (for of surface poem the example,comes in‘Ode to the To A Bird’)” notes that “erotic current often appears in [Miłosz’s] epiphanies and rawsexuality often biotic unity. In his classical essay “Epifanie Miłosza,” [Miłosz’s epiphanies] Jan Błoński nothingloses but instead opens up, participating inan ecstatic, pure and- sym original an overcoming individuations of principium Ecstatic moments have a cleansing power, are they a reflection the of “other existence,” an identification andsacrum love:of introduction to his translation of “Song of Songs,” one findsbetween not but an analogy sages possible could interpreted be as an analogy, not yet expressed fully. But inMiłosz’s rather morals, sings: loose straps.falling is they Theirclear – arepurpose that signs of attract men. a lady Filina, clarity than persons actual are who not eventhere, there are only petticoats, eyelashes, on hat the sways.” (375)In passage the above, attributes of femininity appear with more againstsilk skin,listening the to the of rustles a dress, raising chin aigrette the the when ofticoats, unmentionables poets includes with lace.curriculum The feelingthe touch of writes: “A dark Academy. Assembled are instructress incorsets, grammarians of- pet diverse crowd. are Inthey as a colorful, The evenviewed

The transition and everyday the that between extraordinary moment is a mystery All womenAll are of earth this different. they Andare point a multitude, when to the Femininity andfetishes earlier than Greek the philosophy to Eros that role the ascribed of initiator. the (26) Song self-evident. Themystics, boundtwo has those loves assumes to be truth this together to our ear, but religious poetry, inIndia whether or –to chose a nearer place –of Spanish the and woman and relationship the of man A statement with God. like might this sound strange Song the touches upon greatest the mystery,I think union of sexual man between analogy Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz Nasiłowska Poznawanie Miłosza. Kwiatkowski, J. (ed.)Kraków: 1985. 205-206. Błoński,After: J. Miłosz jak świat. , no rite, the boundary between the sacred the and, no between rite, the boundary the Kraków: 1998. 60. See: Błoński, J. MIłosza.”“Epifanie and its renewal at the same time. The “self” and its renewal at same the time. The “self”

Separate Notebooks 5 Eros stands for , Miłosz ) is not -

37 38 the desirethe of subject the commence.” comments: “Only can then a sparkthe between flywoman theand man, thencanonly (often unconsciously) the by womanthat forthe man constitute a promise. PawełDybel and man of triggering the on depends which reading the used of signs the of coquetry element strategy that is relation ofa constant sexual fetishism of as woman a phallic ian scholar would complex phrase it ina more manner, upholding recognition the of a universal mechanism regulating communication sphere inthe of sexuality.- A Lacan that it is only a metaphorbut of revealing of nota deviation a recognition a diagnosis culinization of woman. Such an interpretation raises obvious objections until we realize absencethe of This penis. implywouldalso –ina Freudian reading –a symbolic mas- as fetishism grounded inequipping woman the with substitute compensating objects her coquetry, her autoeroticism. attractive and Miłosz admires standingFilina alone in front of mirror.the He embraces Poland’s (“white style peacocks”). poetic Using such signs, woman the herself can as view Viennesse dresses, modestbut rustlingand sensual, and was fond of artifice the Yong Different People] (with a complete bibliographical note), describing Aunt who Isia wore from Janina Puttkamer Żołkowska’s memoir Inne czasy, Miłosz’s from “The OfA Corset” Hooks Unattainable Earth contains quotation a long of woman the femininity are similar: is largely very made of fans, furs,seductive looks. stereotypes are not solelyby used men. In Pawlikowska-Jaskorzewska, phantasms the (her metonymies) are which fashion dependant and change with time. ofsignal readiness to the opposite The sex. woman luresthe man signs with her special attributessignify of gender. The most external attributes, too, thatones transmit the at “her” the in Miłosz’s poetry, her presence almost entirely made of cultural signs that culturalthe attributes of fashion and symbols of elegance is a recurrent way of looking ing of her own reflection, her waiting forthecarriage. Portrayingthe womanthrough about her. Those are her synecdoches, justbefore as her walking the mirror, her admir frou skirts” and “undergarments clean” not very are –those signs the of ina poem Filina Freud interprets and shoes gloves as symbols of Miłosz female mentions sex. “frou also - 6 male imagination.male Thus, any one that shouldof a relation notkind expect to disclose do not encompass entire the female identity, are indeed,they simply a reflection the of that fieldthe Lacanthat objet refers petit to as aand concerns phantasms certain that overcome. has been analytical terminology The relationship in questiontakes in place even greater significance here, a conclusion to be discovered once resistance to psycho-

A Freudian scholar is likely to interpret reception of femininity through its attributes Miłosz reaches here for established firmly sexualityof imagery female but those Texts andtheBody Warszawa: 2000. 37. feministyczna. Siostra teorii i historii literatury. Borkowska, G. L. andSikorska (eds.) Dybel, P. wokół seksualnejJacques’a Lacana.”“Refleksje diagramu różnicy Krytyka And are so the gloves I got from my aunt My shoes are made of a mouse’s cunt 6 There is one more conclusionphilosophical of (347) inni ludzie [Different Times, - painting as a “businesswoman,” Błoński while adds that she is “devoid of her femininity: ing lonely inthem figureswith emptythe eyes.woman Miłosz describes from Hopper’s to beBelieved a precursor of pop-art, Hopper painted bar interiors and hotel rooms, plac- herself, as an arbitrary quintessence of career-drive, fast travel and American way of life. heralds decline. Similarly, Edward Hopper’s petticoat is not woman as much in a red Great War, as embodiment a poisoned seen of dying the monarchy her splendor while further. Klimt’s And so Judith of dying becomes a goddess those trenches inthe of the distinct features of a past historical moment and, as result, the enhancing distance even to a particular point paintingthe when in time was conceived, enriching vision the with distance and distance style: is a prerequisite for perception aesthetic and refers style us not as case, none the to be of women the is a mother, for instance. to Miłosz an intention to create a catalogue of typical female roles. This, however,seems as noted by Jan Błoński inhis essay from Tygodnik Powszechny , where Błoński attributes it exhausted has been by A.Fiut). other visions Several of women inThis a reference to a painting by Carpaccio’s (I am not discussing theme inmore this depth, as howis also Venetian the courtesans make appearance, their teasing a peacock through help of additional medium, such as a painting, inother words, painter’s the vision. This in question are always drawn from imagination sensual of subject, the sometimes with the to the past, not just personal past but, primarily, and the imaginary distant one. Moments of details is a sign eroticof corsetry potential. a promise of a chance to enter a relationship with man the A contemplation looks. who phantasm wherea male elements of dress are an erotic an signal, encouragement and an element of patriarchal the strategy. What vision the of femininity contains is simply than women, feminist while writers suggest that gaze(resulting the inobjectification) is of textbook humanevery confirms sexuality that men are moresensitive to visual stimuli with age, remaining man. a young Femininity attracts himluring primarily his gaze– worldthe fact the is a place to be admired. The male insubject notMiłosz does change late “Voyeur” poems, (This that is coquettish, but unknowingly. mirrorthe ought to feel shame. Telimena, unlike Zosia, is an “innocent beauty,” a woman rouged!” The mirror devil. the A womanreflects applying rouge and lipstick in front of why, upon Telimena seeing subtly “enhancing” her beauty, Tadeusz panics: “Dear God, tion (although, admittedly, it is difficult to establish a relation This is withoutcoquetry). expression of vanity (as proclaimed by Catholic the moral norm) that results incorrup- upperthe classes, and inliterature of morality “primping and preening” as an is viewed mechanisms surrounding female beauty. In Polish the tradition, moralin the of code Miłosz ignores established firmly culturallyand ambiguous moral judgments the of relation simply not does contain a “real space.” “truth,” to a deep lead understanding or reveal two separate identities to each other. This Art is an important intermediary for Miłosz. A painting offers is anArt importantpotentialthe for intermediary of Miłosz. A painting Here as well, as in Miłosz’s erotic-ephiphanic contemplation poems, mostly is tied In Miłosz work, “primping and preening” inpositive is viewed terms. In one of the The framingmoral is of importance as the well.Revealing strategy of eroticization, Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz Nasiłowska ), “panties with lace” become one of major the arguments for are ekphrastic,

39 40 “façade” exaggerated grotesquely, them introducing a strongly obscene tone and fueling to be needed body the difficulty hidden the shamefully to reconcile while them the with latter is as disturbing provocative as sexually the formula of 20 the existential questions, instead, she is unconsciously by carried fast the current of life. The ofset luring signs: her petticoat is red and her hair – flawless.Except, shenot does ask devoid of doomed to a salesman her calling, fate.” She retain does typically the feminine element of 19 the tionables with lace” has already declared it chamberpot” a “faience (375).It an is also It vessel. isWe a secret it a call A Naturalist”: the at entomologist’s elementwife – suffices to look of a future beloved Of in “Diary is to retain secretions, retain bodily trace the themeThe the of chamberpot returns solefunctionobsessively: it is whose an object portraitthe reflecting male phantasm. most ephemeral testimony aesthetic and of shaping, from ephemeral this material, her readable here. trace Woman isas revealed an artist of her own, capable the of selecting femininethe ability to make of use style. The presence body is the of just a faint,barely to restore and whateverability a desire is left to time, past.the of Miłosz aestheticizes reverencetheir for attributes the of fight fashion: against a persistent passing, vulner women’s dresses away takes literalness, their revealing purely human motivation behind “Skarga dam minionego czasu” [Complaint of of ladies the past].the The antiquity the of among other Miłosz’s women, for instance from those entirely the non-Villonian unnecessary, it is mass culture and money that make world the go round. of Nouveau Art are presented ambiguous ina highly situation on other the hand –biology, desire anditself. body the In A Treatise on Poetry Angels , attraction, acceptance aesthetic of subtle the language of employed style by femininity, is covered. of This connection a source ambivalence.also is the On one hand,there is is not suspended ina void but reveals which itself it body evenwhen connected to the Filina (with her Goethean pedigree) also belongs to the past and finds company belongs also to the pedigree) (withFilina her Goethean The artificial characterThe artificial of constructed femininity,model its made lace of silk, and Amore profano Texts andtheBody To the excavator’s shovel. Of faience chamberpots that leave only one ear Of boudoir mirrors that were cracked, easily ofShe tulleand chose her Earth gauze, She was an unreasonable creature of fairer the sex. Meditating and sex soul on the between link the In dark the WC’s of parents’ their homes th century femininity, from physiological all when a time functions of vessel , even though committee the of “poets of unmen- of body. the Chamber pot is a mandatory (287) (111) th century: discard the century: - allegorical). Loversallegorical). of Song the of Songs are an archetype of seekers of “real the place,” is no contradiction levels of several possible between interpretation (literal, symbolic, Songs of tradition.Christian In Song Obviously, pin the of must sex black. cannot an be angel. and wants improve but nature that are pushes far from it glorious. to deeds It is not, of human the and bestial, the it so.” is good upon where she a scene changes an infant’s “We diaper: are given to live on border the Barbarka’s attempts to get to Romuald, married and is this how narrator the comments a (repeatedly broken) promise of self-betterment. of All above the is said context inthe of claimsso Father Monkiewicz, a priest easily pronounces who absolution in exchange for we surrender to temptations of theflesh against without wills, our our consent” (188), or Catholic upbringing and of truths about “we lifeneeds: –speaks are bodily angels [and] too, voices of which speaking the makes it. of method the conceptionto change is, naturally, somewhat auto-ironic, it is unclear, that is “natural” about or bodily woman, may arouse also disgust.poem’s The suggestion relationship with nature, with triviality, with matters and practical prosaic. Everything towards procreation. And that is other, the darker sideof femininity –its inevitable details that evoke speaker’sthe aversion and embarrassment.culminate Those in disgust itself obsession it. behind spreads: Secretory gradually, image the with naturalistic fills The quotedpassage with opens a cultural attribute (skirts), followed by revealing biology lastthe chance vessel.invelveteen to use the Ladies skirts, analthe obsession. The sleds are ready, waiting, and women,already dressed up,take This is whereThis is Miłosz’s clearly the complexityreflects poetry and ambiguity the of But sometimes quite opposite the Human is true. initself is being a contradiction Here is how The Issa about,Valley among – a novel others, Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz Nasiłowska All fire,All joinedmade up bodies the of falling by black pin sex. of A coelentera, pulsating all flesh, animal-flower, or dancing an intellectual ballet. instead of playing something like a game of chess conceiving herringsmell inthe of of middle the night the centuries,And those stench, shit frozen into clods. snarled hair, boiling over, milk the children’s snot, legsspread apart, Female humanity, just before moustachioed the ones inwolf enter. fur sledge the when jingles under columns the of porch the sittings on chamberpots upstairs abovegiggles a railing, pigtails askew, , woman and man each other seek out and there (218) the frictions between between frictions the (230)

41 42 in it that afterthe Fall manrobbed control full of over hiswill. derives lust from love sin;carnal original the existed inParadise, but there was no lust has already committed with her adultery inhis heart” (Matthew 2:28).St Augustine of “lust.” New Testament teaches that “everyone at looks who a woman with lust for her fromfree of sense the shame and guilt. Catholicism, however, is dominated by fear the 7 imagemal of woman as a “hanger for fetishes” is wherepresent body the only as a faint Imagescultural taboos. of women represent also levels of several psyche. gender are ina cycle of inscribed drives, traumas, unconscious desires, repressions and inconsistency here. It governed is not by a realm rational phantasmal logic; images of from tradition. Christian the And only naïve someone very would make accusations of to overcome but it is quite opposite. the The drama one, indelibleit unleashes is a true mating “Shakespearian beasts.” One difference could this deem inessential easyand of lovers’ the –revealing pathetic multitudes or experience, of one from a distance solely the on approach: as seems it to depend ficult fromto determine one the inside The differencesearch the between thefor place” “real is dif- and succumbing to lust but by instinct. sięjęzyk” “Zmieniał [Language has changed] mentions a dark force: rankthe of representatives by lust, ruled controlled of a species, not by own their will When samesacrum. the at starts opposite the end, man and woman are positioned in Truth. place,takes female the and subject male have the a sense of “openness” or closeness to the moments to imply seem that lust satisfied, had already a mystical been union of elements of profane. the sacred The side is devoid of lust. Interestingly, descriptions of epiphanic as alternatively ourplace sexuality experiences on sideof the sacred the and on side the a part of nature, an element of material world) belongs to the profane. At least intheory, sacred the and between profane, the boundary man between and lower the (as beings. Sex is a worldview themes Christian deeply withingrained, several a worldview with a clear animisticthe no holiness beliefs, of nature and typical of fertility matriarchal It beliefs. involves giving oneself back to nature. There is no holinessprimal thefrom of animal level is bordering often Sex on a stepping down sacrum. the theladder being,on of it upon levels higher of rise which consciousness, culminating superhuman, inthe angelic implies that is spiritual will the whereas lust belongs to the world instincts. of bestial our consent” is, thus, a rigorous, Augustian interpretation of sinof the body. the It also

The metonymic construction of femininity outlinedearlier the inessay, the phantas- Miłosz’s world is organized hierarchically, with human nature at placed base the that The idea “we surrender to temptations the fleshof against wills, without our Texts andtheBody to nature in z naturą.”“Romans Moment wieczny. O poezji. Miłosza Czesława 55-85. introduction by fatherJ. Salij. 1998. Kęty: 525. A. wroteon Miłosz’s Fiut attitude See: St. Augustine, God. of City Trans. to Polish by father W. Kubicki, withan Principium individuations Principium Remains a dark affair. Into Shakespearian with a double beast back And force the melting men and women disappears, but as if“from above,” from sideof the the 7 and unpredictable as nature, reveals itself as basis for the existence the of human the in a theater. Love inform of lusty Eros, of pagan Amor, of pleasures, sensual amoral instead busy itself with moved being by loves the of Amyntas nibbling while chocolates one would fit be forthebarracks and humanity,transformed Arcadian shepherds, would “State would fall” without pleasures “hairy the proper to the flesh” (203). Without them no including existence. There social “Three is a claim in Talks About Civilization” that the that perhaps upon is base this the rests which entire the mighty construction of existence, Lust, lowly the sphere of drives, cannot and erased thus be a nagging suspicion returns created as a realm of Evil: i.e., Matter. of leaving tormenting behind ambivalence and unambiguouslythat definingall was that cannot eradicated be or cleansed. The Manichaeanpoison includesthe dream also ofan abode evil” (78).Nature as source the is viewed of repeated human failures, sins “Catholic Education” Realm (Native orinsecurity evenaversion relation inthe to the body. In Miłosz’s autobiographical essay turalization” of eroticism, of its evena blurring relation body, to the and on other, the resulting in his indifficulties relation to women. the On one hand, we have a clear- “cul and not as something simply natural. Thus, eroticism reveals as a relationitself cultureof developing incontactwith nature or threat the as taboo of vulgarity) that prevent naming, and is not sense the determined. natural, of itself requires no expression; on contrary, the there are numerous forces (such meanings are made as a result of relationstheir meaning. to other Meanwhile, what is inexpressibility of body. the What web is inthe cultural, of is inscribed mutual references; features. her facial especially European culture produced beauty the of numerous beloved, the to idealize methods sublimation. The only missing elementthe is aesthetic classical sublimationthat the in namesLiterary suchBelinda, as Thais,Annalena are another the signal of strategy of disclosure between fact, of essencethe of things and protection of what is most private. Sublimation a prerequisite is also for about talking issue –the sex at stake oscillates, in of Thus, art. several canwe of overlappingspeak mechanisms of sublimation in Miłosz. involves pastthe also sublimation.same Thesaid be could about sexuality subject making conflict resultingfrom corporeality – our relationwiththe matter. Movement towards limation, an attempt at moving relation the to opposite outside sex most the significant trace, is a clear attempt to neutralize conflict. the One could interpret it as a typical sub- This results in an ambivalent relationship to one’s body as well: own One of distinct the characteristics of Miłosz’s for nature worldview is a distrust At point, this different several issues resurface and overlap, and amongthethem, Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz Nasiłowska Or worse, to a madman, and a Slavic one at that. unrest,Some little animal inperpetual Your expectations. high As ifyou were chained to Loving it with unrequited love. It has not fulfilled Confess, you have hated your body, ) a Catholic prefect) a Catholic simply assumes that “nature is (321)

43 44 own interpretation of Genesis beforea world Fall the or redeemed. a world Miłosz, following Swedenborg, offers his sin. One could, therefore, hypothesize about a world where drama the of is resolved, sex it. Later, as a result of pride, human condition deteriorated and world the was drowned in “intellectual ballet.” Nonetheless, St. Augustine was not a visionary and not does confirm and will their retained ofit, used mind. peace their they It may have a form even been of worth recalling here). The first parents the obeyed command to “multiply” whilebut at “diseasethe of lust” was unknown inParadise (its name Latin original –libido stay realm in the of Platonic isangelic. soul the sexless, ideas, St Augustine that believes “Sentences,” neighboring a poem on “Three Talks About Civilization”During (206). its imprisonment at –this, within sex least, is interpretation the of presented fertility in world. It cause the is also of misery, bringing about indeliblethe drama of humanity: in this relationin this is indescribable and there is no attempt her as a person. to introduce law of universal gravitation, but it is hard to say latter the whether is mutual. The woman Miłoszrelationships the believes truth. men and between women to be governed by the although it underminespossibility the to base interpretation the of world the on a single from appetite” not (679). Desire does evoke aversion or of sense guilt, it accepted, is fully and reminding thighs, that “we are made so, from half disinterested contemplation, half “Asses”observers. return years several later: “I see their legs in miniskirts…their buttocks This withis a visionjuxtaposed of almostan cosmic phenomenon watched the lonelyby and word images: trivial the “ass” appeared as early as in“Songs OfAdrian Zieliński”: becomes life’s the driving force. Miłosz is consistent repetition inthe of words certain with philosophy, grammar, mathematics, poetics, eventheology. Unquenchable desire hungerthe for stimuli visual evoked by presence the of women. of All embroiled this “small, furry, untameable animal” concludes deliberations on looking at world the and often reappears in Miłosz. In “Voyeur,” thepoem lastof This appears to incarnate mystery the of life.theme The of powermesmerizing sex of female hiddensex, beneath Barely the skirt. covered with the dancer beads, of “Dwaj w Rzymie” as to the lack of harmony and existential the flaw. dance and entering a trance (207).“Two souls” may just as well refer to a higher power can hardly seriously, taken be are as they uttered to a Medicine Man dancing his magical states that “women have only one, Catholic, soul,” men have while two but words those Man is torn, tormented by ignorance and uncertainty. One of voices the of “I Sleep A Lot” The worldbefore the miracle (andthe disaster) of apocatastasis Often, however, seemsthatit it is the womenwithin. whocarry mystery It is rooted in Texts andtheBody -Because the rib is to the rib close the heart -Because And Eve, why is she from taken Adam’s rib? Is by a planet sunlight’s carved hand The round ass passing of a girl by regarding creation the of woman: (416) (70) , curiosity regarding, curiosity the teems with ambiguity. –might be the differencethe sex is notof an impassablebarrier. gestures allow to assume that it is. Erotic fulfillment provides a moment of certaintythat We can never know gravitation whether is mutual. theand The accessories of coquetry chase after reality may end ina passionate discovery, unity the of subject theand object. kindof of object the gazeinwhich gazeis the not indifferenta special or strange. The In Miłosz’s poetry, woman is patriarchal mechanisms that impose on women, treated as impossible objects, demands a feministbeauty ideal of Thefeminine perspective. artificial is considered to be one of importance, but overshadowed decidedly by other forms. And that is for from best, the form the beauty”taking of ideal is not a presentation of only a “perfect, of secondary sublimation aesthetic are a typically not poem, In as clear seem. particular this as they refers poet the to in commentary the as a “short love poem.” In though, case, things this Parisianthe subway. Yes, Miłosz’s Personal Anthology that contain poem does a prose and disinteresteda clear fascination aesthetic encountered with beauty the of a girl in there is only element the of narcissism. componentsnecessary of love. In Miłosz, love is not of part situation the inquestion, Kristeva claims that psychoanalytical in the narcissism perspective, and idealization are returns there is, first and foremost, selfthethe experience of as an erotic subject. Julia ofa crowd women phantasmal is a recurrent situation inMiłosz and what repeatedly facesfrom crowd the to distinguish (more Observing thanbodyparts). difficult other drawn from delicate erotic arousal, not aimed at of experience ecstasy. the It is difficult stimulatingcally but not does transform into desire. a targeted Pleasure is hedonistic, onetalk, simply contemplates them, sees of set their luring attributes is which eroti- rarely a “somebody.” In Miłosz’s women poems rarely manifest donot they will, their usually is not of key importance. There is a crowd of women (passing, butrecollected) existential autonomy. It behind isthe difficultwhohides to say luring signals, this and identity personal butwomen are they donot given always emerge as a determined, yet another myth of man similarly in love with his own phantasms.) In Miłosz’s work, that that Leśmian’s twelve brothers dreamt about. (The Pygmalion exemplifiesmyth of is a space of speaker’s the existing people, aspoetry modernist utterance and experience. with erotically stimulating potential. Thenot does subject have to confrontthemwith real, subjectmale –one constructs who phantasms, images of mind the that as charged he sees tion. In Miłosz, however, we are presented with from a world of seen perspective the the It possible is certainly to portray relation the of man and woman as an interpersonal rela - there exists a separate female identity and how it expressed is supposed text. inthe to be answer to the question Lacanian woman the whether exists at inother all, words, whether no women inMiłosz’s poetry, only phantasms. There groundis no here to formulate an It pointed has been out to me ina discussion that I ignore “Esse,” a poem exhibiting Women as real persons doexist, nonetheless, and donot they resemble girl the thatAnalysis there presented simply far so could, are perhaps, to a conclusion lead Erotic pleasure Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz Nasiłowska looked at by man.the She is discovered by his sight. It is

45 46 pocrisy, absent from Miłosz’s poem. (supposedly purely adoration aesthetical) hide male of beautyhy- to often is believed and transform into them commodities of value. visual determined Consequently, the 8 low, sphere, carnal and move it towards metaphysical: the relationship male the ambiguous with women to extract from hypothesis,the a hope provoking an existential reflection. There appears hope, presented the in form of an of unfulfillment the impossibilityor satisfaction.of – thatenergy of Eros. Consequently, being in worldthe implies drama a neverending as lust for (also is sights, always experiences) things, new driven by same the kindof that our relation world, to the desire for knowledge and hunger for as well experience here but rather of broadening or generalization, and as a result, to the leads conclusion fulfillment. Naturally,transference term but is a Freudian it is not of escape a gesture physics. Eros opens and initiates. It not does create obligation nor it does promise direct disappointment.)also continuation inform of impossibility of fulfillment, experience of hope possiblyor loss, and fulfillment, or as arousal passionof person directed (with typicalat a particular its cism as a demarcated, separate and exclusive ground contained by of cycle the agitation eroticism that is later blurred, neutralized. Miłosz clearly avoids presentations of eroti- general reflection. In fact, onecan hardly view “Annalena” as an erotic, it with opens contains a double gesture of redirecting or energy, focus, sexual shifting towards a more movement of Even his inseveral poems. epistemological) “Annalena” is a recurrent tion elsewhere. And transfer this of towards focus reflection (metaphysical, existential, eventhough he avoids act, focusing on it.erotic to the He aspect redirects his atten- gets off Raspail. at that fact the there is no attempt relationship. a love to establish The “face,” unstopped, investigate her identity and what facerepresents the is of no importance, not to mention not does speaker the anytake steps to prevent beautythe from disappearing, not does face). The impossibility to absorb becomesit a drama of incomplete cognition. However, to “absorb” for ownership than just it, (with regards indicates which a need to more really a “love poem”? not does The speaker stop beautifultheat admiringface, he wants

In “When Moon,” the varietyof the women passing by astounds, stimulating and Eros combines an epistemological reflection, fascinationwiththe world, and- meta Miłosz, admiringurban the crowd, not that does fact hidethe there is a decidedly One could argue, however, inmore depth about interpretation the of “Esse.” Is it Texts andtheBody Mikos, J. Warszawa: 1993. “Beauty” inHumm, M. of TheDictionary Feminist Theory. Trans. by Umińska, B. and The ultimateThe truth should issue last.at It to me seems that from such a strong mutual attraction world. the I am by struck eyes,eyelashes, their and whole the arrangement of When and moon the rises women dresses inflowery are strolling, 8

(222) put to make me acknowledge her as my own”put to make (183).His self-assessment, uttered in that mutes voice the of Unconscious: the “I would say that my female anima was hard 9 elements that are much more earthly, much more verifiable. with a reference to someone else’s vision. The world of Miłosz’s imagination consists of are they them; an element that fits his system but thatone borrowed, is always cited repeatedlyrefers inhis essays, to them sometimes inhis poetry, but not does develop supplemented with esotericism, appear work inthe of Oscar Milosz. Czesław Miłosz ning of humanity, love that creates and constitutes world. the perfection, ideals Those of of and Christ Church, but not only that. It of part myth the is also of love- from begin the and woman, Adam and Eve allegorically, as a figure forthe relation of love andwisdom, couragethe to speak of a “better” world. Swedenborg interprets relationship the of man Delitie of author Sapientiathe de Amore Conjuga, God’s intention, as far as we can judge, was different. In TheLand of Urlo Swedenborg, from transformed God, afterthe sin, touchedoriginal the consequencesby the of Fall. femininity. Desire butis a mystery it state to the is tied of “this world” – one separated hiding weibliche no evig that kinds of certain “strong men” consider to be essence of the into and ridiculous the pathetic theater of The vagina-difference sex. is unsurmountable, but species, appealing the yoni The unfortunate “vagina” female representatives in question of refers humanto the ferent life” return the triggers of theme the of Adam and Eve. It “should” but far so has not. It is of a dream a transformed world. Longing for a “dif- of world the seeing more directly, not deformed, perhaps evennot split into vulvae: matter and marked by lust, often awakens a sense of embarrassment. One dreams,thus, was attruth hand and people didnot sufferbecause their of nature.dual figures make appearance. letters and essays. engages layers Poetry deeper of psyche and is this where feminine the men. Their complicated history temperatureand ideological are mostlythe in revealed appear inMiłosz’s his essays while give testimony poetry to intellectual friendships with art,” admired for her wisdom and love. her gift true of Characteristically, friends female fidante, represented, for example, by Anna Kamieńska, thewiles of good too “to learn

Here, changed. as a spectacle oneverything ofSex earth, body, the embroiled inthe In In There is one more image of woman in Miłosz’s and con- that – of a friend poetry Anima Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz Nasiłowska Eve,” “Gardener.” pp. 170-171, notdoitinmyessay. I will also: See Cz. Miłosz “Paradise,” “Adam and As thethemeofParadise discussed by exhaustively israther A. inMoment… Fiut , Miłosz describes himself as having a very strongTheLand Ego, of one Urlo himself as having, Miłosz describes a very With and of vaginas penises our all misery And yet we were like one so another belongs solely to Annalena. Man (as such) was dragged (515) is portrayed as one had of who those 9 In Paradise, ultimate the

47 48 given to “spirits” for that poets instrument the their choose (241). ditionally assigned to the Muse as an incarnation of female the Unconscious, is instead form, saya conditional (“I would that”) astute. is very In “Ars- place the tra Poetica?” 11 10 crucial importancecrucial and constitute of private a kind catechism of an intellectual is who “Whattitled I Learned from Jeanne Hersch,” a catalogue of twelve principles that are of returns to her work in poetry, also and Weil is not a singular This case. regardedto be as spirit the of world, the it is not spirit. an evil and understanding for existence their marked by passing and human frailty. If are they courtesans in“No more,” doevoke Filina) not contempt or condemnation but tenderness that emphatic “you.” from distant Recalled past, characters the of courtesans (Venetian other. There are other women in Miłosz’spoetry, early inhis also work,who embody ference not only is not a barrier, it is a sign of emphatic openness to the speakersto each “who speaks” is irrelevant, are spiritually as they perfectly compatible. The gender dif- answer,the attributed can be to the both and speaker to Berenike. However, decision the She about asksGod. speaker male the fate the of doubters and last the stanza, containing judgments of on complicated people their based fate, and on ways the of worshipping listener,ideal on of need the holding an off emphatic ina dialogue and partner wise she is not an of object desire, but for a medium levels of deeper consciousness, and an “Persons” (immediately followingRite”) “The is a lover’s pseudonym “The butRite” in humanity’s development.Rite” from Berenike “The resembles Hermance. Her name in historicalthe dimension a reflection triggers whaton is happeningscenesbehindthe of Hermance is a timeless and all-understanding medium. Her attention and ability to cross does not refer to any historical figure, says Miłosz in the commentary to the poem. not does historical refer figure,says to any the commentaryMiłosz in to the Civilization” is addressee the of monologue. the Her name was chosen randomly and namesliterary such as Hermance or Berenike. The first “Threeone, from Talks On an unconscious game. where style the meanings are not explicitly controlled by intellect, the whereare they fate (and is wrong about it). Overcoming early the catastrophism involved abandoning “Ty silnaperiod, noc” [You are night]. powerful Here, as well, “foresees” speaker the future state. is earth The represented the loverby from in anotherpoem more orsame lessthe water, she is more of a female desirethe experiences who for ofsoul poet the an “angelic” Anna, however, has no typical features and archetype of with its a female to earth ties The use of female mask liberates intuition,allowing barelythe foreseensenses to speak. choirto the she represents distance from world the choir the while –attachment to it. intuitively.speaks to deeper layers of Unconscious the not does reveal itself directly, “strong the while ego”

References to Simone Weil play important a particularly role inMiłosz’s essays. He Anima appears infrequently inmature Miłosz, but is not completely absent. It wears Song”Anna fromearliest “The the (1934) is female medium, a spiritual talking one; Texts andtheBody Wiersze. [Poems] Kraków: 1993. Vol. 1. 149. 241-241. I discuss thisinmore detailin współczesna.”“Muza Persona liryczna. Warszawa: 2000. 10 Usually, a relation contains a poem 11

despite referring to more or less same. the However, inancient Greece, courtesans led other descriptions (such as “whore” or “mistress,” or worse) are strongly degrading, choiceThe thevery of word – “courtesan” – is notwithout significance all importance, courtesans contradict decidedly our cultural its tradition, religious especially models. humanthe fate, sensitivity a particular to that is which transient.evoked The figures of tention details of to the her dress arouse a feeling of tenderness and understanding for character. When evokes speaker male the projection the of, for example, her Filina, at- 12 a career obstacle. degradation, as dark it and as see a social are ofas they motherhood –especially wary civilization. ofcal modern the Women, as well, sphere the sometimes view of fertility Mary. Such perception of femininity is rather frequent western inthe culture and typi- typically Polishto the Catholicism, strongly marked by matriarchal the cultof Virgin motherhood are clearly marginalized. His religious thought, too, has few references It circle,” is a “small and where symbolic meanings of femininity connected to Earth ment meanings of and particular mutual the relations of symbols are unique inMiłosz. hermeneutic circle entails a constant circulation. One must note also that arrangethe - towards tradition. What women. have is All important, a centuries-long is that the Some a simplification. as favorable,viewed be canbe other as a testimony of aversion related and attributing any notion of of “femininity” permanently them to the would tear. In Miłosz, none of meanings the is permanently to the tied woman, are they inter and matter and dualism the of towards sex), a future transformation the that heal will difference.the From Paradise,through earthly theplane – marked by (ofsouldualism cism of through sex, trauma the inrelation to gender, toward hope the of overcoming inanpartners intellectual exchange. (as role the would involve a patriarchal notion of domination of one but truth) as perfect women philosophers, open to their he is very thought, regarding not them as authorities reflection. Miłosz not only of ina serious women to engage “admitsthe existence” of negated convinced by misogynists ofof inabilitythe female philosophers to be used butcritical not entirely stripped of faith existence and inreason, The sense. decency very mother are not of a part phantasm the of woman. and intellectual debate. In Miłosz’s poetry, constitutive elements of archetype the of forpartner a strong on man, him(and focused not, for instance, on a child), open to sex of Mankind, but rather Eve reflection of retained who a certain Paradise. It is an ideal moresin, fallen, accessible to the forces than of to man. evil Nor is it Great the Mother ofonly its selected meanings alleged are chosen. It is not Eve the forever burdened with Eve. One should emphasize, though, that reinterpreted it is a thoroughly symbol and

Thus, we have comecircle, a full perhaps even a hermeneutic one. Fromthe mysti- Female characters to the are tied particularly also of fragility existence and its ­ Symbolically, archetype the of woman inMiłosz’s work of aspects refers to certain Women inthePoetry ofCzesławMiłosz Nasiłowska Institution. Trans. to Polish by J. Mizielińska. Warszawa: 2000. discussed byWoman inOf AdrienneRich Born: Motherhood and asanExperience aspect of thosecomplexes inthe70sareSome capturedinthecontext ofAmerica 12 fleeting fleeting -

49 50 Fathers upon cried them. seeing spread immorality and evoke terror as a result of greatest their Some of fall. Desert the of heaven to the women, fallen were they mostly as condemnable, viewed who as those becoming a wife. barrier The of standingclass social wasand insurmountable. it outside families, at out same the ruling time inadvance possibility the of a courtesan same area. same of coincidedbirth Provencal with development the poetry of Cathar the heresy inthe such postulated as those by courtly love. ideals aesthetic the Paz Octavio notes that the lated to matter. Under such circumstances, love relationships had to take forms, special woman than Manichaeism. that It is re everything - inevitably to reject results ina call with beautifulbuttocks”) and Venus. however, his heavenly Eve have does attributes the of Aphrodite Kallipygos (“the one original sin. original antagonism of as difficulty the to communicate sex perhaps is– – a consequence the of power and domination inhis work. Instead, there is a religious hope of overcoming the Miłosz’s women are silent for most the But part. there is no obsession of ownership, of woman,” the where action). woman the or (of a perspective social a text is a subject spirit and matter, as it would have to result asceticism. ina radical say that relation moderates to women temptation the dualism of a radical to establish poison,” or at least no more than entiretythe of European modern culture is. One could tribute to the wife’s matronly dignity. as producers of progeny. of Lack education and indifference to culturethought to con- to be co-founders of love the letter as a form. Greek wives were treated instrumentally, well educated and inan partners could intellectual be debate. believed They are also largely lawful wives of independent Greek lives, citizens; as were opposedto the they 15 14 13

Christianity introduced different values.Although Christ promisedthekingdom It is difficult to imagine a theological system thata theological be would more directedIt against is difficult to imagine Naturally, is this not feminism. Feminism involves “from thinking perspective the Texts andtheBody O. Paz. Double… 102. Paz. O. Czajna, J. (ed.)Białystok: 1997. 53-75. Kościoła”. w pismachOjców kobiety i z powrotem. do mężczyzny Od kobiety Brach- See: Borkowska, M. Twarze, Pustyni Ojców Kraków: 2001; Ostrowska, D. “Wizerunek See: Ganszyniec, R. Polskie miłosnedawnych. listy czasów Lviv: 1925. 15 However, Miłosz’s thought on women is not burdened with “Manichean the 14 Miłosznot does directly refer to the Greek tradition, 13 Men sought who company the of women found Translation: Anna Warso ism and its conception of literature, implication this gets only revealed ina roundabout literature to the of function representation. Yet- are since inpoststructural they inscribed project of enlightenment the and, as Marxist studies literary didbefore, strongly connect der studies, evenifformulated at time ofthe belong flourishing postmodernism, to the complexthe theoretical structure, quite characteristic of theoretical this current.- Gen and grounding, political social their but 1970sand inthe 1980scamouflaged it under and from emancipatory parallel the movements minorities, of sexual never renounced of interest to us here. national implications of that fact the travel, theories ingender also studies, are which even ifapparently we live times. inpost-imperial and cultural hegemony, perpetuates which former the structures imperial of thought, west to east, ina longer it perspective proves to be an effective instrument of interpretive studies, is not politically neutral, even if it wants to appear to be so. Traveling usually from outskirtsthe or outside theory. literary itself, as Theory we are reminded postcolonialby since studies literary successfully continue to perform national their mission, usually at at 1960s,has leastperhaps to the that obscured state of affairs but has not disrupted it, of own their literature and culture. The internationaltheoretical in discourse,turn dating always watched and are watching still over interpretations the of international the quota remainstill international, crossing national boundaries. National studies literary have nation the andto build national identity inEurope, of but epochs stylistic poetics the In 18 the Gender studies,Gender have which developed from feminism political of 1950sand the 1960s, theThis nationalstrong and generalizationsupra- in order is necessary to assess Traveling Theory Gender StudiesToday: BuildingTheory, German Ritz th century, as is well-known, European literature becomes one of means the

51 52 depth psychology and cultural theory. subjective opinions smuggled under cover the of tend complex to be constructions of through decentralization the of literature, for example, by eliminating author, the and of literature, cherished so by formalism and has long structuralism, undermined been manner. At same the time, as example the of gender studies makes clear, autonomy the on contrary, the it produced universal justifications kindsfor interests. all particular of as we well know, really has immune never been to imperialist and nationalist thinking, hetero-stereotypes and unwittingly perpetuate old colonial models. Academic research, outside we have to stick to the purely descriptive ifwe do not want to give into national of law the and state. as a political used can Gender be category only from inside; from the “faulty” Polish system political was abolished name inthe of enlightened the categories began his Polish education from lesson the about partitions as when, is well known, the Polish literature scholar probably who shouldwhich well known to a foreign be full minorities, ofsexual particularly homosexuals. country. This phenomenon was most pronouncedthe in repressionsreaction to the of colonial features and had qualities of a political lesson given to a politically “oppressed” government, such foreign contributions on subject the of gender occasionally revealed of advocate who those utopia. In aggravatedthe debate and political social under PiSthe never independent of historicalthe conditions and interests, but represents intereststhe gender orientation. and sexual utopias, political all Like of ideal gender the equality is of gender, always from start of ideal gender the equality and rights equal irrespective of instrumentality, gender because to uncover studies, merely evenifthey history the try Polishthe of history ifunconsciously, gender was exposed, danger of political to the early of on international ina network contacts. At same the time, foreign research on feministthe movement and gender studies. studies Gender have thus established been of foreign theory. The symbol and guarantor the of movement was Maria Janion. inintegratingsucceeded community the and prevented danger the of a simplistic import oftioned varietyof fields,the discussion generations, and association with a variety heated,discussion, occasionally very but participation thanks to the of abovemen the - with Simone deBeauvoir. In 1990s,gender the studies have again becomesubject the of affiliations werereactivated, those with particularly French feminist thoughtoriginating favorable conditions for gender studies to develop. Thanks to the older generation, older discussionthe about gender and predominance the of women humanities inthe created are evenstronger here than west. inthe In Poland, different generationsparticipated in of andmiddle eastern Europe were they of part and great the transformations political social a result of politicsthe of rights equal and were closely related feminism. Into political perestroika perestroika Attempts to “enlighten” another nation can turn easily into opposite, their a danger Western studies of eastern Europe quickly found a partner for own their research in studiesGender have root taken at western European and American universities as Gender studiesandinterestgroups Texts andtheBody and collapse the after of ties 1989. The real to political socialism feminism support, such everneeded support ifthey at Their all. own networks and collaboration studiesliterary have long outgrown pioneering their stage and do not require foreign ferences disappear under cosmopolitan the coating. writer’s inthe arrival own as a result thinking, of national the which and historical dif- rather complex, constitute not a departure point but, more oftenthan not,pointthe of argument. drawn Theses from the authoritative French andsources, American always work with frequent and long quotations and care less for developing and an qualifying Poststructuralism has one surprising feature in common with Marxism, namely both reception, filters which much whatof a formbeen has intothinking of a thought content. comments is not intended of French as a criticism and American sources, but of their worksthe of Judith Butler to the canon of French authors. The irony those detectable in atNietzsche of beginning the to be century. the used Post-feminism of 1990sadds the of were cult texts they of an postmodernism, inspiration for collections, whole as book something to life akin philosophy or life 1980sand in the truths; form the 1990s,taking culture. in works as –especially also waswhose ideas subject love Those serve –could formalism –but offered instead a complicatedset the in of ideas realm of philosophy of by undertaken Slavic the shaped structuralism by of text analysis –a task a method ism, late inthe 1970s,French inthe 1960sand especially didnot structuralism create from Foucault and to Barthes Lacan and Kristeva. After shifting toward- poststructural “I,” drawn from various emancipatory movements, but –by the canonized then –texts of reference for gender studies is no longer construction the liberated of modern, the inworksobscured, also of “mature” writers. student writing that matter, errsinthis we because may encounter such assumptions, if of authoritativeness and ontological tendencies. And it is not only well-intentioned the research liberal the community. Such assumption false may obviously danger the carry faulty gender relations really is, and we are supported unquestioned inthis knowledge by from control. academic It would that seem we know what liberated that sexuality destroys a universal always good, and already possessed thus not requiring reflection and exempt character.of acquiring a teleological Academics consider emancipation gladly sexual of gender is mixed easily up emancipation, of with history the sexual as a consequence historical context. category itself as its inresearch use: category the of gender is usually separated from its ation briefly that discussed. What to be need I am referring to here is notso muchthe gerous category, for it may to abuses. lead easily There are several reasons forthat situ- Polish gender of studies, which from established 1990shad the been as a branch Looking forthehistoricaldimensionofcategory ofgender secondThe reason is related to methodological practice. Frompointthethe 1990s, The first generalreason thisfor is related to gender a whole.studies as The history For foreign scholars, literary and not only for or gender them, evendan is- a risky Gender asa riskyanalyticalcategory GenderStudiesToday: BuildingTheory, Traveling Theory Ritz

53 54 factor in 19 is given a central role culture in the of language, which, as is well known, is an important resentation of assigned the roles. For example, a woman, a bourgeois especially woman, sanctions existing the gender relations and, what is more, feeds onthe shifts the in rep- on gender the order itself. Quite predictably, relation the gender between and nation nation building not only relies on images the of gendered constructions but is based what is unsaid and myth enrichthe with surplus the of ambiguity. But process the of myths are gendered. Into historical the myth images of gender introduce quality the of relation gender between and nation the is complex and multilayered. Great national supports it, are always overt,implemented the while gender order remains hidden.The portant differencethe – nation building process gianttheand cultural apparatuswhich of gender and nation building are closely intertwined. Only –and makes this for an im- polis the times supplementing category the of gender is category the of nation. the Already inancient and myth the of emancipation has lost its urgency. One of most the important contexts nisms are no longer present, but knowledge because about has them become saturated mechanisms of repression,processes with reference not to the such because mecha- repressed the culturalunearth or concealedconstructions of gender and to analyze than before, an integration into broader contexts. It is not enough any more to simply emancipation. “neutral” Onthe grounds academic category the demands, today more not engendered an interest ingender perspectives. theafter 2000 spiritualhas come climate to co-define around the world, certainly has of exhaustion, acute exhaustion, The infact. American neoconservative movement, which likewhich, a number of concepts shows and of poststructuralism postmodernism, signs one cannot of a systemic talk Yet neglect. gender here is (both and there) a category also not unlike that of western European countries. There are gaps still in gender studies, but (variouslypost-feminism defined) theand elusive queer studies themake Polish situation importantvery women’s and homosexual emancipatory movements and thetendencies of affect Polish history cultureof and literature. existenceThe parallel politicallystill the of discourse. In meantimethe questions about gender more and more deeply and broadly guarantee international contacts and exchange, field inthe theoreticalof especially with Polish foreign literature studies, with departments the particularly of English, especially incomparisonespecially with western Europe. least that belonging to the nobility on nationwhich the is issurprisingly based, modern, tion, field the of nation – gender relationsrichly castis theand image the of woman, at mediately by struck position external the of central the female figure in relation to men. but national the symbolic that are they meant to convey is always same. the One is im- Poloniae Finis Kościuszko ratujący Polskę przed grobem, Matejko’s In 19 “muteness” or lack of her own language, emphatically so presented by realist the novel. Is gender a dead category academic today? Surely not, where it accompanies political If one compares three Polish versions Poloniae of motif the of Finis Texts andtheBody th centuryPoland, due loss of to the national sovereignty and- uneven moderniza th century nation building: that is, against broadlythe disseminated image of , one discovers that female the figures are represented indifferent styles, represented itself with gender categories, and history the inmodernity Rok 1863–Polonia, and Malczewski’s : Smuglewicz’s Eastern BorderlandEastern literature continued tradition this almost until end the of 20 the hue, and foruse Galician and tinted that with Sienkiewicz them a national purpose, Polish phantasmatic projections. relations, 19 inthe which of gender the and national imaginary, but effect the the of also Polish order of gender of paintingsseries from Smuglewicz to Malczewski is not merely result the of clash the tendwhich eachother to exclude inreception. The independent Polish womanthe in important is not only deconstruction, but above historicization the all of terms both context of nation. the In relation the gender between and nation, the however, what is on other, the emancipatory the significance of gender construction is relativizedthe in is never simple. one Onthe hand, a gender reading patriotic deconstructs iconography, fascinating power for Polish identity, of because its also romantic form. Other. retains its Despite total the transformation self-destruction, this of I still the narcissisticallythis created immediately ego will defeated be encounter inthe with the maximumthe power of romantic the word, Great the Improvisation show will us that himself after Gustaw’s romantic failure inhis encounterwith a woman.Soon after, with if independent of gender the of out birth system, I as the of a narcissistic of a genesis romanticthe Gustaw into Konrad, national the hero of Dziady, part III,is an example woman but that also of a man undergoes gender a peculiar shift. transformation The of sion with eroticism. loaded ambivalence today. that to us is crucial Malczewski returns it poetically, to us ina ver nationalthe interpretation ambivalence this denied inreading images the of gender, an of national the symbol, and expresses her own female sovereignty instead. Obviously, by woman the which of as sign the nation the acquires quality independence, the loses embodiment of as a process gender three paintings inthose described be could also much frames patrioticallythe brooding artist in center,the as towers over him. The centerin the of by painting the to her of semiotics the patriotism, ascribed and not so patrioticthe theme, reveals its hiddengender message. Femininity position the escapes ing) represent only history, lost history. and Malczewski, aestheticizes poeticizes who She is above a woman all as (grouped such, they when around her and lively gesticulat- son with Polish the images of Ukraine. the The main difference the lies in historical successfully introduced literature, to world remains flat and stereotypical incompari- Polish woman,equivalent of by enriched a beautiful Thomasand Mannwith a male century. A Polish-German comparison would interesting be here.German The image images of Other. ethnic the In 19 the to take on form the of crossing national andthe borders. Other ethnic needs sexual The and images of gender. Modern desire, alwayswhich touches limitsthe of I, the likes nations. the between We already mentioned permeation the of national heterostereotypes tion, as inhistorical myths, but above makes itself all visible crossing inthe of borders The Ukrainian romanticschool created arsenal of images a whole that be could of As examples those both demonstrate, relationship the gender between and nation In the complicated Polish process of nation building, not only the figure theof The mutual influence of gender and nation notonly defines the images of identifica- GenderStudiesToday: BuildingTheory, Traveling Theory Ritz th century, is incomparable to the European one. th century, Ukraine the particularly is spaceof the th -

55 56 interesting is unknown the history. outsidefacts canonical literature. is not Aging interesting theory any more; what is national phenomenon and, armed with go theoretical tools, insearch will of historical become interesting again ifit moves beyond application the of familiar to the theories analysis, afterthe faze of multiplyingthe common infinitum theoretical discourse ad theoretical discourses but to demand more rigorous historical research. Today’s gender To historicize andpoststructuralism. contextualize gender studies is not to multiply traditions academic those are similar and too grow out of same the impulses of French for aging the studies gender are studies; theoretical notdiscourses of a lifeboat both over (on from level the of gender studies. theory) studies Postcolonial to postcolonial in national and patriotic interpretations. These aretwo sides samethe of coin. in Iwaszkiewicz, as it would a mistake be to exclude ambivalences the of love the theme or as (barely Odojewski audible) declarations, sexual such as homosexual the declaration desire, from Malczewski, through Słowacki to Iwaszkiewicz Sienkiewicz, and especially subvert the national political order. It would a mistake be to read the Ukrainian images of not only boundary ethnic the disturb gender identity, male, but especially usually also characteristic here; its favorite form is triangle. the These relations established above of desire Polish-Ukrainian inthe triangle. A complicated constellation of desire is very kaniowski found representation inGoszczyński’swoman: of motif the is to be a classic Zamek plays multiple roles. He triangulates with Polish the desire for beautifulUkrainian the of desire but always adversary. a historical also In Polish images of desire, Cossack the Polish phantasmatic like western the Cossack, European Mazepa, is not only figure the dimension: projections of desire and phantasms incontact explode with history. The By broadening category the of gender with category the of nation the we have crossed Texts andtheBody , or is himself like an Bohun inSienkiewicz ambiguous and object subject the Translation: Krystyna Mazur , will manipulation, basis of the its and decorum a narcotic up stirring masses: the where “demonism the of flesh and blood,” and “red werebiology” an element political of 1988 58).Her fear more became concrete reflection the when led towards Fascist Italy, Today’s leading. isthis all leaders like brawn, cheer and good optimism” (Nałkowska sphere: withcult ofpolitical the body the “Teatime discussion on Radio. the Fear of where another from extract Diaries body,male the cult ofthe physical fitness, theand novelty borgeois in of sports life. In bringsollection of together issue the aspects the almost that all I would like to discuss: 1 muscle channelled, imposed, ecstasy the and are sports publicized –how far we are from The emotions the crowdof disciplined,are controlled,bedlam bodies the guided, the

bedlam. Yetbedlam. there is no doubt that is simulated. bedlam this (28) Frombelieving. comes this naked dread, demonism the of flesh some and blood, red biology, ustizia.” In breaks the chorus the responds holler joyful – the of rabble. the One hears without the of oratorThe cry is utterly bestial, and onecan make outthe words “Vittoria,” “eroi,” - “gi The above description comesfrom Zofia Nałkowska’s 1935Diaries happens, amid life, among townspeople out for a walk. ming, nudity that to be used of –everything preserve the on beaches foreign coasts today just point –some first, head others strangestseemed first, which feet Boats, to me. swim- canoes, levels and leapt from various heights into arm of dead the River the Dunajec, at deep this Here, naked youths, tanned and lithe, climbed in black with underpants five onto a tower (selected examples) Sports andLiteraturein1918-1939 From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality: W Warszawa: Czytelnik, 1988: 20. Nałkowska, Zofia, Dzienniki , vol. 4: 1935-1939, 2, part ed. andintro. HannaKirchner. ojciech Śmieja , Nałkowska connects “sportification” the of reality theand 1 . Thewriter’s - rec

57 58 and outside of main the current of culture. figurethe someoneof physicallyweak, fragile, standing the sidelineson of change, with dominant the of model carnality, male as strong, physically fit, sporty, replaced manthe of frequently letters 1920s very inthe who gave a self-description, inkeeping Fascistizationthe of politics and popularizing the of culture. The figurewriter, the of incarnated body male model (ifyoupun) the excuse ominous the will tendencies of fearthe ofelites liberal the margins. it which consignedbecausethe This was to the the samethe people, same the behaviors.” – admiration, rapture, glorification;sequencesboth concernsameyet the phenomena, tions –contempt, disgust, distaste at cruelty the of crowd the –with uplifting emotions power poetic of Spring that “The of crowd the was an of object poet’s the fascination: fearful Maciąg Włodzimierz writes itself, indulging was a kind body the of ideology, and biological the and anarchic amorality Julian Tuwim’s famous Spring –a Dithyramb from carnality 1918,inwhich was a joy in 4 3 2 interwar years, of the body ideology the concernsBy 1930s, these the had become widespread. In of second the decade the appropriation, first the signs which of appearedthe in1923 work of Tadeusz Peiper. though,delight the soon, at its possibilities would replaced be by fear at its political an became importantthey component of avant-gardethe of time.the Rather poetics description, cultural representation, education through rest, sports, but work, also in themselves.carnality an became Newly ideology discovered as an object of literary body. In first the decade of independent Poland,the liberated body and male body, rounded biceps and shoulders. solid At first it was not whatclear to dowiththis Słonimski –“cast offthe coat Conrad,” of showed readers a burly, young, muscled interesting. In 1920s,Jan the Lechoń, one –to quote of who those by Antoni a poem sider themeans of its conceptualization in 1920s and 1930s literature to be particularly The human body is a subject that is by neglected gender studies in Poland, and I con - not only class-based, butconcerning case inthis racial, Poles the also as a nation. In

Texts andtheBody Tuwim, Julian, –a Dithyramb”“Spring here (translated by BenKoschalka). Wrocław: Narodowy Zakład im. Ossolińskich, 1992: 18. Maciąg, Włodzimierz, Szkice o poezji. Żagarów kręgu Warszawa: PEN, 1990: 47). ofstrength,appearance are “already falling” (seeBereś, Stanisław, Ostatnia wileńskaplejada. heroes belong theyoung to a “cursedin which revolutionary generation,” and, despite the “the generational credo Ildefons,Konstanty “Wciąż Uciekamy” poem’s protagonist collective intellectual ison thesideofatrophy (Gałczyński, anddying Cf. The textsofGałczyński, e.g.“Wciąż uciekamy” [“Werunning”], are still the inwhich And you, Spring, that is begotten! a criminal O, how I praise you, crowd, with exalted words dance the ofLet indecent excitement go! It matters not! –yours!All With your hips, your dash! thighs, of the ‘Żagary’ poetic group” –Miłosz’s poem “Wam” [“To You”], Nasz polskiej wiekXX.ideeliteratury 1918-1980. Przewodnie is produced violent inthe collision of degrading emo- 2 gave way to in: idem, Poezje. Warszawa: Algo, 1979: 345)or 4 Weakness that was would a feature be ideologized carnality 3 , which aroused Edward Rydz-Śmigły), militarism, and anticommunism. education cultof the (Józef was leader characterized the Piłsudski, by: and later courage and physical knowledge.” fitness, military as well as to spread “Shooting” was to “arouse and strengthen among members national the spirit, discipline, moral members in1938)statesshown by that itsoverriding the a million half objective “citizenmodel soldier.” The statute of latter the organization strength (whose was and StrzelecSport (“Shooter”) Society Marksmen’s Association striving to create the preparation, educationcal was closely to military linked with Sokół the (“Hawk”) 7 6 5 clubs with 469,500 people activeby in them. 1938 had increased to 8,188 1932 there were 5259active sporting clubs, with 289,500members, numbers which activity among citizens as widely as possible, and intensified this 1930s–in inthe after left partitions. the deficiencies The authorities were keen to promote physical citizens. available The independent all used country resourcesup for to make the ofof Republic Second the policy the was to improve physicalthe condition of its The columnist’s concern was shared by theauthorities ruling – a consistent objective of than Polish their manhood peers: represented a stronger corporeal model modern the better raceispersonifying striking, Antoni Sobański’s description of the German race, the conviction that young Germans bowlerz, we will walc with uncovered walc bowlerz, we will head. Bare necks. We one as to get every need imediate futurization of life” declared, let us recall, that “We rejekt umbrellas, hats, a symbolthe sporty male body of a new era, a new lifestyle. The “Mańifesto concerning futurism to the extremely Krakow experimental Avant-garde –made of image the of literature. of –from time the moderate poetics the All group Skamander, anarchic via pressures from various sides,it would subject in1920savant-garde appear as a new inliterature.hood explore subject the of conceptualization the of of and sport ideal man carnal the - associations and sporting corporations provide a background against we which can

Yet before model imagethe of subjectedcould to ideological be body male the Clearly, almost of two decades poverty cannot destroy heritage. this youth German the is by heredity burdened with and health effects the of a higher level of life. physicalthe condition of our raceswas same. the And ifso, that what then wins? I imagine despitepeers, myself thought the to me occurred to wonder at whether of time the Grunwald I saw a parade of Polish the preparation, military and compared ladswith German their these water exists this inPoland –all too. And yet, day the when, after my fromreturn Germany, and inaction for many so years, must remain a mystery. Sports, cultof the body, the sun and The reason forthe simply excellent physical state Germanthis of youth, enduringpoverty From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality… Śmieja Bydgoskiej, 2005: 73. odrodzona w 1918 roku. Bydgoszcz: Wyd. Uczelniane WSP, 1990: 220. Rzeczypospolitej”, in: II Kubiak, pozamilitarnym społeczne w systemie Stanisław, Polska Szymańczak, Z. andJ. Hildebrant, organizacje przez “Wychowanie obronne młodzieży Jastrzębski, Włodzimierz, Sobański, Antoni, w Berlinie, Cywil ed. Tomasz Szarota. Warszawa: Sic!, 2006: 53. Historia kultury fizycznej,Historia kultury Bydgoszcz: Wyd. Akademii 7 These societies, shooting societies, These 5 6 Physi-

59 60 should lifta machine levelto the the ideal of eroticof humanity.” ism, perhaps expressed best (A Summary) by Bruno Jasieński Futurism inPolish biologism (visible, for example, quoted inthe words of manifesto) the and machin- much tan as possible.” 11 10 9 8 activity and, importantly,a pacifist a supranational Several yearsone. after the end of “Ourbetter: song joins peoples and forges strong.” them are sports So at same the time / And to its beat new we give a step” (Wierzyńskibe different, 1981115).Thiswill face subject –renews “We faceof the earth: the surrounded with a new panorama earth the parade”], “newness” functions ina “them” and “us” opposition. “We” –a collective lyrical adjectivethe “new” In occurs. keynote the opening poem larization of As sports. readers we are by struck with which frequency the especially and expectations that are with linked revived the of idea Olympianism and popu the - Perhaps due to the convention of competition, Wierzyński’s volume expresses hope the through streets the of Warsaw. Wat ina rather unrefined form: Anatol ina wheelbarrowpoet the naked carried Stern depicting shocked to the extent that had at they of time the Picador or interms of animal carnality. In volume the 1927,when was written, neither way of [“Olympic Laurel”], sportsman’s the either as is a mechanism generally body described compares mechanistic two the sporting styles, and biologistic: the shown “Paddock by poem the i Porritt” [“Paddock and Porritt”], Wierzyński inwhich form Their “lexicalization” of poem. the lexicon poetic perhapstimethethe of is in best ist manifestos. Having become “familiar,” could harmonise they with neo-classical the

In Kazimierz Wierzyński’s “sporting” from poems volume the Olympijski Laur Texts andtheBody Jarosiński, Zbigniew “Introduction” to: Jarosiński 1978: andZaworska LIX. Warszawa: Narodowy Zakład im. Ossolińskich, 1978: 10. (ed.), andHelenaZaworska Zbigniew . sztuki Antologiai nowej polskiego futuryzmu życia,” Jasieński futuryzacji natyhmiastowej Bruno w sprawie “Mańifest in: Jarosiński, Wierzyński, Kazimierz,Wierzyński, Poezja, ed. Sprusiński. Michał Kraków: WL, 1981: 119. Morgan”].Izolda threatened by thedouble-edged sword ofJasieński’sLegs of Nogi Izoldy Morgan [“The weal and itbecame to therevaluingofthe mechanisationofcorporeality: contributed ofwar,this experience peoplewere inwhich a supplementto themachine, only that Europe inModern .Sexuality New York: Howard Fertig, 1985: 124. Perhaps itwas experience. Cf. Mosse, George L., Nationalism andSexuality. Respectability andAbnormal culture- grewon thebasisoftechnicisationwartime thatitspost-waruniversality of European futurism. George L. to German inparticular referring Mosse claims canons fitsintothe aesthetic The fascination withthemechanisationofcorporeality Jasieński, Bruno, polski(bilans),”“Futuryzm in: Jarosiński 1978: andZaworska 51. The thelaw itself,other is speed of motion, nature. One is a machine alive, ina rush, strong and young The other blown the by glides a little,breeze like a wave… One rolls from sideto side like a rattling tank 8 This postulate This reality social theAleksander wasinby realized 9 The body body Theandcarnality timethis at were spreadbetween 11

“Defilada “Defilada atletów”[“Athletes’ 10 and first the futur “ t r “A : - great dissonance against background the of volume’s the pacifist meaning –a series militaristic connotations of “standards”). Yet –and uses provides this same the poem on fields the the of Great War (apartfrom theatre,the this is represented the by openly not out, this spell context the of eramakes the reason the obvious: it was compromised European culture inherited from previous eras does is worthless. Although poem the as mass entertainment with elite theatre attributes negative associations to the latter: the firewith such a mighty voice.” The tone is enthusiastic, theand juxtapositionsports of great audience…And show me now –where, theaters/ inwhich a million spectators will “Here a secret meaning binds and enthusiasm bonds/ A million people lounging inthe Match”], with admiration speaks of poet the inwhich enthusiasm the of crowds for soccer: 13 12 of body,the (natural) in which this terms of “sporting the classicism” of Wierzyński’s therefore poem means heroization the sameness:their demigod,” the just like an animal, is beyond human morality. in Bestiality and Animals!”Demi-people! divinity Bestiality are combined not inopposition, but in race”]country is concluded with exclamation: the “What a marvellous herd!/ Demi-gods! contrary,the were they aim the of sporting efforts:the text “Bieg na przełaj” [“Cross- as a civilizational threat kindof or “tumbling” a certain from human the –on pedestal “Panie na start” [“Ladiesget set”]and biologism (123).Bestiality were no longer treated bands,jazz would person too the important be by – his is arrival poem the signalled Now, post-war inthe of time era,the radio, the aeroplane, women’s emancipation and with an image of to blame those for outbreak the of war. are confess, and they what but ideology thisplace unspecified reader inpracticethe fills Greatthe War, no this doubt rang loud and especially We true. donot know “they” who is a sign of the true essence of ofis a sign humanity. true the

Olympic Laurel An extremely Laurel interesting work inOlympic From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality… Śmieja Warszawa: Trio, 2003: 84). [Original: Seksualność w cieniuswastyki. w polityce człowieka Światintymny Rzeszy Trzeciej ‘Arian’ shouldbedefined by ‘silent greatness.’” (Maiwald,Stefan andGerd Mischler, of themanwere supposedto berepresented by cool, unerotic rather poses: the preparedcarefully –sohairless, smoothandtannedskin. The strength andpotency inspiration: itshareswhich a classical “the malebody, ifpresented publicly, had to be to theFascist close aesthetic, represents themalebodyissurprisingly withWierzyński However, conventional character. hasanovertly thenaturalness The way inwhich after Wierzyński’s volume, Wierzyński’s after in1929). pacifist literature (Remarque’s onthe Quiet Western All Front waspublishedtwo years clumsy. ofthebodyininter-war bestialare grotesquely thoseresisting So theideology grotesqueness –thehuman-as-animal bodyisthenuncontrolled, greedy, and dirty Cf. Mosse 1985: 64. can also be The convention of realisedinterms ofbestiality And a marathon which hearts endure. We are famed for inspiration, muscles and space, Another standard us and lay called on our heads, songOur knows not your raptures and words, Sexualität unter demHakenkreuz] (Polish trans. Ryszard Wojnakowski). 12 state demonstrates culture’s lack of authenticity and 13 is “Match Footballowy” [“Football

61 62 time to timetime by crowds.” the plinth//the And from look at high gleaming the windows/ Ofcafes, out spewed from soles”)leathery a statue until to become I fancied/ “beautifully brown, having climbed and at same the time its speaker, roams naked around town (“slender body,” “hard [“Nakedczłowiek Man w śródmieściu” City inthe Centre”].poem’s The protagonist, or strongmen. The monumental,picture is supposed to be like in Anatol Stern’s “Nagi of are poems lyric frequent: are poets the inthem, often sportsmen, record holders, and feverish bodies sporty crowds. But in1920spoetry, self-creations of personas the say little about it: standing on sporting spectacle, the sidelines, the it to admire seems Laurel thatsport is cause the of its undying popularity –yet is only this the text inOlympic “jumping from city to city.” Perhaps confrontational it is very the nature of team this which later).is a “missile,”poem the in Theball “sentfrom as if thebarrel of a mortar,” anxieties would which manifested be two years later by Władysław Broniewski (more of comparisons military of very and epithets. These arethe expression the underlyingof 15 14 and fascinated with carnality: sportsmen inan entirely different wayfrom that of “OlympicLaurel,” pacifist, uncritical fodder. In sportsman’s its the all perfection, is a lethal body tool. addressed The speaker [“Care and as Song”], sports a means described for landed the classes to produce cannon for example, “Lekka atletyka” inhis poem [“Athletics”] from volume the Troska i pieśń “Sporting bodies” were from criticized left-wing and proletarianpositions. Broniewski,

In “Olympic Laurel,” author the is asdiscretely speaker put to one side, and we can From outset, the as sport a factor shaping of carnality ideal male the had a rival –work. Texts andtheBody 1956: 102-103. Broniewski, Władysłąw, atletyka,” “Lekka in: idem, zebrane. Wiersze Warszawa:PIW, ed. Tadeusz Kłak. Warszawa: Narodowy Zakład im. Ossolińskich, 1985: 14). First!” thefinish/ aiming for (Czechowicz, Józef,“We czterech,” in: idem, Wybór poezji, / at thestart There arefour ofusatthe goldenlineofthecomet /…there arefour ofus presented here asnomore andnolessthananathleticsmeeting: arefour ofus “There horsemen oftheapocalypse, andatthesametimesportsmen. careerThe poeticis Bielski, who(along withCzechowicz’s are brother compared Stanisław) to thefour power. with friendship hisliterary The poetdescribes andKonrad Wacław Gralewski Four ofUs” Czechowicz’s inJózef debutvolume isa similar testimony to thesenseof In: Jarosiński 1978: andZaworska 207. “We poemThe biographical czterech” [“The in which the audience the inwhich appear. Unemployment and dictators Of Europe incrisisand baloney, You wear uniform the You must courageous, be You’ll get sharp bayonets. You’ll get live ammunition, Sprinters at finish the – Winners of decathlons, 14

15 for a new person,” of masculinity, health, a slogan agreement[…], to be a call with life: it was able to be reaction to lunatism, a salutary to be around which year the 1900dominated literature 19 18 17 16 lastthe stanza “‘pole vault’ to eternity” (Gałczyński 1979:189). “squats,” “open-air games,” “cross-country” and “match.” The enumeration finishes in successivedisciplines stages attributed of life, including to the “Swedish gymnastics,” ity of contents the (a child’s “squatting” staffage of andsporting a modern on a potty) togetherwithperiods, types ofactivity accorded specific to them,alongside- trivial the comic effect by themetheplacing literature, eternal of didactic which divides life into (“Every age has its sports”). In forms it, exemplum poet the a versified vitae, achieving such a text is Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński’s “Każdy 1931 poem wiek ma swoje sporty” phor, of a symbol “modernity,” than an intrinsic subject of poetry. lyric An example of common.especially The topos of is sports much morefrequently- basisthe of a meta It is therefore nothat surprise attempts record a lyric of to make sporting toils are not shows caution: were different. very nality that it produced, occupied literature and journalism. Their literary reactions life. The social appearance this of phenomenon itself, as well as the of model carof ofobject admiration of avant-gardists. the Śląska” [“From Upper Silesia”] proclaims, “walls [from the workers’] muscles” are the physical labor before shapingthe as Peiper’s of ideal carnality: male “Z Górnego poem in flight overlaps the (297), ball Krakow withthe image avant-gardeof a flying places life” (Peiper 1979104).In spite of such as “Football,” poems image the inwhich of a bird famous postulates, inexorably to fascism. led its claiming radicalism, that apotheosizing the step, of gymnastic the one of Marinetti’s Peiper, in his who renowned 1923manifesto “Tędy” fitness to becomethe a tool in class struggle. to “turn bayonetsthe round – against governments!,”the for and physical military their essentially poem, an This meantappeal to raise sportsmen’s class awareness, ends ina call

On the faceofOn the things, it is a simple task to depict poetry. inlyric sports But one critic At least intowns element and a significant cities, 1930sbecame inthe of sports risk informingA similar person through new the are sports perceived by Tadeusz jumps…in metaphorical the formula of a poem….rhetoric replaces dynamic. the mastering one’s weakness, splendour the of battle the and competition in stadiums, on tracks, heroism the ofIt sporting battle, the beauty the of is hard disinterested to enclose effort, From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality… Śmieja “the stars intheskyare spinning likea velodrome.” In anotherofGałczyński’s texts(“Concert” from 1926), we encounter thecomparison Marx, Jan,poetycka “Kwadryga.” Warszawa: Grupa LSW, 1983: 193. 103. Peiper, Tadeusz,“Tędy,” in: idem,Pisma wybrane, ed. Jaworski, Stanisław Wrocław 1979: Peiper’s revolution atthetimeofsocio-political inItaly. textwaswritten 17 according to Peiper it to the led “trivialization and vulgarization of 16 Although “the step was able gymnastic [“This [“This Way”]futurism criticises for 19

18 -

63 64 and its repercussions radioand inthe press as follows: 21 20 concepts but on otherthe hand, put Olympic fitness intoframework the ideological of nationalistic on which, onemoods, the hand, clearly competition, divide sporting and political-military Olympics)in 1936(Berlin should treated be as inkeeping with current the of common later creation; perhaps it is only higher. ethically The thisuse of rhetorically worn-out topos substitute for war, but it is not, as Wierzyński suggested earlier, a decade an evolutionally This architecturecycle seems the to contain of the suggestionthat canbe a pacifist sports (somewhat exemplification diffuse) provide possibilities the a poetic of two mentioned. sporting or are martial, equal.cycle, The poems twonext the of “War” and “Olympiad,” evolutionary order replaced war, belonged which to the past, for Flukowski pursuits, both whereas for Wierzyński satisfied sports a human forneed competition almostandsome in is closing time, us/ long inharvest inthe of time summer” and peaceful (36).Note that, field of war,” but it might fall also “onthe ellipse the of stadium,”where “the Olympiad wholethe future of Thejavelin mankind is cursed). thrown falls poem the in “onthe red javelin(the becoming then a weapon-tool hands inthe of hominid, the perhaps inwhich javelin is a boy’s then toy to a soldier), gives which rise or of times the primitive humanity interpretations are legitimate: “the years of naïve youth” years might (the childhood be holds clenched inthe fist/ whereand the ash missilewill reach” (Flukowski 193635). Two of a Javelin,” we read: “None of us asked In then,/ years the of naïve youth,/ why javelin the universalized here of as experience the and history of human nature. In titularthe “Image [“War”] and “Olimpjada” [“Olimpiad”].thejavelin Sports specifically throw)(and very are “javelin cycle,” comprizing “Obraz poems the oszczepu” [“Image of a Javelin”], “Wojna” Following images these of explicitly catastrophic provenience, there comes three-part the we watch uniformized human masses, divisions and regiments moving along dusty roads. and is a monumental, almost epic, but picture bloody of war. In included poems the here world,/the tireless inhurling, jumpers/ and furthest the to you, to you!!!” thrice men, to whom homage should paid: “So be of those you are who fastest the runnersin confessionslyrical of a member of avant-garde the group Kwadryga. This means- sports form the takes which of an extended apostrophe, wethe find collective recipient the of and metaphorical nature inpresenting sporting themes. In “Ofiarowanie” [Sacrifice], Dębem rosnę [“I Grow into an Oak”] (1936)is an interesting attempt to combine a literal tioned by Jan Marx, i.e. of use “rhetoric,” of his Olympic series from poems volume the for wassport Stefan Flukowski. Although in his work he did not avoid threatthe men-

exercise is changed evermore clearly into some pre-war manoeuvres mobilizing passion the nations together, but rears antagonisms and hatreds. Freedom inphysical and noble rivalry idea the of OlympicsThe very falsified.Sportsbeen has conceived this in way do notbring Flukowski’s volume has Notably, three parts. first the titled is “Piechota” [“Infantry”] A lyric followed who poet inWierzyński’s footsteps and surrendere to his admiration Texts andtheBody “Olympiad” –remains open to interpretation. –cycle “Infantry,” of the The connection between theparts “Image ofa Javelin” and Flukowski, Stefan, Dębem. rosnę Warszawa: Towarzystwo Wydawnicze,1936: 43. 21 –aftersamethe all, year, Antoni Słonimskiwrote Berlin aboutOlympicsthe 20 National Camp party. Radical attached to the , a newspaper inABC expounded by Stanisław ina review Piasecki exhaust book’s the semantic potential. Its absolutely contemporary meanings were protagonists, Ikkosand Sotion, compete. Yet Parandowski’s erudite display not does at first the Olympics followingthe end the of wars,Hellenic whichtwoduring main is above an apotheosis all and evocation of Antiquity. Its actionunfolds in476BC claimed third price competition literary inthe accompanying Olympics, Berlin the Discus”], which presents Gamesthe way in a similar to Flukowski. The novel,which 24 23 22 itsstarted second life, to repeat initold the and virtues all mistakes.” First1896 the Olympiad erawas of opened. The modern the spirit of Greek agonistics of ludic culture and –as Parandowski showed novel epilogue inthe to his –toxic: “in and emergence in placetheir of professionalized incorporatedsports, in mechanismsthe his fears, was disappearance the of noble amateurism and Greek the of ideal kalokagathia The processwhich was Piasecki referring to, whichand follows Parandowski in building designatedterms, rules the by Wierzyński. are rhetoric subjected to poetic experience accordinga peculiar to, in general speaking “100 metrów dowolnym” [“100Meter Freestyle”], and “Kort” [“Court”]. Here, sports Freyer” [“Memorial to Alfred Freyer”], “Start Pływaków” [“Start of the Swimming Race”], [“Olympic Poems”], comprises texts the “Ofiarowanie” [“Sacrifice”], MemorjałAlfreda The groupnext from poems of

The sawyear 1933 the publication of Jan Parandowski’s olimpijski Dysk modern worldmodern over decades. sameThe processthat took in place Greece overthe course of centuriesthe taking in is place famous would schoolof to the gladiators lead gymnasia inAlexandria has already begun… Olympiadsto the and Greece have appeared. The fromprocesswhich Greekpalaestrae and a symbol of physical and spiritual fitness…alreadythe first signs the of changesbringing decline In unprecedented the development of Olympic the Games, healthy still and pure…being an olive branch. cornersto all the of world the and crowned most the dangerous militarism world inthe with itwhen turned out thatis our sporting “Waterloo”…The Berlin lie the of Olympicssent doves doing, how are they “giving a hiding,” “walloping,” until it finally intofell an ashamed silence putbeen at end the of Martyna’s shoe. The radio blaredday all aboutwhat our fellows are Olympicsthe have adopted of war terminology the reports. The ambitions the of nation have of crows.the We of read Czechoslovakia ridicule for “bringing up rear,” the and reports from From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality… Śmieja Czytelnik, 1957: 445. Parandowski, Jan, in: olimpijski,” idem,“Dysk Dzieławybrane, vol. 1, Warszawa: Kraków: Arcana, 2003. Piasecki, Stanisław, z mostu. Prosto Wybór literackiej, publicystyki ed. Maciej Urbanowski. Piasecki, Stanisław, ABCLiteracko-Artystyczne 1933no. i Sotion,” “Ikkos 108, citedin: Kopaliński. Warszawa: PIW, 1956: 487. gołębie, in: leczKruki,” idem,, 1927-1939 tygodniowe Kroniki ed. Władysław Słonimski, Antoni, –nie Owens nie przeskoczy –czego “Chore zdrowie fizyczne 22 23 I Grow into an Oak, simply “Wiersze titled Olimpijskie” 24 [“Olympic

65 66 26 27 25 At sight, this Mrs Szmit crosses herself inhorror: “‘You have no shame,’ she repeated.” corporeality is (which not shared by main the protagonist, Władzio Sawicki, thus gesture of Mrs Szmit’s crossing herself. According fascination the to Ritz, with male by contrast the of Janek’s “shameless” exhibitionism with traditionally the defensive The contrast the figureof sporty sonthe of the and paralyzed mother is duplicated here young protagonists, Janek Szmit, presents to his mother: his paralysed body The novel’s fascination body withthe reaches which in its one ina scene theapogee of sports grounds nosports longer society near by Kielce divided bring class.” together a new ality of is above time or new the person, buta symbol new all not of sublimation. The proposal. In Conspiracy of Men, written second of inthe half 1920s,“new the corpore- ture compromized in trenchesthe of Firstthe World War as an exceptionally attractive Ferdydurke Witold Gombrowicz, was tennis (Słonimski was another great tennis lover). Sports in novel. Particularly popular mainly respect, inthis thanks to Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and were1930s sports becoming a fairly common element of world the represented inthe considerably more spaceto demonstrate what can do, they inthe since particularly could build a tennis court. younger colleague. Standing over his patron’s corpse,Korecki contemplates where he aesthetepasseistic Wiesław Wolff,who commits suicide, but leaves his fortune to his Achilles Korecki has a romance, and at same the battle, an time ideological with the Iwaszkiewicz’s entitled 1929story Przyjaciele [“Friends”]. In it, amoral the “sporty” “modernthe schoolgirl” inFerdydurke bestThe example albeitthis, a grotesqueof one,the conflictis of Professor Pimko with turnthe of centuryinGermany 20th the detachment –their with cultural continuity. against conditions socio-cultural the were they with, left evenand –thecase as was at representsbody an expression of emancipation the of young people, rebellion their “sporty lifestyle” attribute is not a neutral of youth, but attitude with new the to the something that young people do. This may seem obvious, but we should notethat this [“Błędomierz Passions”] and evenRoman Dmowski’s Dziedzictwo [“Heritage”] are

back…! Oh! You mother, see, what kindof son you have. mother, –one, them two, one, side, as look I stretch two, just like strings, forward, to the atLook my muscles, mother. you Do Here see? and here…And chest? the Oh! And my legs, “New corporeality” Ritz’s (German term),emerges faceof inthe European the - cul If we can ourselves permit a generalization,it is that to make prose writers have Texts andtheBody Kraków: Universitas, 1999: 157. Ritz, German, Iwaszkiewicz. Jarosław Pogranicza (trans. nowoczesności Kopacki), Andrzej Iwaszkiewicz, Jarosław,. mężczyzn Zmowa Warszawa: Czytelnik, 1975: 94. (Warszawa Narodowy. Narodowo-Radykalnego 1937). Programu Zasady and Przełom pamphlets:manifesto nowych czasów Duch a RuchMłodych (Warszawa 1935) discourse, strongly inright-wing emphasised especially e.g. inBolesławPiasecki’s The exceptionalcharacter oftheconflict of “young” with “old” inthe1930sis , Possessed , Zmowa Mężczyzn [“Conspiracy of Men”], Pasje błędomierskie 25 . But there are more examples –just of think 27 26

very bad.”very simple suit. Clumsy –meaning that he moved as ifhe were naked, after which looks all Otton Krobowski. When we himat meet theatre, the he is “clumsy blue, quite ina dark of old the with new: the 30 29 28 attraction”a “tourist for visitors. hand, fear the that arises ancient the its tradition lose authenticity will local and turn into town: on one the hand, people are enticed by vision the of earnings, easy but on other the Warsaw and absolute poet career This idea type. provokes ambivalent the reactions in a new Oberammergau out of it. This idea is pushedthrough by Władysław Kanicki, a young of Passion, the titular Błędomierz tourists and is which make supposed to the to attract and crisisof values. The intrigue is played out aroundthe presentation the of procession old –but refers also to such them questions as changes inEuropean culture, nationalism, inansports area that we are already familiar with –that of conflict the withthe the of new caust” (163).The underrated workthat Błędomierz Passions is locates corporeality and corporeality becomes [inPassions written a decadelater, there is a characteristic evolution of attitudes “Amoral to the body: Interestingly, Swiss the scholar argues that inPasje błędomierskie [“Błedomierz Passions”], automatically putting himoutside community male the West,” although conclusions the that draw they are different: diametrically

in this respect he respect couldin this not count on Otton’s sympathy: thoughtthe And also of deaththe of European culture hung (Kanicki). on to him However, almost ten yearssociety after attaining independence. (Ritz 1999) corporealitynew is an expression of ahistorical the condition of new, the normalizing Polish Its era ultimately reference character. only to the has a metaphorical Theahistoricity the of 1920s might throw up –for fascination this is not with body the manifested enough. radically “corporeal” person, and not does have such references era that to an material from mid- the is not displayed staffage inthe the of avant-garde or pre-Fascist fascinationwiththe young From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality… Śmieja Iwaszkiewicz, Jarosław, Pasje. Warszawa: błędomierskie Czytelnik, 1976: 41. thisphenomenon! analysing representedtourist-consumers inthebook isa good 40years ahead in ofBaudrillard underthepressureThe problem ofloss of authenticity ofthegreedy attractions of Szkice o polskiej homoseksualnej.” Kraków: Universitas,“literaturze 2010: 37-60. mężczyzn’ –próba lektury, Jarosława Iwaszkiewicza in: idem,Literatura, której nie ma. Cf. Śmieja, Wojciech, Pana“’Dlaczego powieść niejest homoseksualna?’ ‘Zmowa 30 He main adversary, is to his linked Kanicki, “decline inthe by a belief of the mirror.” “Heads better now think too, more healthily, with no fog. Without looking inthe Otton reddened, not knowing how to express his thought. “Yes, physical strength, that’s known. And head?” the Fine strapping lads.” “What doyou said Otton mean, last?” the with a smile, “A new raceis growing. “What he asked, doyou “Are think?” we last?” the 29 ] a catastrophic image on of eveof the society Holo the - Kunicki’s most stubborn opponent is 24year the old 28 ) planted within conflict the (Iwaszkiewicz 197647)

67 68 thinking. Asthinking. George L.Mosse claims, destroy “peasant culture,” since it belongs to the Characteristic inKrobowski’s statement is phrase the about “urban the hand” that will tion of mystically the understood “great age”: Otton Krobowski shares Fascist the conviction that “new” can appear only as a restitu- 31 education exists for me” (Iwaszkiewicz 197651). Krobowski that corrects “Sports him,specifying for me means nothing. Only physical and should so not (consistently) have for respect tradition and great the “golden age.” Disconcerted by Krobowski’s conservatism,Kanicki reminds himthat he is a “sportsman,” premisesthe of “new the corporeality.” thought represented state, inaccordance by Krobowski) with to a natural is to return disciplining of body, the way inthis which is paradox (this the to the linked of the The revival of old values and protection whatof remainsfrom them (the Passion) is in more terms, pessimistic an adjournment of moral decline. inter-warthe From period. here, could renaissance have they a moral been or at least, education” rather in terms of elite which had no asceticism, shortage of proponents in nificant, as sports are entertainment forthewhereas masses, he understands “physical

artificiality,the organic contrastedwiththe stunted. preted and inmedical terms aesthetic acquired a new dimension –naturalness contrasted with Modernity…now for stability. a threat seemed The normal–abnormalso far interdualism of native the on his soil. (Mosse 198532) to outsiders –Jews, insane, the criminals, to countryside was homosexuals home the –while manliness were at home; here one healthy, the recall could still happy past. The city was home It values eternal that symbolizedthose outside stood of rush the time. Here nation the and lage or town small to nature close no dark bowels possessed could within vice which flourish. masturbation practiceswere [both threatening mortally fabric of to the nation]. the - Thevil within “jungle the of cities” were usually considered breeding grounds of homosexuality and found incities favored deviance…The practiceof the dark sexual secretand deep recesses to destroy man’s rootedness…It said that was extremes further the and of poverty to be luxury by big the city, apparent the center of anand artificial restless age. Such cities werethought From nineteenth the centuryon, guardians the of nationalism and respectability felt menaced and it.” ruins (51) This is innate, peasant primal, culture, touch fromevery and an urban handthwarts, squanders interferewho matters inthe that a man place take between and a man or a man and land. the biggest “The vermin of culture,”our inhis fervor,Otton saideach wordtwice, “are those all Texts andtheBody 1976: 130). of strength, outto be turns “powerless faced work” withthesimplestfarm (Iwaszkiewicz is to his own surprise “awkward andclumsy,” and figure,“his hethought wasfull which authenticity, alsolacks education This physical Otton, as when putto domestic work, loci communes loci 31 The distinctionOtton makes is sig- (70 (retranslation from Polish)) of nationalist and Fascist - outer robes donned by eachgeneration and era change. to him as literature to his father. does The essence of life proves unchanging – theonly as it might and seem, his passioncarefree in life a person – sports means samethe and with reader, himthe have opportunity the to see that Anek is not as superficial and There is a rather heatedbetween father discussion son,and Zamoyłło,whichduring old to lose and hearts minds to Zamoyłło dashing the tennis player (Iwaszkiewicz 1976218) is plagued by quandaries regarding value the of his own work. Zamoyłło writer the seems entirely uninteresting Perhaps sporting spectacle. his pride is wounded, as he especially is caught by audience that fact the such has a large come what to watch is for himan nis match Anek between and Dane the Jacobsen. The attention the egotisticalof writer must nuanced. be Leaving for his last journey, hedonist. Yet shattered, image this be will and opinion the about Anek sportsman the Krobowski, a character augurs who little equally hope for from escape crisis,a young the might get impression the that Ansgar Kanicki is, alongside and cynical the fanatical the impolite to Zamoyłło. ‘They’resame,the all these youngsters,’ said he to himself.” Zamoyłło’s point of has not view slightestthe fierce,seemed all vague meaning: and “This only inphysical education” (74).Thisso important distinction, for Krobowski,from old to tennis as a sport of wealthy, the and he said infact, that he ‘hated sport’, and was interested by asking about Anek, is who living in Warsaw: “Yet Otton was hostile in his disposition 34 33 32 in whom he fanatical discerns traits, more” (Iwaszkiewicz discussion with a disagreeable Otton 197661).During Krobowski, Handsome, unremarkable, calm, an excellent tennis player, runner, sportsman –nothing Polish tennis and inhis father’s eyes“the of specimen anonymous this true generation. novelin the represents star of grand departing the tradition of is a rising modernism), protagonist, Ansgar (Anek) Zamoyłło.son The of a greatwriter, ZamoyłłoTadeusz (who catastrophethen awaits. The representatives the of corporeality”“new includealso another amoral Kanicki, his own kills who son course inthe of events, and fanatical the Krobowski, Iwaszkiewicz saying to be seems that future ifthe of European culture is to belong to the

In eyes ofthe his father or Otto, Anek then, is an immature, flippant hero. The reader esis reactive, for whom life striving, an is a perpetual incessant course of training. Training = the These men, experience. arenobles,select the only whoones are active and not merely of and a spontaneous joyous effort stand out in isolated,our monumentalized,so to speak, compulsion. And for that reason, few individuals the we have come across are who capable – are incapable of any other effortthan that imposed them on as a reaction strictly to external As one advances inlife, one more realises and more that majority the of men –and of women From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality… Śmieja Also inauthentic, on as itisstyled Tolstoy’s famous journey. 1976: 200). Passion” organisedby Otton: couldbecome a dangerous“He person.” (Iwaszkiewicz This observation, asitis, important theattack on is repeated after “Garageofthe 65. yGasset,Ortega José, TheRevolttheMasses . of New York: W.W. Norton &Co., 1994: . These . These arethe ascetics. 32

33 old to tone Zamoyłło tries down disagreement the 34 Tadeusz Zamoyłło happens upon a ten- ask -

69 70 from tradition, 19th-century of is a proponent elitism, latter, the while of the a child of but thinking different generations, opt for different solutions. Theformer, deriving cooperation. elite, team or sports individual competition, developing of sense the competition or that appear on event the horizon are rather gloomy. represented by characters the novel inthe therefore remain unsolved, and perspectives the withgreat flee fear?,” theasks old man, finding no answers. The antonyms and problems a thinking person “unbearable” (213-214).“Why are not they screaming? Why not dothey of old Zamoyłło, competition the is “keeping plebeian, trivial, rabble the happy,” and for reconciliationthe of its all classes with common loves and interests” (210).In eyes the iswhich “meant reassurance the of almost Błedomierz to seal the community and show presentation of “the Passion,” Błędomierzthe authorities organise a sporting competition, spiritual of culture. legacy albeit inan altered forward writer: the form,is son the of he continues a great to carry mass entertainment. elite Anek, after characterall, is a rather – it is no accidentthat he above not does described mean that Iwaszkiewicz wasof uncritical as sports meaningless To avoid giving a distorted picture, we should stress that “elite” the understanding of sports expressed by Iwaszkiewicz are a voice that is as melancholy as it was isolated at time. the of essence of the and sports ready relinquishment of invalid the claims of culture” “high backgroundthe of contemporary culture is presented most broadly. The understanding “new corporeality,” and it is here that image the or role of against and sports body sporty the workis 20th-century the that was perhaps most the seriousinpresenting dilemmas of the Theof tennis”“poetry aboutso convincinglywhich Anek speaks demonstratesthat 36 35

Numerous paradoxes ideological emerge: or sports “physical education,” mass or That it darkis there! (ibid. 239) is purest the poetry, just inanother form. No, it’s –just anxiety, not poetry it is anxiety, fear. ily, your situation that you and poetry, the have poetry alwaysmuch so talked about. But this School. Right? Right? Father, in a moment you’ll that think is this of betrayal name, the fam- doing something extremely lousy, trivial, you ifI told that Merchant I want the to join Navy to youoccurred that I play tennis out of anxiety…And that is why you would that think I am andpoems painting pictures. For you there is no salvation outside of Father, art. it has never you,Because your generation, always that think our anxiety should expressed be inwriting Texts andtheBody Modern Masculinity.Modern New York-Oxford: Press, University Oxford 1996: 44) requiredbut patriotism solidarity.” (Mosse, George L., Man. TheImage of of Creation The werehere teamsports thought to beuseless. sports, Such moreover, meantcompetition, distinction. The malebodyhad to besculptedinorder to approach themaleideal, and riding, arts. andthemartial These are athleticsasopposedto teamsports, animportant -encompassing. butalsoswimming, fencing It took innotonly dancing, skating, the Prussian ofgymnastics: founder “Jahn’s wasall- gymnastics definition of dilemmas have been withEuropean societiessincethetime of Jahn,“These Friedrich (ibid., 70-75). of Tadeusz Krobowski Zamoyłło andOtton on the ofthePassion”“mystery ofthebook’s part constitutes animportant issues. ideological e.g. See theconversation The problems oftheartist,changesform, durationandin of works anddurability 36 Roman Dmowski and Ferdynand represent Goetel, who style a similar 35 The side other the coinof is less noble.the After the fiasco of Passions

theses oftheses Słonimski’s columns, would emphasise “stupefying,” the of light sports: aspect plaguesthe of “Fordian” the civilization. The author of Insatiability revival,” but he lamented that was this not since at case the it time the was listed among bent, to a degree shares Dmowski’s For sporting views. could him,sports favor “physical It is interesting that Witkacy, could who hardly of suspected having be a nationalist of right-wing the vision, he compared mystical this feeling with his climbs: When Zygmunt returned home “from abroad,” inaccordance with unwritten the rules 39 38 37 Genezip Kapen, protagonist the of Insatiability he would refer, changes describing bodily the undergone as a result by drills, of military Similarly, Witkacy would too not of model corporeality, like sporty the modern to which an honorable place. As Mosse writes of wave the of Alpine German films, a mountain climber – innational,the pre-Fascist economy of meanings, climbing holds It is no coincidence that protagonist the of Dmowski’s novel, Zygmunt Twardowski, is ner of Fascism”] possibility the of involvement through of sports ranks wide of society. “revolt of masses” the era,perceives Pod inhis book znakiem faszyzmu [“Under- Ban the

femininity bordering on maximal harmony, not devoid of animal power. This the-gut type. mass jock of organs formed a hermaphroditic synthesis of masculinity and tion…He was not a troglodyte of square-in-the-shoulders, the lean-in-the-hips-and-trim-in- were drills turningMilitary that boy’s into body marvellous something –no exaggera truly - stupidity destroying interests the all of young and healthy people. dimensions of a kind of could priesthood, at for good least be physical revival, without its own of ifa rein which sports, them: were only kept on it, and it were not inflated ridiculousto the that are even more stupefying than his work, and he has in them abundance…and best the stupefied alcoholby and tobacco,the individual…must, in order to relax, look for diversions from captivity into forest, the he when returns a highlander to his mountains from city. the afterfalls a drought, a fish when thrown it is back into the water, a captured when animal escapes it had found something that missing: had been was feeling this the that a plant must have rain when even built a spiritual panache –but was this something different. Herethatsense thehe had he He remembered his Alpine excursions. had They refreshed him,developed his physical strength, tions are obvious: a strong, valiant and morally pure strong nation reborn. can be revolution. Although Alpine films do not containopenly a nationalist message,their implica - white symbolizedrenaissance glaciers faceof inthe defeat, German the economic chaos and “immutable,” “a little take eternity” with itself. Virgin water and crystal-clear air, peaks, pure Mountain human the inwhich could measure body climbing itself against was a sport the From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality… Śmieja Witkiewicz, Ignacy, Stanisław Nienasycenie. Warszawa: PIW, 1992: 288-289. PIW, 1979: 177-178. Witkiewicz, Ignacy, Stanisław Narkotyki. Niemyte dusze,ed. Anna Micińska. Warszawa: 42. Wybranowski, (Roman Dmowski), Kazimierz . Dziedzictwo Wrocław: Nortom, 2003: (Mosse 1985129(retranslation from Polish)) : 38 , approaching the 39 37

71 72 for are, sports which of attractive), course, very and to what degree he wanted the to use reasons (afterall, theit was author’s intention forthe rathernovel simple to meet tastes, icz’s novels, “modernity,” is an important constructive element of world the of another of Gombrow- so pleased Ferdynand pleased so Goetel, framework popularity –the of Fascist supported the ideology by physical education which game.” (Witkiewicz 1992140)Sports acquire gravity to an by ascribed being ideological as a jolly today…The sport statecanbe defendedthe way you defend a goal ina football young man’s response is as honest as it is unpretentious: “Of course life must treated be to the whole of life, to all its domains. This results ina loss of “metaphysicalsense.” The points, that andrepresent sports everything as such is transferred by young people that it is “pretend life,” “pretend war,” that mostthe one and has to lose gain is abstract notdoes concern ina strict sports Scampi sense: means rather that are sports “frivolous,” F.O. as a sport: treat everything life’s you trivialise seriousness.’” Note that accusation the Vsevolodovna, young the Marquis diScampi hears from his father, “‘You people inthe of contention the young between and old. In a discussion salon of inthe Princess Irena Witkacy would put also question the of interms sports that we are already familiar with, 40 ibid. 101),constituting excellent material for Fascist ideological, molding. –hrabskieurzędniczy patałachy,” ibid. 53),a “child or sportsman” (“Proszę o dzwonek,” individualsporty is an “athletic bull” (“Kogo zaprosić jubilatów dla –książki –snobizm with Witkacy, are sports mindnumbing a harmful, phenomenon, and mindnumbed, the generation in motion.” Boya” (“Boy o bibliotekę nie tylko walczy 87). For Słonimski, as the mindlessnesssporting theof young canThe they to set presseverything do a book. of cultural the situation: “Young people donot have or time the inclinationat to glance universality and cosmopolitan nature of religion the of Słonimski sports, wrote sneeringly Yet years several earlier, around Kazimierz when time the Wierzyński was delighting inthe physical health”], quoted above, author the writes: nexed way inthis by militaristic ideology. In his column Chore zdrowie fizyczne [“Sick Słonimski 1956411),and now was popularized by mass culture and prepared and an- contemptuousthe name and of hooliganism” truancy (“Ogród saski” [“Saxon Garden”], for whom “everything that we at sports today author’s call [inthe time the youth] bore

Sports, are which treated somewhat instrumentally inFerdydurke Texts andtheBody uncorrupted and uncompromisinguncorrupted –force that mightmanage this. take ina given social, economic situation, andgeopolitical andtheyouth asthat–fresh, organisations. Hisbook presents Fascism thatPoland choice asanideological should the concentration ofyouth around theNational movement andFascist Democracy Fascism”) (Warszawa 1939), Ferdynand Goetelperceived a positive phenomenon in In hisessay publishedbefore thewarPod theBannerof znakiem faszyzmu (“Under interested nation’s inthe physical but health, inits value as a material of death. of centres of physical education, and encourage advertisement of are sports, not The lie the whoof Olympics becausethose provide cynical, is money kindsfor all Possessed . It extent is hard to what happened this to judge for opportunistic 40 was perceived entirely differently by Antoni Słonimski, as a synonym of as a synonym (487) of an international tennis career. here his ability is discovered, and with time he the his becomes boyish a coach, all dream follows pattern: model the young, talented, but poor, he becomes a helper at court, and the this meansthis representatives the of old the Professor order: Councillor Szymczak, Skoliński): categorizing “new the corporeality” and perceptual the novel anxiety(inthe of observers disturbed previous the order (sporting career), translated which into impossibility the of hierarchies, existencetheir was written on of body the individual.the Yet presentthe time previous the leads hierarchies to catastrophe. In world 19th-century the of stable social 42 41 Maja working-class discovers soon man alarming the similarity that to the her coach crossingof bodies class, monetary, educational social, and cultural Fortunately, barriers. characters, the All includingLeszczuk. and Maja, Leszczuk perceive analogy worrying this according people of to the Połyka incomparison is vulgarized with corporeality the of partly, from its proletarian fate, but same this exhibits sport of girl, body the the which youngthe lady from a good home (cf. 38).Thanks to sports liberated,been it has at least oppressivethe and evermore dysfunctional structures of society. express body his sporty desire the of crowd the advance, connected with social smashing praise, rapture, dreams” (257)It is tempting to interpret by this saying that and Leszczuk through crowd, the the personifiesemotions associatedwith him: “amazement, hope, The conservative looks are confused, but watchedsametheLeszczuk, fromon court far, of “invalidation of past,the according it inferior significance.” of court is the one of things the that allows Gombrowicz important the to make gesture others and closed musty ones gloomy(the castle). According to Ewa Graczyk, existencethe Skoliński); to the former are attributed open spaces (tennis court, forest, city), and to the stayingladies at Ochołowskis’ the manor) or utterly decrepit (Prince Holszański, Professor and Maja (Maya) are always sporty, old the ones while are grotesque holidaymaking (the cultureis an opposing of old. the value The to the (Walczak)young Leszczuk bodies of As withwith social. other the novels of time, the inFerdydurke about his constantmedium of to speak sports fascination with mixing the of bodily the

Leszczuk’s morethe is all body disconcerting as it uncovers vulgaritythe of Maja, about himas a whole, mixture. a certain (6) eyes like that. But his mouth and chin are almost peasant…and there’s something suspicious and his voice is rather common. Proletariat, No, then? proletariat the wouldn’t have ears and keptbadly nails, as iffrom manual work. Come to think of it, his hair’s not that well groomed perhapsso son the of some citizen Hm, from parts? these but his hands are with calloused, “Who could that be,” thought councillor the [about “He’s Leszczuk], two racquets, carrying From IdeologyoftheBodyto IdeologizedCarnality… Śmieja Boyars, 1982]. Myslotch of Secret (trans. from French by J.A. Underwood), andBoston: London Marion Gombrowicz, Witold, Opętani. Kraków: WL, 1994: 18-119[Engl. version: Possessed. The Wiedza Powszechna,Wiedza 2001: 310. urodzin, ed. Magdalena Hornung, Marcin Jędrzejczak, Tadeusz Korsak. Warszawa: w pięćdziesiątą Ritzowi rocznicę Germanowi Literatura.Profesorowi ofiarowane Prace Graczyk, Ewa, w ‘Opętanych’ “Strona Mysłoczy Gombrowicza,” Witolda in: Ciało. Płeć. 42 This schematic model in the bodily and social space schematicspace This social bodily andthe in model 41 Leszczuk’s sporting career too the sport of sport the too young the

73 74 harnessed in mechanismsthe of mass culture, danger whose was perceived by writers. ened. “correct” boundaries the between as a result and “incorrect” corporeality were sharp - market stalls,” psychological upset, and anxiety towards unknown. the phenomenon,as a positive uncertaintythe has ethical sideeffects: the of protagonists, ing from suffocating the tradition convention, social and which treatedmustbe in sum people from world the live. of in which they values The insociety respected the break- charactersthe it constitutes a signal of problem wider the that is alienation the of young not an intrinsic phenomenon; contextin the of novel’s the plot and construction the of has no clue about what are they worth. The aesthetic dumbness the of youngpeople is Cholowacki prove to be hopelessly naïve invaluing works of Proletarian the art; arriviste The experience. their might heryoungfeet ascribe seekingladyand her to find fiancé there – other is no they helpit, arefrom they left to each anycultural to which code way she really is” by (154).Concerned own their corporeality and not understanding why he stole Maja’s letter Maja (46)while away runs from the home to “understand Ochołowska I couldn’t allow myself what a young lady …similar to Leszczuk might” (80). is provides of hersense withfreedom: an “As unexpected plain long old Miss as I was 46 45 44 43 1930s were a time “the experienced bodies pressure when of collectiveideologies,” and “vividness” of corporeality, male lost then which its transparency. 19th-century The thatbarriers divide them. temptations,to bad and –we can assume from what Maja cross says –will social the castle, with its priceless saved, be of collection youngsters the will art, not will surrender is but preserved, not without change, init. one as new The the inscribed old has been of time, the outside structures. of existing the social wing ingeneral, en masse to attract young people, were who almost, conditions inthe corporeality” by politics, with a particular emphasis on Fascist movements and right the first,the the was exploitation the of attractiveness of sports, physicaleducation and “new second,The much moreserious one,without doubt closer and ina way resultingfrom

The conventional happy ending all relievesantagonisms: drivers“taxi andladies on The young protagonists are a mystery to themselves: not does Leszczuk understand Let us summarizeLet our discussion: 1920suncovered the for literature importance the Texts andtheBody Sport treated fragmentarily is only one of the elements of this new reality. one ofthe elementsofthis new isonly treated fragmentarily Sport by it, configuration contents of anda new aesthetic values. ofdistributing ways new attitudes regarding theinvasion ofmassculture, hierarchy a new ofphenomena assumed The next researchfor a comprehensive postulateassumesthe need studyofliterary interesting research problem. I have notbeenconcernedwithtracingthis process here; however, itseemsto bean Maciąg’sWłodzimierz (Nasz term wiekXX: 147). ibid.: 357. Cf. Jarzębski, Jerzy, tajemnice ‘powieści i ukryte “Jawne kucharek’,” dla to: afterword 45 Sports 1930swere inthe cause the of fear for two reasons. The first was being its 43 the recipientsthe of novel,the must have satisfied:safethe been old order Translation: Benjamin Koschalka 44 and and 46

1 years by headed Piotr Chmielowski, were able to read a poem entitled “Posąg” (“Statue”).

In readers 1894,the of Ateneum, a highly regarded opinion-forming monthly for many Around QueerTheory A Manly ArtefactandaMysteriousPoet . Mateusz Skucha sake ofaccuracy. verses use anABABThe original rhyme scheme. Translator’s note: aswiththe other poemscitedlater,for the hasbeen sacrificed rhyme a burningLet beat; heart In lifeless the marble Wrap my arms around; me to you, close 4. O!Let Free from any cares. It before stood gaze a dazzled On a granite base, hill, 2. Ona raised Let me bringLet you to life. And admired by earth the me throwLet ardour into your bosom 5. With parched lips Longing swells inmy breast. My little cherub sweet; It gleams before eyesof the soul the 3. Today, I squint when my eyes And into rapture I sank. In phantasmal the fog it shone anLike echo of Greek dreams, 1. The statue naked, a marvel 1

75 76 Texts andtheBody In Olympian cheer. Stands stone the statue In its heavenly beauty same, the 16. Still unchanging Is to embrace to its bosom? Whose happiness, for beauty itO mercy! Could die 14. Air! Air! My chest bursts… Longing for your charm. My breast caught aflame, You summon to your bosom 12. With your marble arm Some tremors have shaken you; Your divine temple bows, At my humble pleas 10. Ha! my Do eyesnot deceive? a hotLike lava spring. From breast the would spurt song To this breast of desire full 8. If once I held you In nature’s ocean; Gleam like a priceless pearl Divinely shaped contours 6. Your radiant whiteness Implore it inmy soul? Did I make it myself, ofA glimmer colour and movement? 17. And temple this that came alive? Stone of an unfeeling lump What column is Onthis this? With your embrace return my strength! 15. Here I am. – Come to me, Ideal pristine! I fly at yourcall artist’sOf the greatest dreams! 13. My miracle! Fulfilment inyourBeats being; Some ardent life It there seems are tangles of nerves, 11. Through your body of stone For a moment it would breathe joy too. And –remembering – Eden A song of happiness would hear 9. And world the perhaps once The flower’s trembling crown. As ifto an evening rose And stretch out my arms 7. And I humbly kneel 3 2 world. The speaker,belongswho world,true to the says: “My miracle! Fulfilment/ the Of text: that of realclearly the world opposition inthe and ideal the that to the is crucial withwhat aim the undertakes of speaker the removing distance. most seen Thiscanbe work of art/notdead/living, observer/observed, work of “Unrepresented art. events” are on granite the temporal base), opposition (past/present) from third the stanza, and others: for example: opposition vertical the that appears second inthe stanza statue (the is on top, situation lyrical the extentIn poem, to a large this on inbased playing with oppositions, by unrepresented events, it refers interestthe of spectator/readerthe outside of picture.” the ekphrasis that mainly is on based narrativisation, widening field since the “in of description sented by Michał Paweł Markowski, we can say that “Statue” is an example of varietyof the abouta text an Using object. artistic distinction the proposed and by pre Sophie Bertho - to gender can influence interpretation and complement it. only to point to the philosophical tropes of text, the but to see also how reading sensitive thatReading avoids categories of gender and initiates contextual reading allows us not into account and exhibited not does –which mean that marking this not does exist. sensitive to gender, meaning that gendered the inwhich marking of is not a text taken produce. I would like, though, to start by presenting a simulation of reading that is not encounterin their text, with literary the and what interpretations encounter this can theoretical discourses poststructuralist (concerningcertain gender and work sexuality) are, which gies to put matters ingeneral terms, “sensitive to gender,” for showing how

The title of the poem alone titleThe poem thesuggeststhat of ekphrasisbe will at work: i.e.,that be will it Non-gender-sensitive reading I would like to use “Statue” as a starting point for presenting reading several strate- A ManlyArtefactandaMysteriousPoet… Skucha komentarza,” Pamiętnik Literacki (1999a): 2. Markowski, Paweł. Michał “Ekphrasis. krótkiego z dołączeniem Uwagibibliograficzne Ateneum, 1894, vol. 1: 89-91. And from tears the a song was shed. Eurydice’s wept seer songThe was first to go down 20. Yes, world the when was wild And resound inmy song. It linger will on But no longer will sleep the come 18. The despair the of breast burns me First you must wound bard. the You wishhymn a new to create on told: being Goes 21. And here myth the of Orpheus And tell I shall world. the I am bared by suffering, Its raptures or turmoil – 19. Pain, tears or inspiration, 2 3

77 78 several yearsseveral after “Statue”: instance, by following the excerpt from Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice came, which and real is objects, characteristic of literature modernist This is shown, as a whole. for strongtal, distinction into and art not spiritual the art, and material, the objects ideal desire is never satisfied and thislackit is fulfillment thatof gives to art. rise itwhen is unattainable. Ideal beauty always remains world inthe of is which why ideas, longing forsource is true of the ideal, the creativity. and Beautyworthy is perfect of desire hisin which despair resounds. This distance,which consigns and the to lacking speaker song of bard” the its takes from beginning, his tears that that “song the poetry was shed” a postulate of “Promethean” poetry, “profoundly felt and suffered.” fromIt is this “wounded suffering and a wound. Thisevident is most the in whichfinal stanzas, in one critic found of process the of realizing that at origin of the writinglacking, liesunfulfillment, also and It turns out that source the of creation the is unfulfillment. “Statue” a mere substitute. Thiswhere is self-referentialthe reflection thein textconcealed surfaces. fulfilment case, the is impossible. desires speaker The manifestation, whatbut heis gets And object. is this because andplace, not rather a phantasm a real than coming to life, to life, but an illusion of with it.it art Because is always a creation of some kindthat takes And yet realizes he that soon bosom?” to embrace was to its this not something coming 14: “Air! Air! My chest bursts…/ it Could die/Whose O mercy! happiness, for beauty/ Is his desire and possibility the of closeness. This resultsecstasythe in presented by stanza point statue the The singer comesa certain with filled to life. joyis the at satisfactionof that source the of writing the is fulfilment of desires, realization of ideas. And indeed, at you/ To thisI held breast of desire,/ full From breast the would spurt song.” This shows firstthatbelieves he creationpossible is thanksonly to the smoothing of distance: “If once low it to become to exist embodied, inhis world. He desires manifestation this at because beauty, The object. artistic ideal protagonist the desires poem the to realizeof al- an idea, artist’s greatest dreams!/ Ideal pristine!” The statuebelongs to the world perfect of ideas, is 4

This evidentThis Platonic characteristic thinking in about creation,fundamenwiththe - set us onset firewithpain and hope. adorning reflected the splendour with them all Beauty, of thatso the sight truly themwill of to use shapes the and colours of young men, turning into them instruments of recollection by tangible images of pure the Forms: love the too so god, inorder to make things visible, loves to worship….Cupid, as mathematicians indeed,does do, show they when dull-witted children and of a human which image and likeness had here lightly and been graciously up set for him itself, on Form as a thought of on one God, the and pure dwells which perfection spirit inthe His eyesembraced that noble figure…andrising inecstasy he felt he was gazingBeauty on would present world to the asand mirror an effigy of beauty? spiritual A model and mirror! at marble the block of language, he slender released the form he had beheld inhis mind and to him, familiar to him as an artist? Was it not at work passion chiselling inhimwhen, with sober sique! Yet austere the and pure statue godlike the –was it will…to bring to light not known What discipline, what precision of thought was conveyed by that youthfullyphy tall, perfect - Texts andtheBody A. Lubich). New York: Continuum, 1999: 133. Mann, Thomas. Death in Venice, Tonio andOther Kröger Writings (trans. Frederick 4

is

therefore a record strategy, one sensitive to gender. and a direct, relationship. carnal This a spaceobservation opens forsecondthe reading overcoming distance. this Furthermore, he desires embodiment the beauty of perfect sourcethe of writing. the The difference here that is artistthe desires the impossible, of desire-statue is clearly underlined. And it isdistance this and unfulfilmentthat is Similarly, “Statue,” poem inthe distance the artist-singer the between and object the to write:starts Tadzioobserving and realizing that he is doomed to distance from his of object desire, cognition of would impossible. idea the be It is worth emphasising that Aschenbach, mean a desire to commune with Beauty in itself. And without existence the of such love, remains spiritual, ideal, non-carnal. It is a love –like which Plato’s spiritual Eros – will never step the take of removing distance the and pursuing a direct relationship. His love beauty.why This is the writerfollow will only look, theobserve, object of his desires, but boyhim, the constitutes embodiment the –and of therefore perfect unattainable – This aging is artist Gustav von Aschenbach, enraptured by Tadzio’sbeautifulbody. For and “undermined” by that fact the reader the is continually that mindful of object the his carnalityall in its gender and erotic meanings. contact withbody. this wishes The speaker to bringthe statue to life, himin experience by of body one the man on another. The subject is fascinationwith carnality, desire of The is leftreader in no doubt that this is essentially a description the of rapture evoked “I,”speaking as well as “gender” the of of object the desire, are clearly here. signalled monologue, imbued with eroticism and desire of erotic fulfillment. The gender the of evokedsody by its sight. From outset, the descriptionthe ontakes features the of a love statue, of beauty the speaks artist, recalling a Greek of sculpturethe and of his rhap- protagonist is enraptured of poem the of by statue. the “body” beautifulmale the The of a statue. “body” male In other words, it is an example of ekphrasis male the inwhich regarded as one. It persona by about the is rather desire the a text triggered in a male unarguable. Ofcourse, it is not an erotic work –although sense it strict could inthe be ing. With “Statue” we can venture thesis that the its homoerotic potential is evident and author’s gender identity shown by text, the as well as protagonists’ the gender condition- phasis on a text’s gender meanings. It therefore an question seeks answer of to the the Gender-sensitive reading (Mann 1999:135) perilously precious hours Tadzio’s inwhich…he used for his brief essay. beauty as a model more sweetly, never had he known clearly so that Eros dwells inlanguage ,as during those its on into body high spiritualthe to carry world […]. Never had he felt joythe of wordthe follow his style lineamentsas the he wrote, he which of saw body to let this as divine, and What he craved…was to work on it in Tadzio’s presence, to take boy’sthe physique for a model From a reading extremely this perspective, expressive homoeroticism is “weakened” A ManlyArtefactandaMysteriousPoet… Skucha In most the general terms, a gender-sensitive reading strategy places main the em -

79 80 situation inKazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer’s “Dyskobol” poem (“Discus Thrower”): watcher,the admirer, and above desirer. all, body-to-desire. But speaker, the recalling and longing, changes into a gaze gazeof –the body-to-admire,exhibited. and The finally marble statuebecomes a body-to-watch, hand, in“Statue” –as narrativist relation ekphrasis observer-observed –the is clearly the accusationthe of sodomy is distanced by ekphrasis the text. inthe used adoration statue, is a marble an an artefact, creation. artistic To put it metaphorically, 6 5 that isfor often as crucial seen a homotext. GermanRitz As writes: meanwhile, spectator, the once again turns into a gaze. sun, becomes a body-to-watch, body-to-admire, andbody-to-desire. finally speaker The “Statue,” naked, the sporty, of thrower, oiled body discus the gleaming southern inthe to the interpretation body male the of spectators. the textually, speak a text, to become or carnally, rather textto exist the begins exhibiting an not object only of description, but of also rapture.begins body beautiful The male a muscle. The is athlete reduced to his corporealityalone. becomes body His an artefact, man inminute detail. S/he is sensitive to every movement of body, this tensing of every – The speaker probably one body thethe of of spectatorsGreek- –describes sports

As a digression, we might add that in Young there lyrical Polish is a similar poetry And it is relationship this of object the between description and desiring the subject thirdThe particular,stanza, in expressesthe tension of erotic fascination. Just as in only receives desirer the when a desiredbecomes entirely body a gaze…This absolute, still former In homosexual desire a man receives a body, but is this not an representation artistic of the Texts andtheBody Przerwa-Tetmajer,Kazimierz. “Dyskobol,” oftheApolloBelvedere’sbeauty torso. An association obvious here is Winckelmann’s famous(homoerotic) ofthe description virtus virtus And go aquiver at divine the sweet thighs. Women’s white intheir hearts breasts skip a beat, He inhis steel disc –the bends fingersgripped ticksby – Falls radiant, the smiling Greek sun. Rubbed with oil, golden, gleaming On his marble, naked, slender body, He throws –and a fresh laurel on his temple come. will hisOn his weight right legall is – placed moves,Left arm hips, turns, contracts, One more moment –he before swings disc, the hitting – In his hand a round first –the disc the swordsmenof to rise. his head, digshis feetRaises in,his legstaut, Straightens, strains his arms A crowd of spectators. he fixes Calmly the finishon – or of function another man, the but social rather body. a sexual However, he Poezje. Warszawa: PIW, 1980: 388. 6 5 On the other Onthe 10 9 8 7 homoerotic projection since, as Jacek Kochanowski writes, homoeroticism is thinkable From angle, this a beautiful, on takes desired characteristics the body of persona’s lyric the of of sexuality the gazing the subject than object.” that of observed the it.why This is the “representationalways says more of a body aboutthe construction element of phantasmal this identity of its own of object desire, entirely dependent on of its own identity, entering spaceof the identity the of his phantasm, becoming an by of logic the desire. The subject the of homoeroticbeyond boundaries text the goes A gaze marked by gender, eroticism, desire, and moreover, a gaze that is entirely governed spectator is inspired, desirer the renounces his own identity and becomes only a gaze. thereforeThis means constitutingthe image body-to-watchthe of in such a waythe as Cieślak: The exceptional role the gazein of homoerotic highlighted been Robert by texts also has about desired the than desirer. the (and identity)body in carnal,the sexual of object ofthe desire. Desire always says more subjectthe deposited ina homoerotic gazeis expressed phantasmal inthe image of the

subordinate to one’s own for logic: subjectis reality the this the of his desire. Butillusion…isthis The imagines,subject stable,and persistentsuccumbs to illusion. and The role this of phantasm is worthy of note. Kłosińska: It is detailed by Krystyna text interpreted to be poetic the as a homoerotic text. statement visual andobservation specific –the its orientation,whichallows the intention of subject the pay of lyric attentionsensitivitytype of specific to the eyethe of ascribed to the ponents that make subject the into of object the inspiration from its construction, makes us wayparticular The of looking the at picture the of “Other,” extraction the comof the - skilful ofideal beauty. uninstrumentalised corporeality demands aestheticisation, and reaches for classical the A ManlyArtefactandaMysteriousPoet… Skucha polskiej dopostmodernizmu od. romantyzmu Warszawa: Powszechna, Wiedza 2002b: 56. (trans. Kopacki), Andrzej in: idem, pożądania. Nićw labiryncie i płećw literaturze Gender Ritz, German, pożądania. w labiryncie polska” Homoseksualność“Literatura a literatura Ciało, płeć. Literatura. Warszawa:Powszechna, Wiedza 2001. polskiej,”poezji in: Hornung, Magdalena, and Marcin Jędrzejczak Tadeusz Korsak(ed.), PAN, 2000: 318. alsoidem, See “Pragnienie Innego. we współczesnej pożądania Język feministyczna. Siostra teorii i historii.Krytyka literatury Warszawa: Wydawnictwo IBL polskiejXXw poezji wieku,” in: Borkowska, (ed.), andLilianaSikorska Grażyna Cieślak, Robert, wzrokowe. “Cielesne gry tematuhomoerotycznego aspekty Estetyczne Literacki, 2002a: 152. cielesne. wrażliwościpolskiej w literaturze nowej XX Języki wieku. Izabelin: Świat Krzemieniowa),(trans. in: Krystyna Gosk, Hanna(ed.), Codzienne, przedmiotowe, Ritz, German, a masochizmem. histerią “Między Utopijne koncepcje ciałamężczyzny” Uniwersytetu Śląskiego,Uniwersytetu 2004: 18. Kłosińska, Krystyna, Fantazmaty. –Zapolska. Grabiński –Prus Katowice: Wydawnictwo The phantasm whichrepresents distances reality from us perceptual a particular reality. 7

8 9 The identity of 10

81 82 language. becomes clear. Interaction is something impossible, inexpressible in heteronormative Implore it inmy soul?.” It is at point this that phantasmal the character of situation the to life, but only a trick of colours and the light. In despair, he asks, “Did I make it myself,/ inexpressible happiness. Yet a moment later it turns out that there no coming has been temple and summons to him, arm. himwith The a longing desiring man with filled is animated statue to his breast. At a certain moment sculpture the comes to life, bows his potential is deposited. of The singer poem the dreams of just beingonce able to holdthe meant statue the spell is a love to turn – that into body whole the homoerotic a living protagonist, desirer, the is therefore gazeand the It both speech. –which is inhis speech becomes recipientthe monologue, amorousthe of a love request of speaker.the The ity. For reason, this “you” lyric the is marble the sculpture. The statuesque body male body, and as a consequence, expression the inhomoerotic language of relational male - a lyric description of attempts the made by a man “I”) (the to bring to life a desired male ible in heteronormative language. unembodiable, and homoerotic desire, as Eve writes, Kosofsky is inexpress Sedgwick - his desires; 4)interaction is impossible, man’s the because is a statuesque body body, oflogic desire; Greek 3)this sculpture is a phantasm of speaker, the a visualisation of governedGreek solely a gaze, by sculpture; the becomes only speaker 2)the a look, image of –apparently the to the meaningless, unmarkedascribed homosexually – is givenbody the status of undergoes artefact,the male body so aestheticisation, of his own subjectivity and own identity infavour of of object the desire. epidemic, by he which condemns himself to death, interpreted can be as a renunciation governed entirely by of logic the desire. His city decision inthe overrun to remain by is what points to and underpins distance this and impossibility of interaction. aestheticization of of object the desire, its given being characteristics the of an artefact, gleaming sun. inthe Thebody text remains just an example of ekphrasis. Incidentally, the interaction” (Ritz 2002a:152).The speaker remains a longingthe desiring marbleartist, person desiredRitz writes,iswatched, “The but not does constitute an element the of an by escape maintaining distance. It is never a gaze change will which into a touch. As edge. Threatened by non-being, it attempts to defend paradoxicallyitself, searching for to it. Furthermore, identity the of gazeris the destabilized, becoming an identity on the mula, it turns out that a gaze is only possible thanks to a phantasm, and as such belongs and expressible only inrelation with a phantasm. 12 11

“Statue” of treated can a homoerotic interaction. be as a story The thereforetext is us gatherLet together what said aboutdescribed far 1)the has so been poem: the Returning to Texts andtheBody (Berkeley: University of California Press, ofCalifornia (Berkeley: University 1990). theCloset of inEpistemology Sedgwick discussed by Eve Kosofsky This isexpertly tożsamości gejów. Kraków: Universitas, 2004. see Kochanowski, Jacek, Fantazmat zróżNICowany. Socjologiczne przemian studium On therole ofthephantasm andtheconstitution ofgay orphantasmal identity 12 A response inlove based to homoerotic is possible only speaking inrelation Death in Venice, I would like to note that Aschenbach is too only a gaze, 11 However, we when reverse for this - 13 Żurawiecki, as well as theoretical the works of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick. White and Burroughs, and inPoland Pankowski, Musiał, and recently, Witkowski and protagonists) is openly demonstrated and affirmed. We can mention herewriters such as “gay”) literature, homosexual the identity of author the ina text (and identity the also of just addas anI will aside that inemancipatory and post-emancipatory known (also as example of is this Death in Venice, about Ritz which writes following: the common, stable identity is masked, text. concealedinthe A classic and much discussed have a common of experience oppression. Meanwhile, critics are interested inhow this “male”group: people with a similar, gender, desire who people of and same the sex necessarily apparent and exhibited) homosexual identity, one characteristic of a certain pointThe starting therefore is the assumptionthat there stable (albeit is a strong, not position are works the of Ritz, German states: who and Andrzejewski.However, standard-bearing the research texts for interpretational this writersdiscussed incontext this include Wilde, Proust, Gide, Iwaszkiewicz, Gombrowicz, reading (withduring strategy sourceits a specific ingay studies). The most frequently textconcealed inthe include (terms used “unspeakable desire”) and comes to light only of statement literary homosexual the inwhich identity of narrator the (or is speaker) ture as pre-emancipatory – sometimes described homosexual literature. This is a kind mask of ekphrasis. to a phantasm. Homosexual looking and meanwhile, speech, is possible only under the it provide – does an interesting and often interpretive useful context. writtennecessarily be by a gay person. However, author’s the biography of –eventraces texts and his biography is a crucial interpretive neither homoerotic must key; every text course gay not a writer that is person who also case the every always creates homoerotic author of the text, one that is after importantall for gay criticism. I must stressthat it is of

“Statue” provides a relatively representative example of homosexual modernist litera- Up to this point interpretation, inthe I have consistently over passed issue the of the Sexuality-sensitive reading unspeakable,”the homosexual the Eros is usually conceived as death. of and perfection beauty. In culture the of first inthe vigorous modernism, attempt to “speak text: an for apology homosexual love and a sublimation of Eros as a force attainment the serving encounter of Eros and Thanatos…Symposium Thatwhich unsaid goes comes…withtwo (secret)signs: reading of Plato’s Symposium of text. the (Ritz 2002b:54) homosexual…only differently when sexuality activelybecomes structured a part the of texture constructionthe of private the biography, although it motivated can be by it. A text becomes ofstruction author the text, inthe for which various reasons not does have with to coincide The starting premise the of homosexual text is notthe author’s biography, butthe gender con - A ManlyArtefactandaMysteriousPoet… Skucha Kraków: Universitas, 1999: 98. Ritz, German, Iwaszkiewicz. Jarosław Pogranicza (trans. nowoczesności Kopacki). Andrzej is for initiated the reader always a double-sided 13 and the and the

83 84 hands” –doubtless of those her husband. andShe unfulfilled. often mentions that poems her early were destroyed by“friendly conventions. However, her letters show that she was not a happy wife, and felt lonely of “wife” and “Eastern Marches woman” on imposed her by stereotypes and social family’stheir home town of Dorohowica. Initially, to conform tried role Zofia to the a male soldier’s uniform, she went to the Turkish war. From couple 1889,the lived in an officer the in Tsarist army, spentshe manyyears in Russia, and in1877, dressed in At age the of just married 17,Zofia Wacław Trzeszczkowski. Since her husband was private and family life as with another of poetess Young Poland, Maria Komornicka. influence project, and on her did not have such a significant was solely a literary 15 14 eneum, was everpublished. Instead, his oeuvre remains At inmagazines, dispersed especially for printof (Przebrzmiałe poetry akordy/“Past notes”)), but no of collection his texts his connection to thein particular French Parnassians. Mańkowski prepared one volume turn, and was valued mostly as a translator, and only secondly as a poet. Critics stressed wasin1847and born in1911,belonged died poet to the generation of antipositivist the problems to people at time, the to decipher as easy it seemed as “Adam Mańkowski.” This also givenalso as Mańkowski. Przesmycki) she remained “Adam.” In anthologies, numerous her name was poetry publishers and editors only by letter. Even inprivate correspondence (such as with out her life, Trzeszczkowska remained margins inthe of life, literary contacting but none other than Zofia Trzeszczkowska (Mańkowski’sdaughter). defacto Through- greatest secret was not poet’s the homosexuality… (probably) only Piotr Chmielowski was privy to Mańkowski’s greatest secret.And this Zenon Przesmycki and Antoni Lange, with whom he was a regular correspondent. Yet

“Statue” is with signed pseudonym the “Adam M-ski,” which did not present many too For pseudonym personthe behind the “Adam M-ski” was never “Adam Mańkowski,” Texts andtheBody i jak cień odchodzę. Poetyckie maskarady Zofii [forthcoming]. Trzeszczkowskiej heroicznychpisarek . Wydawnictwo Lublin: UMCS, 2006; Skucha, Mateusz,Jako cieńbyłam Trzeszczkowskiej,” in: (ed.),Kresowianki. Krąg Stępnik, andMonika Gabryś Krzysztof Bydgoskiej, 2002; Legutko, Grażyna, i twarz.“Maska o autokreacji Rzecz Zofii Lidia (ed.),Tożsamość i rozdwojenie. Rekonesans, Bydgoszcz: Wydawnictwo Akademii tożsamość Adama M-skiego“Zmistyfikowana (ZofiiTrzeszczkowskiej),” in: Wiśniewska, . i sztuki literatury W kręgu Białystok: Towarzystwo Literackie, 2000; Olech, Barbara, w Białymstoku, Konferencji III Międzynarodowej tomach 9-12X1998,, w trzech vol. II: (ed.),Elżbieta andSidoruk pamięci. i ziemiaMickiewiczowskiej Wilno Materiały Adamai twórczości z Mańkowskich M-skiego (Zofii Trzeszczkowskiej),” in: Feliksiak, .cierpienia Warszawa: PIW, 1981; Olech, Barbara, i Kresy.“Samotność Wokół biografii A. Baranowska “’Ja się nieskarżę’” (Zofia Trzeszczkowska), in: idem, Kraj modernistycznego Obrazy polskiej. literatury Literatura okresuMłodej Polski, vol. 1. Warszawa: PWN, 1968; (1847-1911),” in: Wyka, Kazimierz, Hutnikiewicz, Artur andMirosława Puchalska, For more on Zofia see: Chojnicka-Skawińska,Trzeszczkowska Wanda, “Adam M-ski Królikowski’sKazimierz Antologia współczesnych poetów polskich from 1908. E.g. JanKasprowicz’s współczesnych Album poetów polskich 1863-1898from 1899, or Prawdzie and Tygodnik Ilustrowany and 14 We should emphasize, though, that transgenderism this 15 . Among rated who those were himhighly - 16 identity comes incorporated, to be and uncovered then or demonstrated. identity text. They are (female interested or homosexual) attached in to the howthis feministboth and gay reading criticism. Both strategies attempt strong the to describe recognitionthe of “I” the persona. Incidentally, is elementary for such a recognition or femalesexual respectively). The direction the of thereforereading is dependent on (“gay reading” and “feminist reading”) concern constitution the of (homo speaker the - and not another. Perhaps there is a third way? Note that of both above the assumptions I reallyat whether same other: the reject time have to assume such a reading strategy, fascinatingcourse equally be and valid. expressible inphallogocentric language. Such an interpretation could of of poem the postfeminists by headed Irigaray and Cixous have written –female jouissance but identity, must desiresofwho body a man, the assume a male since –as French and “I.” lyric male the It would prove that of speaker actual “Statue” the is a woman itself would have to concentrate on heterosexual the desire masked by authorship male biographythe of author the (unknown to her contemporary readers). Yet reading the of reading which I presented above. 2.)A “feminist reading: starting the point here is constructedhomosexual male who the speaker.poet This is (more theor less)type of masking homoerotic desire, remembering at same the that time it was a female incategories subtextpoem of and homoeroticism, ways looking for a homosexual reading” – with Derrida’s famous author.actual The nowreader basically hastwo ways out this situation:of 1.)a “gay foundation –previously the to be ceases tacitly assumed –homosexual desire of the that “Statue”text. I suspect its loses homoerotic inpart and load its authenticity. Its Ateneumof in1894:i.e., author the is a man. of poem the text.the point The starting of our thereforereading was samethe that as the of readers of things to mask a series and does who “soften”a speaker the homoeroticpotential of it isgazeand inthis that speech his subjectivity is realized. Finally, we were about talking visualization of another man’s body, and therefore, becomes only a gaze and and speech, This is a speakerwho isa homosexual man and is dependent on his fascinationwiththe ing character the coming out of text, the rather than from author’s the biography. true it should not. Afterall, we were talking about personathe mean - poem, or thespeaker of of “Statue” was a woman –change something inour earlier interpretation? Theoretically, translator (rather than a female one), pseudonym the concealedbehind “Adam M-ski.” Yet there is no doubt that she was treated by her contemporaries and as simply a poet Korycka. As a result of position, this her texts are of course read as “women’s poetry.” lyric alongsideplaced of those Komornicka, Ostrowska, Wolska, Zawistowska, and Grossek-

However, I have doubts as to whether I really have to choose one of paths these and And yet… knowing about “true the sex” of author the changes our approach to the There is now one problemwhichwith thatwe – this news the does must deal: author Trzeszczkowska is today counted among of female Young the poets Poland, her works A ManlyArtefactandaMysteriousPoet… Skucha poetycka Zofii (Adama M-skiego). Trzeszczkowskiej thesis entitledTwórczość inhisunpublished1968 doctoral For Święch exampleJerzy il n’y de hors-texte a pas , one can comment on the is in- 16

85 86 has two sources: gender studies and gay studies. In order to understand essence of the ity, about rapture reading strategy. and desire, is a queer To generalize, queer studies allowedwhich me to read “Statue” as a text about crossing boundaries the of subjectiv- an erotic, enraptured gaze. able of statue body the remains an unattainable of body a statue. The speaker remains man as body, is object unthinkable as sexual language. inthis why This is the unattain - jouissance space. In other words, heterosexual the both female a heterosexual female I or a male homosexual I – is impossible, cannot exist textual inthe Touch is impossible. –irrespective desiresbody this whether is the of male The I who emerges: poem sculpturein the remains stone. a lifeless No requited desire exists. desire, an erotic requited touch. And it ismoment inthis that tragedy the contained all is essentially looking for poem the his/her own identity, own I.An I which desires male (Markowski statue the to bring 1999b).In of protagonist man the the trying to life, of other wanting. In other words: I attain my identity thanks to the recognition of others” meansI, which that constructed I am from information given inreturnfrom reflected ourselves. It is thanks to the recognition from others that ultimately we will able be to say utes to the constitution of identity. the “Wanting another want, we want recognition of 17 desires “it because is is Wantinghigh, that allows a person to say ‘I’,” desired. an And to attain stakegame answer, the inthis of to be conceal a wish a will says, that is a desire of another desire. The attempts to bringthe Greeksculpture to life means response, wanting relationality. a carnal Thistherefore is poem the as a desire, body, wishing fordesire closeness of and a male touch. Wanting therefore to touch watched and desired is a man reduced to his carnality. body.male Afterall, one sensationalthe of things that is aboutpoem whatthe being is ing rapture alone. And finally,the rapture sexual, that canbe aroused by a beautiful, identity the in which of enraptured the to exist,is washed away, person ceases - becom and all-encompassing rapturecarnal beyond any opposition binary of gender. Rapture moves away from centre stage – “Statue” about rapture becomes a text in itself. Utter of desire the (hetero- or homosexual, generated by determining gender this identity) on subject the of desire. the An identity that classifications. all escapes above, As I said it is an identity dependent and man, from homosexual to heterosexual desire, heterosexual to homosexual desire. is always moving, constantly on edge the –floatingbetween man and woman, woman aboutideas it to be need supported by our extratextual assumptions. It is an identity that

This thirdThis interpretivepath, which I have been following point, since a certain and In addition, is this erotic rapture, of desire. full Thatwhy is a text aboutthisalso is In problem the –when such a situation of gender, and subsequently problem the In “Statue,” speaker’s the identity isunstable, weak, unspecified and Our shifting. Texts andtheBody Bieńczyk). Warszawa: KR, 1999b: 12. Fragmenty dyskursumiłosnego [A Lover’s Discourse: Fragments] (trans. Marek Markowski, Paweł, Michał i pragnienie, Dyskurs introduction to: Barthes, Roland, are inexpressible phallogocentric, inthe heteronormative language, as the jouissance and homosexual the male 17 and thus contrib- bilize meaningthe of such words as “femininity,” “masculinity,” “homosexuality,” and 18 concepts, or (more strongly) anti-identity ones. discourse and avoiding restricting categories. Thistherefore is of non-identity a theory samethe emphasizing time movement the of identities, these from escape power the of point, therefore queer theory questions existence the of stable (gender) identities, at tive identities, demonstrating internal the instability of gender identities. As its starting notqueer does force through any identity, specific but rather normaall only criticizes - term“queer”very level of to the a concept of discourse defining identity, showingthat andKosofsky Judith Sedgwick Butler. In Gender Trouble , Butler raises status the of the deconstructed. be can also identity, body, the construct –as which it is a socio-cultural sexuality) is constructed – whyThis is the followingsaid is (includingabouteverything constructivism: gender, of desire, problematizes since queer theory and places indoubt homosexual identity. there is no of model a common and stable identity conditioned by choice the of object (fundamental to gay studies) hetero-homo opposition. In other words, inqueer theory meanwhile, theregroup, is no specific is abouttheory becausethis deconstructions the of identity is which common (i.e. “group”), cohesive and stable. In of case the queer theory, kind” of essence exists, foundation the common to the whole group. Thisthe essence is group appears. Wecommon therefore to a certain here speak of essentialism: “some heterosexuality-homosexuality distinction. As a result of a description of this, identity is connectionthen, the gender between and sexuality, where key role the is played by the differencefromse,earlier detached sexual per –the gender. basisthe At of gay studies, difference refers to male gender identity, while queer studies theorists study – as stated is that formerto make inthe scholars case, are interested especially inhow sexual the norms (queer studies). norms (gender studies) or hetero-homo the opposition and deconstruction of sexual moment:more male-female oppositions in a given and deconstructionthe of gender however, that conclusions these are of rather problems which a question are accented destabilized here) is heterosexuality-homosexuality the opposition. We must remember, ence of an Other, and connected to desire.why This is the main opposition (undermined, oppositions. difference,sexual The meanwhile, is always relational, assuming the exist- This leads to the study, contesting and deconstruction the of male-female, men-women genders, imitation the of gender models, striving for (unattainable) the gender ideal. we should say that gender the difference mostlybased performativity is the on the of differenceit is sexual the that becomesthe most important matter. To be more specific, gender studies overriding the problem is gender the difference,whereas in queer studies queer theory, we then, first need all to askof about its relationstwo withthese fields. In

In addition, to draw from of ideas the Michel Foucault, Two theorists were important particularly development inthe Eve of queer theory: If we consider difference the between gay studies and queer studies,the simplest point A ManlyArtefactandaMysteriousPoet… Skucha the individual, i.e. generally, very thecreation anI whose in theindividualofsuch isthatofthesubjugation popular issueamong of queer theorists A particularly 18 queer theorists aim to desta -

87 88 they provethey that are these a source of violence. “heterosexuality.” By showing discourse as constructs, functioning their social inthe 23 22 21 20 19 inside and out.” difference differences, sexual and of heterosexuality and homosexuality, and, finally, of Fuss: examines mutual the queer theory “of links identification and desire, sexual of that illustrate how differenttheoreticalpositions concerning queer are today. Diana non-identity, that is motion. ineternal To summarize, I would like to cite five quotations of culture. criticism, meanwhile, Queer intexts that attempts identity, weak to grasp in a strong, stable homosexual identity that of is part – and is often maskedthe in– text Returning to literature and reading strategies, we can say that gay critics are interested Therefore, closet. the as Joanna Mizielińskawrites, scholars theory in dealing queer discourse), –to employ which system (social same categories these –pushed into them Yet closet. the categories these are oppressive to them, were since they developed by the have available to them only categories the (mostly linguistic ones) of from those “outside” people wish who to comealized out of and closet the spaceoutside inthe function of it situation gays inwhich and lesbiansthemselves, find imprisoned and enclosed. Margin - temology of the Closet (1990).The “closet” in question is a symbolic representation the of normative straight understanding of gender and sexuality.” culture texts, spectator positions, pleasures and readings that articulate spacesoutside nothing in particular to which it necessarily refers. It is an identity without an essence.” by definition whatever for destabilisation of ‘scientific’ theories).”gender sexual and to any complete description) and at striving same the (as anti-theory time a reflection Jacek Kochanowski: “queer (as a reflection cannot only post-theory aspiring be theory theory, “more important is disturbance the than result the itself. The movement is more

One of mostthe interesting queer theorists is Eve andKosofsky her Sedgwick exclusions, creation of hierarchies and normalisation. production social the of […],while identitya margin is always recompensed by of logic the According dominant the to them, discourse always assumes and on existence is the based of Proposed that identity categories scrapped owing be to their instability and exclusive character. Texts andtheBody Kochanowski, Jacek, zachęta skromna Bardzo doteorii, queer www.republika.pl/queer. Press, 1997: 62. Halperin, David. Foucault: Saint Towards a GayHagiography. University Oxford: Oxford ofMinnesotaPress,University 1993: 223. Doty, Alexander,. Making MassCulture Queer: Interpreting Things Minneapolis:Perfectly Fuss, Diana,. Inside/Out New York: Routledge, 1991: 8. 2000no.Pierwsza 7: 9. Mizielińska, Joanna, “Poza kategoriami. Kilkauwagnatematqueertheory,” Furia power ofdiscourse(seeKochanowski2004). working –withthenorm almostfromarise ofthe within–susceptibleto theeffects constituent basisis the internalisationofnorm, normative identities thanksto which 20 Alexander Doty: “‘queer’ Alexander Doty: for films wouldpopular reserved those and be is at with normal, the odds legitimate, the dominant. the Thereis 19 21 David Halperin: “queer is 23 Inga Iwasiów: for queer Epis 22 -

25 24 yond, an explosion of movable the limits of experience. important than identity.” the because This is is a discourse, queer movement goingbe- sexuality, and desire. is breaking, crossing, qualities deconstructingthat those are connected with gender, were long ago indoubt. placed to make sharp and distinctdivisions and classifications, postmodern reality whichthe in tion of emphasizing contents than and certain an extracting attempt hiddenina text are not mutually exclusive, but rather complement one another. They are more a ques-

To conclude, I would like to add that three the reading simulations I have presented A ManlyArtefactandaMysteriousPoet… Skucha 2005, issue6). more on“Gender. thissubjectinthe article I write Queer. Literatura” (RuchLiteracki , Iwasiów, Inga, “Gender, tożsamość, stereotypy,” RuchLiteracki . 2002no. 6: 553. 25 Translation: Benjamin Koschalka 24 For queer, what is important

89 90 also experience relaxation experience also itself during reading. the that engages body the body in.The providesthe effort thatreading requires, but it can readingbetween and independent fundamental needs, of bodily any reading activity or freshness, satiety or hunger, along with other categories of establish type, this a link one place reading leave us rear with a numbed (to put it euphemistically). Drowsiness something one “in breath” or conversely, when, travails the of sitting for long too in spiritual to be all sittings, sometimes comes – such up as we when in phraseology read to prolong infinitely. of attentionperiods diligence found and evenBenedictine which itself focus, unable adage comfortbasic and lighting, and suggests preferences –as well-known inthe academic past were given honest. to believe, In doing it this makes its own demands, such as for own way, is which not always refined particularly and not, particularly as authorsthe in or is only with greatest the difficulty.allowing In act bodythe of readsreading, inthe its one, and so, although by triggered work the of mind, the it is not subject to its control, a flush to our cheeks, or induce erotic excitement.Each these of reactions is an instinctive ones) that make our hair stand up on end, make us laugh, cry, yawn, feel nauseous, bring are texts that shivers sends down our spines, but others also (or sometimes same the might evensay, diagnosis –as term “symptom” the refers to medical there discourse. So way of recognizing it by way the it works on us, its characteristic symptoms. Or, one our spines. This is of course not how literary studiespoetry, might define but a colloquial GinsbergAllen is once words said that arranged poetry in a way that sends shivers down The body,The ignored in literary which reports ontends seeking reading, to be above Somatic ExperiencesofReading How DidtheOldPolish BodyRead? Dariusz Śnieżko plenus venter non studet libenter –as well as imposing restrictions by rationing 1 terms. Otium erary in reading amount the –both and of time the day –have to stereotype easy been inlit- troublesome material for any typology.thattime The or investingit worth is necessary The influence typeand ofcircumstances of our relations comprise with books most the physical encounters with readers, in love. those especially As Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote: most importantly for eye–a degree the of legibility. always will remember Codices their but unrolled “vertically.” have Carriers durability, their smell, weight, dimensions and – eyes) or a digitalsomewhich in – incidentally, file respects, resembles an ancientscroll, inscription or waxtablet (for example, covered ina green coating for comfort the of the or deciphering a stone leafingthrough a codex, from for body the unfurling a scroll, most characteristic effects would depend, firstly, on different type: its things are required context and relationship the with recipient. the sender the linking As for carrier the whole of communicative the situation, that sense inthe depend itsthealso on effects are– these some of most the typical effects the source of sleeplessness or sleepiness, reflexes of aversion, text) fatigueor disgust (with a longer is metaphor the as of food. book the someone to vomit; it is obvious, though, that motif this is a variation of topos the that Wacławinclined to believe Potocki’s that assertion reading inferior can cause poems sius he when says that Statius’ Silvae The reliant on previous the metaphorisis of reading the itself. act We Stanislas believe Ho- in literature than repertoire gothe no further others of while are experience, everyday other way related to conventions as attractive seen or binding. Some reactions recorded testimonies and declarations that are affected, snobbish, amplified or parodic, orin some broadof reports interest and sense) descriptions. This –as (ina very includes literary from psycho-physiological of diagnoses reading – an area that is not my major object and circumstances.the This, at least,the is conclusion that canbe drawn notso much ent on three factors (apologies for crudeness ofthe divide): this source,the carrier the in particular age,in particular and health, eyesight. It would not many hard be to name more. For spine, fingers eyes.and In addition,there arethe determinants the of organism itself: are place on the just some of demands the that circumstances, external to speak, so lying, standingin a sitting, or kneeling position, with natural light orthese – artificial on travels, or while before eating had (this a certain significance for Old Polish authors) or monasteries), individual or collectivereading, aloud or silent, at or home, a library a mistaken but text. good-looking preferkinds; who stained; those marks the to see of mistakes the scratched out by than them hands day and and night that dirty covered become so used, they with notes, and of various who love Those do books not leavethem untouched bookshelvestheir on but their themtake in Shivers down our spines, laughter, tears, physical symptoms of fear or excitement, One might suggest that its cooperation and reactions are, roughly- depend speaking, HowDidtheOldPolish BodyRead? Śnieżko w świecie książki. Kraków: Universitas, 2002: 172. inGruchała,Quoted JanuszS., Iucunda familialibrorum. Humaniści renesansowi and negotium and , especially institutional, especially obligation to read (inschools 1 can bring on fatigue and yawning, but are less . Ofcourse, comprise these the , the , the

91 92 a lion, begging them to stop. them begging a lion, ofcentury history Francesco Spiera, hearound writhed on and his roared bed like in confinement. lunatic passiontheWhenprotagonist was read to the the 16th- of well. To quote Rabelais’ ironic words, reading St Margaret brought relief to women fordistinct need not only an appropriate source, and circumstances but as a carrier ing venture. – Some effects for example, magical ones – may have had an especially Agostino Ramelli Agostino movement was restricted by diverse (La illness et artificiose machine delCapitano by of designed Agostino books, for Ramelli dispensing readers a succession whose and wheel machine library resembling a mill was a special peculiarity 16th-century is only palatable at night,poetry and a newspaper only over breakfast. An interesting are sensitive especially to its smell, others to the of type paper and binding; for some, –of effective sometimescal, peculiar and pleasantSome contactpeople with a book. Parandowski’s Reading of Alchemy andcarrier circumstances the –that would The make up called subject the of a book One might imagine that of last two it reading these aspects would –the especially be malitiae spiritibus octo example, 4 3 2 sheets inadvance. writing (even unread) can away take desire the to love, as long as it is put under the helluo librorum Cato as helluo described metaphors, popular among humanists, of consuming, or evendevouring Cicero books. of ruinous the reading habit.kind This writers’of self-creation corresponded to the –with enthusiasmbooks and exaltation; Franciszek Karpiński wrote too with bitterness to it.dicted This was how Petrarchwrote of his supposedly entirely physical hunger for The three aspects somaticthreeThe of aspects reading named above - do read of courseevery in meet At need,as same one the time, reading then, can become ad- can become a bodily a short and light sleep, from he which is woken by a feeling of a sudden and great hunger. illustrations before and his eyes, he book the closes puts it under into hisfalling then head; sums,idle counts pages the inhis notebook; and, gathering hatred for letters the and beautiful lines, muttering end the of each word he reads; at same the somewith his time he fills head fingers and, putting down,book the looks the wall; at returning to the book, he several skims byBothered anxiety but asleep; or falls soon his face rubs with hands, both straightens his Texts andtheBody Robinson, 1630]. 185 [Englishedition: Gesta Histories Romanorum. Auncient , of A Record ed. Richard Gesta Romanorum., Historie rzymskie Polish version Paweł Hertz. Warszawa: Iskry, 2001: 1974: 93. ed.polska,” “Ortografija JanuszMałłekand Franciszek Pepłowski. Pojezierze, Olsztyn: Stanisław,Murzynowski, a straszliwa żałosna o Franciszku “Historyja oraz Spierze” 2000: 97-98. in: M.Quoted Bieńczyk, Melancholia. O tych, conigdy nieodnajdą. straty Warszawa:Sic!, acedia The Alchemy of the Word, devoted to the conditions –sometimes typi- , the serious, Christian form serious,Christian , the of melancholy by St described Nilus (De , Paris 1588). 4 , which at, which constitutes least inpart a symmetrical equivalent to Jan ), didnot help person’s afflicted the concentration whenreading: 3 Finally, as , a devourer of books; a similar description, a devourer of a similar was used books; Gesta Romanorum Gesta testifies, an appropriate 2

vision to the honest man: own, and “Reading is a great pleasure.” which is also characteristic iswhich also of Rej. Winter as old age and winter offer season the similar medicine of constructive reading, pointing simplest the way to the Lord. word not lack that certainly a goal; they element of disinterested joy contained French inthe pleasure of lying around forced by “solace age, the called of old age” by himself, Rej are The implied delight of reading in place the lostof delight the embraceof or hunting,the marginin the are icing the on cake: “From the reading comes an old person’s delight.” as well (or above as physiological all) This needs. means lyingwith a book, theand notes ment of a good text as a value resulting from a favorable coincidence of reading factors, writer’sthe language means no more than ordinary pleasure, is not much so endow the - More than once, encouraged Rej constructive, reading, but useful delight, this in which 8 7 6 5 of concern for his son’s health. samethe about him–inhis youth, his father is said to have from hiddenbooks himout for Andrzej Krzycki by Stanislaus Hosius (Stanisław Hozjusz), he text gives me bliss,” text as a category of research and reading Roland declared experience. Barthes that “[t] advice of physicians, forbade who reading (Bieńkowska 62). Pole139); the Piotr Tomicki, with and illness addled fatigue inhis old age, ignored the awayhis books from him, he started having migraines and fevers (Gruchała 2002: 138- over throughout books night the than and to sleep rest; apparently, doctors when took “cannotwho a world see without books.” Petrarch maintained that he preferred to pore of causes which withdrawal symptoms as well known to lovers of chocolate as to those language, as ifreading provided endorphins particular of “happiness hormones,” lack the purely spiritual innature, it presented can be only and by described using paramedical written word as being was seen wasthis no accidental trope. Since addictionto the It example isto ascribe this easy to the Old Polish topos of life as four the seasons – One might expect thatOne tropes might pleasures these would expect to the lead and delights of the contemplate? 2003) (Rej greatthefind consolation of your old age,which in findyou will a lesson matterfor every you old wize manifold men, with with those those can speak philosophers, from whom you will fold beautifuland fragrant flowers winteror in on your prettythat so bed,and blissful you Is it not a delight to be able to read, having lain down beneath a pretty little tree among mani- HowDidtheOldPolish BodyRead? Śnieżko –Warszawa: Narodowy Zakład im. Ossolińskich, De Agostini Polska, 2003: 599. Rej, Mikołaj, poczciwego człowieka Żywot , ed. Julian Krzyżanowski, vol. 2, Wrocław– and Giroux,Strauss 1975: 34. Barthes, Roland, the of ThePleasure (trans.Text Richard Miller). New York: Farrar, Bieńkowska, Barbara, Staropolski światksiążek. Wrocław: Ossolineum, 1976: 62. Kamieńska). Pojezierze, Olsztyn: 1980: 6-7. doświadczonego […],” in: idem, Poezje, intro. (trans. Odyniec Władysław Anna Hozjusz, Hosius], [Stanislaus Stanisław “Pochwała Kallimacha, Filipa męża jouissance . They . They are just a lure, a sweetener making easier it theto swallow bland 7 but, as Mikołaj wrote, Rej Poles of their have too a language 6 Even ifsuch statements were imbued with emphasis, 8 And as usual, he went on a tempting to unfurl 5 whose biographers whose wrote

93 94 views, provesviews, to be less than regard; modestinthis we can say same, the albeit to a lesser corporeal circumstances and effects of reading – Old Polish material, judgingfrom sample other hand, it not does appear that our ancestors attached any attention special to the drinking allowed one to fill the surfeit allowedthewinter.timedrinking onein of to fill diversions. According Polish to Old authors such as Andrzej Zbylitowski, reading and points ina text, and at same the “hold” time it, meaning help to understand it). “hands”knowledge so-called (the margins inthe were supposed to indicate important ity.even Thistradition was linked to the of rhetorical gesticulation and old anatomical – was a practice that was to a considerably degree higher conscious of its own physical- thor), and 16th centuries inthe 17th reading –intensive, often repeated and annotated to beseems an entirely internalized non-bodilycommunication with text the (or its au- Wespazjan Kochowski. Similar verdicts were delivered by, for example, from Petrycy Pilzno,Sebastian and 13 12 11 10 9 winter suitable be will with its long night there which is no way of sleeping through.” cyclopedist Jakub Kazimierz Haur reading the of library, the wrote, “[f]or necessary, so to their modestlibraries. differencethe that effectively safeguarded landowning readers becomingfrom addicted sitting up late at night, reading and reading one because can only much so sleep was –this ignoramus men play?,” asked Wacław Potocki, answering: workthe of Hieronim Morsztyn, one would notthe find Maid Reading. of “Atwhat do books” held an inferior position, and among representing ladies the worldly delights in and gossip (Kowalski 2000).In catalogue the of gentlemen’s pursuits, “amusement with spiritual literature body, the satisfying –so almost demanding portion of their romances of leisure, as Haur passionatethem, called readers, day and night, and of not secular There is little doubtthat, whereas for most contemporary the readers reading act Texts andtheBody Castle, DE andLondon: Press OakKnoll & Library,The British 2005: 23-26, 35-36. andGiles MandelbroteHarris (ed.), Owners,Annotators,, New Reading andtheSignsof Sherman, H., William “Toward oftheManicule,” a History in: Myers, Robin, Michael PIW, 1987: 480. z lat1688-1696,utwory intro. Otwinowska, Barbara ed. Kukulski. Leszek Warszawa: Potocki, Wacław szlacheckich,”“Odjemek herbów in: idem, Dzieła, vol. 3: Moralia i inne 90-96. ziemiańskiego .pewnego siedemnastowiecznego pisarza Kraków: Wydawnictwo UJ, 2000: Kowalski,See Piotr, świata wszystkiego Theatrum i poćciwy gospodarz. O wizjiświata Kraków, 1693: 166. Haur, JakubKazimierz, abo Skład skarbiecznakomitych sekretów oekonomijej ziemiańskiej. S. Grzeszczuk. and Stanisław Gruchała Warszawa: PIW, 1988: 173-174. Zbylitowski, Andrzej, “Wieśniak,” in: Staropolska poezja ziemiańska. Antologia, ed. Janusz The other, comefrom threshingthe floor, throughthough glasses cards drink; They and draughts they in play turn With nothing else, old the man reads calendar. the Feed dogsand their refuse knowledge of school 11 Even ifsuch things didhappen, it was to “fashionable” ladies 9 As en- 17th-century the 12 13 On the Onthe 10 So So message, rather than object. the in Old Polish forewords and dedications word the “book” itself usually referred to the presentedusually been or as non-bodilyfriends solely spiritual progeny. Incidentally, this subject,this and of evidence the such existence is not irrefutable.” known essay. He answer warned, then “The is noteasy, there since aresources few on from description the of and carrier the circumstances the accompanying reading. the even more modestgroup is that of testimonies on somatic the consequences resulting not much so as a record of reading as, above experiences valuing all, amplifications. An motifs with theaim of discrediting text the or its author, and as such should they viewed be graphomaniacalwhich solemnity to. leads collections of Both examples physiological use scatological depictions. We must consider also here of cases unintended laughter or sleep muning with what we would a graphomaniacal today call These are book. dominated by Andrzej Krzycki to, let’s say, Wacław Potocki) document physical the effects of com - a kind of physical arousal of similar advantages. A differentgroup of testimonies (from deriving from Salustius, according of to which acts the one’s ancestors bring to readers are readily so anthropomorphized in toposthe motif of with parting author,the since numberthe of records remains low. too It noteworthy is also that which books, 18 17 16 15 14 extent, about European (15 British readers’ experiences(from 1450-1945) perceptions (Gruchała 2002:173).An internet database compiles which reports from analogy between the micro- the between and macrocosmosanalogy assumed a holistic approach to physical developing of views Hippocrates the on discourse the and based medical the Galen, Łukasz Opaliński, put it. to tears,lead laughter elicits laughter. “Love lured by love rules,” as imitator the of Horace, reflection between the desiredon representation link and triggers like like, reaction: tears or love. These testimonies,so few and farbetween,could pointat least to the Horatian source itself, and thus of reactions the speak by, triggered for example, works of comedy “Did Sarmatians the evenhave a body?,” asked Tadeusz Chrzanowski ina well- It is not surprising, that then, mentions most surviving concern effects the the of HowDidtheOldPolish BodyRead? Śnieżko Eseje o sztuce i kulturze staropolskiej. i kulturze Eseje o sztuce Kraków: Znak, 1988: 224. Chrzanowski, Tadeusz, “Ciało sarmackie,” in: idem, Wędrówki Europejskiej. po Sarmacji 2003: 9. Opaliński, Łukasz, “Poeta nowy,” in: idem, Poeta nowy.. Cośnowego Kraków: Universitas, w Polsce. Wrocław: Narodowy Zakład im. Ossolińskich, 1975: 309. i kultura. z okazjidrukarskiej pięćsetleciasztuki sesjinaukowej Materiałymiędzynarodowej książki, (eds), in: Grzeszczuk, andAlodiaKawecka-Gryczowa Stanisław książka Dawna Bieńkowska, Barbara, wieku wobec problematyki XVI-XVII i uczeni “Polscy pisarze mówią”). staropolskiej. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM, 2002(chapter “Książki, które Maleszyński,See C., Dariusz w tekście. Człowiek Formy literatury istnieniawedług andMandelbroteHarris 2005). Hammond, Mary, Database1450-1945(RED),” Reading Experience “The in: Myers, 17 groupThis includesalso popularthe historiographical topos, th and 16 16 th century)reflections the on physiology of readers’ 14 has not yet made its collection available, 18 On the one Onthe hand, 15 have have

95 96 rear, to make lengthy sitting more tolerable, author of handbook, a Renaissance medical that nature gave man two cushions on his mended to melancholics to “read and listen to something diverting.” doctor, at and beck their call. as well as other sick and tormented people didnot who happen to have author, the the he claimed that brought his books considerable with pox the and gout, relief to those reading.– cheerful François a physician Rabelais, by training, was only half-joking when age, wealongside find – wine, riding, letting of black bile and incision of haemorrhoids among numerous the remedies for melancholy, that most fashionable affliction the of of beginnings the bibliotherapy the that is developing intensively so today. Therefore, temperament, physiognomy and predisposition to illness; here there room was also for and psychological human nature. 24 23 22 21 20 19 ous damages illnesses, strength and brings on old age.” any other work, physicians (as because all agree) it harms and health the brings- seri Pilzno, argued who thatwork “The scholars,of professors, especially is no lighterthan This stereotype of exhausting reading waslater maintained by Szymon Mariciusfrom down to the stomach to aid digestion, against excessive reading ingeneral, stops this because natural warmth from moving more threatening consequences.same The author warns against reading after lunch, and reading is hard work for body.”the harmful, since as Ecclesiastesbe warned (inMarcin Bielski’s Polish translation), “Long a fat not does belly much learn (unlesshe has it by nature) 1893:108-109). (Glaber harm with food, themselves which they by sitting long; is this how we know that he has who arewith books rarely fat, but commonly or sick, and digestion pale still is this due of to bad damp, from which various come. illnesses Thiswhy is peoplewho spend muchtime sitting and itfreshness so feeds, leftin beingand abandoned, rots and bad theturns in and indigestible that the holds,also reverse and Therean excess is no to add of need canreading Texts andtheBody im. Ossolińskich, 1956: 168. pedagogicznych Polski doby Odrodzenia, ed. Skoczek. Józef Wrocław: Narodowy Zakład z Pilzna, Maricius Szymon akademiach ksiąg dwoje,”“O szkołach czyli in: Wybór pism wybranemędrców . 1535. Kraków: wyd. J. Rostafiński, 1893: 61 z Kobylina,Andrzej człowieczych członków o składności Gadki i też z Arystotelesa inszych International Version theBible: of “much thebody” studywearies 12:12]. –Ecclesiastes Bielski, Marcin, Kronika, świata to jest […]. historyja Kraków, 1564: k. 82[New Warszawa: Wydawnictwo PAN, IBL 2003: 115. staropolskiej and Mirosława(ed.),Śmiech. Lasocińska Hanusiewicz i łzy w kulturze Partyka,See Joanna, J. w encyklopedii “Humor K. Haura,” in: Karpiński, Adam, Estera Motteux). Warszawa: Hollywood, FL: &Brown, Simon 2013: 184, 206. Rabelais, François, Gargantua andPantagruel (trans. Thomas Urquhart, Peter Antony Medicine asPaideia”). Centre (trans. Highet). Gilbert Press, University Oxford: Oxford 1986(chapter: “Greek Jaeger,See Werner, Paideia: theIdealsofGreek Culture: oftheDivine InSearch 20 The baroque The polymath Jakub Kazimierz Haur also recom- 19 22 The proportions of humours conditioned thetype of It concluded is true, Andrzej Glaber of Kobylin, the 23 but comfort this didnot safeguard against 24 Polydorus Vergilius’ work De 21 thology resultingthology from quantitative abuse. Spitzeras Leo showed, language inthe of erawe the here should speak of humoral- pa of extravagant the by shepherd fuddled romances. has head been whose consumption of knightly romances, and similarly inCharles Sorel we maythe find motif know from that Cervantes brain the of his masterpiece’s from hero intemperate ran dry animal capable of reflex, this did thenot idea the uncontrolledof eschew autonomy of Aristotle Parts(On the III, 10), for of Animals, Book whom human the was onlythe 28 27 26 25 desk on lies,he wipeshis tired a closed which facewith book a handkerchief. in a rather unstereotypical ina gesture pose: of discouragement, leaning away from his inventoribus rerum libri tres (Paris depicting 1505)showsat a scholar work a woodcut subjected laughter regulation. to strict (152).Itand mistrustful) was therefore understood thatmonastic medieval the rules with laughter their are attentive, and level-headed of sound reason (though mean faithful, not mysterious, but slow to serve.” And incontrast, people are who reserved spleen, but thickinreason so “is and straightforward, food, vain and unstable, soon is contrasted, at and somebodyinclined anything to laugh not only has an impressive each other” 189359).Yet (Glaber same this impulse is to insanity, close with it which thing to sorrow, it is moved that so it must shake: opposite things withalways struggle of melancholy, creates which sorrow, spleen comes joy, thus to the when opposite the was responsible for laughter, since, as inestimable the noted, Glaber it “in is place the ducted a kind of self-affirmation, defending itself from damaging humours. The spleen body, unruly the which slipping out of control the of of parts higher soul, the the con - condemnedwas body an the inwhich itself, to speak. act so out especially of remorsecrying, or penance Magdalene (Mary example) best the being reactions, including reading ones. Valued highest were tears, or ratherbecause their gift, much about its comfort, such as Rej. This was the at root the hierarchyof of instinctive not only by authors, ascetic but by – at who also those least it would –cared seem so one of anti-heroes the of religious and parenetic writing, often consigned to the corner It was another matter with laughter, spontaneous,the especially unbridled variety, in Yet, on other the hand, of course, body, the and inlineworld, the with devil the was HowDidtheOldPolish BodyRead? Śnieżko R. Trask). Princeton, NJ; Princeton Press, University 1990: 420. Curtius, Robert, Ernst European Literature(trans. andtheLatinMiddleAges Willard (trans. R. Willard Trask). Princeton: Princeton Press, University 2003.] Dulcinea,”Enchanted in: Mimesis: inThe RepresentationReality of Western Literature ed. P. Michał Markowski. Warszawa: i S-ka, Prószyński 2004: 341[English ed.: “The Zachodu w literaturze (trans.przedstawiona and introBabicki), Zbigniew intro to 2nd Auerbach, Erich, “Zaczarowana Dulcynea,” in: idem, Mimesis. Rzeczywistość Press,Spectrum 2005]. of Comical Francion,”History ed. of “The DanielA. Gajda(trans. John Wright). Chicago: Choiński.Krzysztof Warszawa: Czytelnik, 1986, p. 226 [Englished.: Edition A Critical Sorel, Charles, Francjona. Przygody Opowieść ucieszna(trans. JoannaArnold), ed. Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, 1976: 66. Reproduction in: Bieńkowska, Barbara, Staropolski Światksiążek. Wrocław: Zakład 28 Humanism, returning dignity to laughter after 27 26 Furthermore, 25 We also

97 98 self-commentary. Renaissance, was this often of citedludic in as a merit genres,Mikołaj especially Rej’s an epigram or interlude to reduce risk of the succumbing to melancholy. In Polish the intellectual effortcuredbe could by an appropriate dose of entertainment applied in ter, accumulated of as a result intensive too reading, rather like fatigue from excessive pathos appealedfunction) to the of of fluidsbody and restoresthemright to the proportions. ous text is one –corresponds that speaking –etymologically with humours the and the mind,the but body, the with its reflexes and proportion of elements: all,after a humor on account of addresseethe of intendedthe becausethis was effects, notthe spirit, nor of comic works; not only of because inferior their protagonists and simple style, but also course he meant poetry. serious,high lower This, as rank led to the one might expect, far from activity and carnal all works only on strength the of mind the itself.” And of requires frequent very manual is art fulfillmentpoetic the of unworthywhile services, body,the remained poetry, behind cares which for mind; the he wrote that “[m]edicine sance poetry, maintained noble that medicine, caters which otherwise the for healing were subject to the kingdompoetry of soul. the Leonardo Salviati, an author of Renais- control over strength the encompassing spiritual the inner.” chest, mouth, veins, face, eyes are conquered by picturethe thing, which takes of merry expressioncal of joy comes which from of loosening soul. the the “One how sees the laughter. As Antonio Riccoboni wrote inhis treatize on comedy, the laughter is a physi- 32 31 30 29 as ifone were letDemocritus about dispute to explode, it.” stop it it, whence does come, so that it enters one’s face, your eyes,mouth, veins, sides, since it is no thatquick matterfree, so a man, to shake how much he wants to cannot sovereignty it has that cannot reined be in;“[b]ut what is laughter, where it does hide, same the psycho-physiologyused of laughter as a rather mysterious stressing thing, the delectare Those Those worksthat werewritten for relaxationsatisfied function, inthe broad terms, Texts andtheBody Antologia polskiej epigramatyki , ed. AlinaSiomkajło. Warszawa, PIW: 1986: 15. Rej, Mikołaj, “Ku temu, będziety fraszki,” coczyś in: od MałaMuza RejadoLeca. NarodowyZakład im. Ossolińskich, 1998: 15. Otwinowska, ElżbietaSarnowska-Temeriusz, staropolskiej literatury Słownik . Wrocław: Otwinowska,See Barbara, “Afekty,” in: Michałowska, entry Teresa (ed.), with Barbara im. Ossolińskich, 1954: 199. Górnicki, polski Łukasz,, Dworzanin ed. Roman Pollak. Wrocław: Narodowy Zakład Wrocław: Narodowy Zakład im. Ossolińskich, 1982: 392. Sarnowska-Temeriusz, Elżbieta(ed. andintro.), Poetyka okresurenesansu. Antologia, Riccoboni, Antonio, “O dziele komediowym–napodstawienaukArystotelesa,” in: , invoking the For ifalways alone people were to sit youDo not know that moves pitiful the when mood you, 31 He argued: Only thinking, withoutOnly thinking, jokes, would they go quite mad. Thewize manwrites that bonesrun dry. and blood ethos ethos (calm emotions),(calm more while (the solemn books (excited and of violent lat the - emotions). A surfeit 29 Similarly, Pole the Górnicki 30 The variants respected of 32 movere -

that “Better this than a game of cards or draughts.” said Potocki (inmore than one example), and inany convincing some case needed were epigrams these read to guests? Before lunch, to kill until time capon the arrived, feel we when this shorten distance the theme the and between carrier. the But when eating, he was sticking to a metaphor (expanded into a comparison here). Yet we do ing epigrams with a suitable predisposition, just as one must have a ready stomach for literature. When Potocki said on more than one occasion that one must about set read- and reading as consumption is tinged almost by metonymic reality inreference to ludic as an appetizer. The well-knownmetaphor medieval of words books as andsustenance shaking melancholy out of spleen,the applied like medicine or, for healthy,the served ( bringthat poems sleep, good although author the himself didnotsatisfaction find this in brings sleep”). Interestingly, soporific this quality poems is notas a flaw;of seen it was said youngthe and demanding wife (Słuchanie wierszów przywodzi sen / “Listening to poems rzecz ma swój “Each czas/ thing has its time”), or even a sleeping pill to finally down calm “To a friend, sending a book of poems”), “for melancholy in the head of amusement” ( ity demanded from poems himlikeprzyjaciela, medicine (Do posyłając księgę wierszów/ not exhibited by accident. And, as poet’s the other statements show, nobil inthe his friends - serious verses reader”). to the It therefore that seems “carnality” this of epigrams the was the body with laughter body the than with soul sighs the (Na poważne wiersze do czytelnika/ epigrams than inreligious things”), as well as rebuking his readers for preferring to refresh ( He repeated also inhis next work that epigrams “please body, the but soul”bother the 34 33 Rożnica This difference bywas discussed Wacław inPotocki an thisway, epigram in very titled coincided with opposition the and serious art between literature as entertainment. statements themselves by too, poets differentiation the the between spirit body theand tion linked an emphatic and withwitty impressions; sensual especially style in some samethe conceptual system) explained by sadness and merriment, theoretical reflec- Therefore, althoughof theory temperamentsthe equally was effectively (and on based Większy gustludzie mają w fraszkach niż w rzeczach nabożnych/ “More taste people have in Do śpiącego,Do słuchając wierszów/ “To the sleeping one listening to poems”). What, Old didthe then, Polish read? What body didit demand? epigrams, Merry HowDidtheOldPolish BodyRead? Śnieżko Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, 1985: 327. wieku, i XVII XVI sowizdrzalskiej ed. Grzeszczuk. Stanisław Wrocław: Zakład Nowohracki naKrempaku, Cadasylan, […],”“Sakwy in: Antologia literatury –1680, intro. Otwinowska, Barbara ed. Kukulski. Leszek Warszawa: PIW, 1987: 385. Potocki, Wacław, (“Difference”): it when is betterEspecially to laugh than cry, Thatbody, withsoul this pleases wit.its Amusing is a joke indeed given inverse; Though betterThough to enterthe housewith tearsthan laughter. Yet to lively jokes, passing that, hurries But I have most the reverence: Dzieła, vol. 1: Transakcja z lat1669- chocimskiej wojny i inneutwory 34 This motif also appears in Hiacynt 33 Każda Każda

“For “For

99 100 it does speak up,it speak does to express is this especially its own limitations. If we ask Old the Polish about body reading, it proves to have rather few words. When said) about relationship the of past culture specific and approach.with books a rather kind offraction what determination. of saidcanbe (and bothbeen This a small hasis ing day and night, but was this supposed to be a kind of noble again addiction, so some troubling or helpful. If we humanists, the are to believe followed they Horace inread- occupations we can perceive some kindof necessity, regardless is of book the whether or finally mundane preprandial refreshment on epigramseach –in these of readerly university research that chasing to professorial unkind is so bodies, away melancholy, inone’sNocturnal winter readings, lying with a book old age, schoolobligations, the lunch or toy”): Przetocki’s composition work, culinary inthe Pustny obiad abo zabaweczka (“Lenten 35 Texts andtheBody Katowice: Biblioteka Śląska, 2005. ,zabaweczka ed. Cegiełaetal., Sylwia acad. ed. and Agnieszka JanMalicki Tułowiecka. Przetocki, Hiacynt, starego“Do i młodego czytelnika,” in: idem, Postny albo obiad Until lunch arrives from kitchen the ready on table. the simple these Read verses; you not will yearn, your tongueDrying invain and clearing your throat, Brother, what are you by whistling,walking before lunch, Translation: Benjamin Koschalka 35 2 1 that appears inBiałoszewski’s work is theme the of love. “greatOne of called so the themes” inliterature –or at leastliterature the of West the – entitled You –Longing, as an example: and atmosphere the spirit aesthetic the recalls of Young Poland. We can poem the take physically, but from recalled depths of memory. The word “longing” is often repeated to 1946 and are considered works in erotics. In of all three, addressee the is not present about andstyle talks which musical elations. The remaining poems three are date back entitled ThereSherzofrom h-moll a poem also is which 1945, waswritten in a similar poem Jerozolimapoem about (Jerusalem), tragedy the of ghetto, the dating back to 1943. is expressionisticBiałoszewski the inspirit (resembling Kasprowicz’s instyle Hymns) one with which young started his writing career. poet One of earliest known works of simultaneously allowed for of extraction the meanings. new position to take, since it allowed for recognition of elements of a “common world,” and myths of his own culture, oftentimes assuming an outsiderposition. It was an interesting “margins”literary –namely, homoerotic. the The authorfreely moved among numerous Białowszewski’s work. Misdirection would consequently into lead dangerous the realm of and fooled by results the of reconstructing remnants the of “love discourse” inMiron touchedthemes to be upon. Then again,perhaps there was a fear being misdirected of aboutin talking something that is not there, or that there are other, far more significant, much attention to this Perhaps fact. particular were they assuming that there is no point

The question the loveof becomesthemeeven more intriguing,that since the was Miron Białoszewski’shermeticpornographies Piotr Sobolczyk Poetry magazine, vol.12 in1985, inthePoetry Published 3-4. Rougemont,See D., (1972). LesMythesdel’Amour 1 Scholars never really paid too 2

101 102 3 that exclaims, what So if… : Similarly, and natural the motif of scenery a long appears with incipit walks ina poem though he didnot write about how he “changes lover’s hands with his lips into touch.” Inold his poet. later works, spaceis usually completely “differentfrom longing,”even could say that time, ina rather way, cynical thought this revised of twenty the four years unclear, as “loving” if the one was to be left “longing.”with filled withtheonly space One mean a night without predictions, without “guides” –as iffuture of relationship the was face of a loving one, “gave who himself away” “beloved”. to the A “starless night” could possessive pronoun is written ina lower This case. could suggestthat “your face”the is us payLet attention thatto the fact time, this differentlyfrom the the rest poem, theof you inside me.”in other words, “I carry Maybe that is why he can “raise your face.” voice,” however it is not creation, but rather re-creation, since: “you endure inme,” or, Yourof “loving” the lacking, call “beloved”: the to make one to recreate “that I need

A lonesome walk inwinter walk weather,A lonesome sensationtheand inducingmood a reflective Texts andtheBody Poetry magazine, vol.9 in1987. inthePoetry Published The longing remainSpace will And before my lips change into them touch, That I misshandsthose – youDo know I’m cold, To touch a vision of your hands with my hair. I lower my head, sound above wind the that to make I need Your voice starless to understandI begin on night this I raise your face Covered with snow dome the Over of bushes that you endure inme of branches extending fingers rimed their And now I know And black sky Evening of white is full soil Nothing more It’s only brilliance –or dark the Day –or night Will spill at dusk? what kernelsSo ifastral through trees the 3 5 4 of humility, penance and penitence. not to Białoszewski, alien but inhis later works thoroughly reinterpreted, it is a symbol that is earthly, of death and decomposing matter.” In tradition, Christian the was which turning into “ash” – traditionally considered to be “a symbol of the passing of everything enjoyed together before. It is over like walking one’s own footsteps, hence sidewalk the Most likely, place takes along walk same the paths described the of many lovers walks presence, and green light (why green?) underlines missing the “beloved,” his absence. waswho most likely read by young himself Białoszewski at time. the These stars,their “starspoem over rule his faith,” paraphrasing famous the by Tadeusz poem Miciński, of inconsistencyout a sign on since to be ofin punchthe part the poet, the line of the indifferent. Thisabsence. other Onthe turns hand, presence their here to be seems The motif the of stars correspondstheirwiththe where previouspoem, we observed the poet underlined word the poet the “evening,” next to the date: dated than lastmore inthe July poem, scenery original of 1946.With an unsteady hand, of loveit that is a symbol has burned something, or burned out itself. We far observe cannot “unearthed.” be Somewhere background inthe there is a fire smoldering,perhaps

MironBiałoszewski’shermeticpornographies Sobolczyk Biedermann, H. Knaur’s Encyclopedia Symbols, of ash, entry: 1989. Ibid. and the red sea observing aboveand them, observing red the sea westbound way milky the of lanterns -into horizon; Only same the rubble compressed into ash One, but twogrounds: alien alive-dead, Where and dirt ice, abundance of weeds. Now –under warmth swell But of memory snow, as away ifa life passed pathThis that to used Nobody Green eyesof stars answer: will Have I? And ifask vastness the of skies the Put me ina motionless vertigo That waves of hot air And hands are idle so My legsare made of stone I don’t know what to do But are they deep too I know Your’s step by step inash’sLike heap In greysidewalks For me to uncover 4 5 “Ash” stands for of corpse the “beloved,” the who

103 104 mental is no longer valued. changes.style Young Poland is replaced by “avant-garde,” the and whatever was senti- evolve, or evenmythologize reality remains, but and, mood object, the consequently, early with his later poems works, that one to sublimate, need the can observe sanctify, nofect, hyperbolizing of reality that might known be from a debut volume. Comparing glow – but since entirethe displays character, poem a sublime there is no ef- surprise sublimation of to demand starts lanterns form inthe case –inthis of a line and their of lampshades,” “Homers of golden fleeces,” etc. byTheBiałoszewski reality observed metaphors include: which “Leonards of faces,” “harmonicas of Noah,” “Don Quixote of types hyperbolic-cultural Things these metaphors, of often which appear inRevolutions Way and “red the sea.” However, it is probably first the time his encounterreaders actually differencesthe thetwo between lovers thetwoof it cosmology planets,utilizes the Milky separation. It is hyperbolic in character, in orderbecause to express its judgement about allegorical an statement past.secondthe The seems about verse to be the reasons for away” that on a path was traversed –and (possibly weina walk part take together) in to the previous we are poem, witnessing death the of “beloved” the –“as ifa life passed image have ofsince they subdueda “ruined” to the relationship. been In ways similar It of a devastated is thescenery city, its ruins and rubble. They are not important, however, antidote to socialist realism. He wanted Białoszewski to be “reistic, realism. He wanted anti-sentimental”antidote to be Białoszewski to socialist in Sandauer’s (collaborating avant-garde the to revive willingness with Przyboś) as an in a pub-shed. These are images, littlevignettes. possible One explanationbe could found on a merry-go-round, a lady and peasant laying down bushes, inthe “shepherds” drunk is a man from a distance observed and usually with a large of dose irony. It is a Madonna human disappears being, meantime.” the “in If we have Things of a man inRevolutions of a litany –to objects. However, or “by way,” the something happens: YOU, this a close followed only countryside,in the beganto be by shiftingthis gaze– often the in form emphasis, and later the sanctification of dustedsaved places from the war, somewhere direction. In particular in this his first poems, sublimation withequal was practically of sublimation philosophical current.poetry The wasof headed and objects a certain jest) marking więc (Zielony: two trends present Revolutions inthe were his former and style writing started “like he really wanted.” Hissatisfying ­ firsttruly They met rightthethat time.at himself in1952 Białoszewski he finallyrecalled rejected him for over two years and had a profound and “living” influence on his development. by Artur Sandauer,posed who, counting backwards from date the of release, the knew 6

Let us rememberLet that the debut volume of Białoszewski’s was poems edited and com Texts andtheBody ”Poetry”, vol.9, 1987. The Gray Eminence of Wonder (Szara zachwytu) eminencja and Green: And It So Is while aurora…while later we can miss eachother by an inch on edge the of light, Come out to meet me by green the ruins, yourI sense eyes,evenwith a differentthought. eternally,I walk, –I don’t know, evenwhen 6 . : the sublimation: the poems poems , it - ;

7 mation of aboulia into liturgy. proves, or is proven by, phenomenal the concept of Jerzy Kwiatkowski on transfor the and for objects, example, may larger seem really thanare. they It that is a hypothesis usually slept during day the and stayed awake during night the –one’s shifts perspective instead of utilitarian their When function. lying down and indarkness –Białoszewski differentwhen you liedown for hours and contemplatethe value aesthetic of objects, imagination retracted from people and directed at became They to look objects. start lay for in bed hours and smoke in order to endure hunger. the It likely that is very his from depression. He spent most of his time at home and he would since he was starving, that unfortunate he could experience, not find employment and thatseems it he suffered suggested friends thatOther denunciation the Afterfriends poet. the was of filed by false 9 8 10 apartment. Its world is strange and and alien fascinating. not a “man,” that appears in the and “dehumanized” as much as possible, following concept the of yGasset. Ortega Garwolińska-Błaszczykowa, poet’s the at friend time, the recalled: (Pol.Department of Security UB–Urząd and Bezpieczeństwa) imprisoned. Krystyna by “Youth’s World” magazine, from he which was subsequently fired by order the of But a biographical explanation possible. is also Until was 1951,Białoszewski employed ment in the poet, particularly when meeting people who walk, pass eachother, meeting people when walk, ment who particularly poet, inthe make sklepu –trans. Czesław Miłosz), where going out to the city evokes incredible astonish-

See: (Ballad o zejściu do Store ofSimilar regard inthis Going o zejściu to the is Down (Ballad A Ballad by visit the of a young man editorial inthe office, who mysteriously himcalled out for “a coffee.” homosexual tendencies of a boy scout’s magazine employee. The entireset in scenemotion was of imprisoned. he time was also period Supposedly, an additional reason for firing him were he wasfrom fired “Youth’s World” the by order Departmentthe of Security. of […] For a short MironBiałoszewski’shermeticpornographies Sobolczyk Princenton Press, University 1968. Gasset, J. y, Ortega and art Ideas about of the TheDehumanization Novel, Princenton: (Klucze dowyobraźni) Cracow: (Klucze Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1973. 158-205. Kwiatkowski, J. ”Aboulia andLiturgy” (Abuliai Liturgia), to Imagination inhisKeys order ofreversed chronology. ofdreams,””archeology going inan deeper–andinto more – experiences traumatic on asUZ), infootnotes vol. 8: Warsaw: Rozkurz, 1998. a peculiar 130)Heperforms awaitsme.”always (Białoszewski, M. Collected Works zebrane ) (from now (Utwory intotortures, all It synthesizes and, blackmail finally, intotheuprising. Theuprising face,a straight mysubconscious beginsitsmerciless reign intherealm ofmydreams. :Rozkurz I amdown andunderI battlemyconscious selfto remain ”Whenever spoke directly. However, thatheaddresses I believe passsage itinthefollowing from Tenten, 1996. 122. never Białoszewski ofbeingimprisoned Abouthisexperience Miron. a Poet of Memories (Miron.o poecie Wspomnienia ), editedby H. Kirchner, Warsaw: Warszawa 1987. 108. volume 1:sciankowy. rzeczy. za Obroty Rachunek Mylne wzruszenia. Byłoi było, PIW, ludzi?” swiata/i jakich to dzienstworzenia w dole miasta?//Który Zebrane, (Utwory Szare pytanieSzare w poincie: z blask/za “Jaki 9 Human kind, humanity it – because is humanity and Revolutions of Things of Revolutions cmił miokno? //Cotamsłycha – is located in his below poet the 10

c /dzis - 7 8

105 106 eyelids?” apartment.the at us closer look Let first the line: “Whosadly so shuddering is on my are witnessing is a description of an anxiety attack by triggered thought the of leaving (Autobiografia) the entire opens entitledseries Self-portraits (Autoportrety). What we in various instances of reception the of Białoszewski’s work. Autobiographypoem The tendencies.eral However, one to remember needs that “otherness” the was “neutralized” of Young Poland, inKwiatkowski’s because mind Young Poland approached state this However, courage not does lieinBiałoszewski’s return and reference to the practices expressing feelings, these have which of absent Young been since period the Poland. cism. When writing about Kwiatkowski poem, this about talks intellectual courage in is an allusion to We should pay also attention to the that fact image inthe of “heart’s thickbush” there isthis connected with and heart the impossibility. Thisthe is opening poem. theof experience than his own:experience “Regret! /That you did / nothowsee people / walk, regret!” hasn’t observedwho such things for time. He a long addresses people with a different noiseskind This with bagsand their of talk. astonishmentcan appear somebodyonly in 14 13 12 11 which wewhich witness inExamination of Whims (Rachunek zachciankowy). volumein the and could possibly announcing be coming back and going out to people, elevated). Anything that is belowis hell.poem is Thisone considered thelast of to be here.perspective The floor the of apartmentbecomes a groundfloor (even though it is out to be a miracle: “And /I returned.” indeed,/indeed There is a metaphorical shift of of descending into hell. Thatwhy, is the in punch line,the opportunity to comeback turns passage – it was devoid of transgressive all character. It is an ironic reference to the myth (“ah, imagine only, /by stairs”) the didnot become for an them of act magic, a ritual of people as representatives of a different as because well as species, going downthe stairs friends,” not andsubject the does have case inthis any “friends,” allows which himto see streetsthe at Not all? really. The unspoken “You” is organized as a network of “friends of Why should anyone, unspoken this You, regret?not addressee this does walk Because can’t?… / Why tussle / in my heart’s thick bushes?” / with lamentations”Why should I croak /of /hung what I’d on a string wish /but of ashes.”full and At doubt there beginning, is a confession is expreseed: very the are similar, and evensome words are repeated: “and it to throw is wise away pot this (Autobiographypoems

Ibid. Revolutions of Things of There arepassages the Revolutions in Texts andtheBody Powszechna, 1986. 401. in Taranienko,Z. second one.” Detail” (Interview Every ”Respect for drobiazgu”) każdego dla (”Szacunek volumes were objects, andlanguage. experiences / MB: peopleinthe And immediately ofa conversationThis ispart withZbigniew Taranienko: “ZT: Thethemeoffirst Ibid. 120. UZ, vol. 1, 97. 13 It with starts a recollection of some “You”, as longing first as it was invery The SilverDream Salomeaof , and thereby of to the Romanti poetics - Conversations with WritersConversations was written in1952).The tone theand poem thestylistics of ),(Rozmowy z pisarzami Warsaw: Wiedza that stand out compared to more gen- 14 Sighs, ashes, and tears of – all 12 11

I have written ina different place, poetics, “You”poetics, appears in also means presenting an image, emotion. is which equivalent In to an non-sentimental different and to thecloser technique in Polishthat called is “ekwiwalentyzacja,”which etry, although it may appear to be masked. But of method the expressing it is already longing, was which central –along with awe feeling –the of Białoszewski’s early- po We, the Starfish (My that rozgwiazdy) remains without practically comment. There is why Sandauer elements One can see poem. chose this of emotionality poem inthe elements drawn from different avant-garde movements. Perhapsthat the was reason elements of expressionistic and imagery catastrophic associations. In short, were these a dynamic vision of city the that brings to mind futurism and surrealism inpainting, and other commentators He following poem? observes particular inthis him,seeing around“walk city,” the but without any recollections of love. What iselse Kwiatkowski, tions of Things,which brings aboutsolitude, amongst things. other It is a vision-like collide and, with readerpoetics the as a witness, transform into “mature” the Revolu - proof further could be for thesis. In this Autobiography, early, sentimental and erotic considered to be more than artistic expression. their Kwiatkowski’s reading of Wojaczek is not center inthe of discourse the where restraint, or even”shame for feelings” are against poet the accusations of sentimentalism. Until moment, this accusation this grotesquethe and distance, but rather resignation. Kwiatkowski attempts to defend of content, the as with form. the “Croaking” not does stand for entering spaceof the to saywillingness more about something else, but he simply can’t.becauseso This is aboutthinking string “of hurtful the what I’d wish /but can’t…” but points also to his that not Białoszewski only doubts I believe of to disagree. sense the right? I happen 18 17 16 15 pompously, in Białoszewski’s while work weandgrotesque. ridicule find “erotic You”? it Only because is openly male? statethe “You” inwhich from “I.” to leak starts Why, however, could not this an be “I”which is only “I” and contradictions their –“covert” and “unconscious” –address oneself. Finally, it could mean that words “overt” and “conscious” address state the in dreaming, oneself, while as it especially one is when time the cannot controlto be le moi profond, that power the of “everything-but-you,” being, isan actually inability There also alternative: is an one could claimthat “mine,laying bottom”the on means and splits into –one two aspects that and lieson other the bed the that hovers above it. erotic through conviction the that “You,” this inreality, was an “I” that cracks inhalf

MironBiałoszewski’shermeticpornographies Sobolczyk epistemological treatise.epistemological On a similar, basisone could alsoread two-tracked thepoemTo NN*** (DoNN*** ) asan homoerotic deceasedlover.openly confession addressed to a tragically (Sen)–an were re-printedpoementitled Dream discussed and rarely abouttherarely andfablesinŁódź,a conference to oneiricism dedicated 2003(inprint), my remarks In theessay entitled ofMiron“Dream Białoszewski,” I presented which during UZ, vol.1, 91. Kwiatkowski, J. AbouliaandLiturgy. Lyrics of the Sleeping śpiącego) (Liryka 17 this particular poem wasto disregard easy poem as an particular this 18 Blurring of distinction the between 16 . Yet again, as 15 But that is

107 108 own rule. wrote, “reveal about truth the love.” his true But already broke in 1931, Cernuda his of “publicthe he of could sense not, decency” as Luis Spanish the Cernuda, once poet, for reasons aesthetic he could not write about love insentimental tones, because while published. poem would published” never be – and that is precisely kind the of mentality that got the most likely rationalized be by inherentthe “censorship of conventions”: “no, that assume anything of that Even sort. of “suspicion” ifa hint might emerge, it would tion,” belongs all to homoerotic mythology. Obviously, readers in1956would never lovers duringof samethe especially sleep, sex, as well as sensation of “close- separa 19 the poem From poem the the journal of an admirer –miłośnika): (Z dziennika there is a hint of irony –and I do not know how intentional it is. We it in can observe a niche for himself. But apart from seriousness, the despite all sentimental elements, anymore, an being ironist to assume he decided a point of “from view aside,” creating I am right inassuming that at one point he that realized he cannot write fashion inthis was Białoszewski faithful to the beginning, inthe conventionseen, of sublimation. If and mystical. Very rarely would one present it as a “mutual co-habitation.” As we have lovewhich was usually sublimated work, within literary the hyperbolized, mystified thought of turns Białoszewski all hiddenbehind this: around tradition literary the in two of men, a walk two “friends without subtexts.” But there a more is also profound and obscure for people limited conventions. by social And so, is just walk the a walk of seriousnesssomething and infull make it clear for a circle of “insiders,” but keep it vague always already “mistaken,” or ironic. discovered Białoszewski that one can write about that bit entirely. since –as it Especially is with–“emotional Białoszewski moments” are tending flowers. It maysound a little “gay,” butwhen poem easytheit reading is to miss Świat /with Adaś,” during there which is an emotional moment by triggered lady the zobaczyło!) from volume the Was and Was (Było i było) a walk “on we observe Nowy that you him/her! (Opiekunka? could see Tyle lat sięgo, jest!i że żektoś taka taki, ją existenceeveryday of two men. In many Minder? So years, and that he/she is! and how much, etc., but love the to present inquestion as naturally as possible –as the directly. His effort was to not about thespeak act of loving itself, who or you love, or ing. contrary, Onthe to see how he decided it would possible openly to speak be and Hewzruszenie). didnot go direction inthe of spiritualization modernistic and- cod madeBiałoszewski an move, original but not Affections until his Mistaken in his published feminine used gender poems, forms, was which a popular tendency. throat (with metaphor the through a clasped of a “shadow throat”). inthe Cocteau, never spoke directly inhis Sonnets of Dark Love. This “dark love”canbe exclaimed only

It was apparently explained to Białoszewski –or he understood on his own –that Texts andtheBody ). Cernudy (Rzeczywistość i pożądanie LuisCernuda Luisa of along andDesire withanessay Reality 1999. 95. appear inthemagazine Inthetranslationofmyauthorship itwill ”Fraza,” Cernuda, L. Unrío, unAmor., Prohibidos LosPlaceres editedby D. Harris, Madrid: 19 However, only this represents one possible way. Frederico García Lorca (Mylne 21 20 speech, hencespeech, subject matter form, or to the irrelevant. evenfully is secondary elements.speech eavesdropping,that is poet the They suspected overhearing maimed story.this Scholars working with Was and Was mainly wondered about narrational and whatrealized he was really saying. At least receptionthe of to confirm seems his poems “talking straight” and it turns out that, inaccord with his assumption, not many people interested are they parties completely serious.It ground for is a testing Białoszewski’s being together, “love those scenes,” ridiculous from seem the outside, even though to the Maybe itpurposeful. to draw is designed attention to the that fact a record of “regular” the onlythe mentions Białoszewski time music other than classical!) –but tension the seems and reconciliationthe accompanied by Koterbska’s song (interestingly, is this probably but poem, in this there is something ironic inthere “banality as of well: a certain love” to make amends. Finally, there is reconciliation. Personally, I always compassion sense backgroundthe and one of leaves partners the house. the He comes then back and tries A “vignette of life” a married is what one scene. this There could call is an argument in

MironBiałoszewski’shermeticpornographies Sobolczyk because they didnot consider they itimportant,because to protect thepoet, orinthename ofthe well whatthepoems were about,very butpreferred to stay silent. Perhaps didso they Obviosuly, from apart Sandauer, readers likeSławiński, must have orBarańczak known UZ, vol.1, 380. say: you I go, she signs, we don’t listen, water, radio, you call: got inspired again bathroom, inthe I didn’t know I apologize: you spill I change, long, too you drop, I say: you longing to mind?… way now, (-what Zatrasie a name! –she says way back, Buraków, After going out for in, a walk yes?? I was worried… good, I wasn’t going angry to be come! Koterbska… let me change water ashtray inthe - afterthe apartment I goso back decent) very -zade? –I ask –comes? she alivewhen was still One,…the I told when her name –the - enough now enough! - of course! –and she was 20 21 What What

109 110 Białoszewski and LeszekSoliński, or finally a hilariousfrom story Hums, Mucks, ­ feminine redemptorist or about Albertynek, visitthe of a priest in a shared apartment of ferent stories from Denunciations of Reality about (Donosy Rzeczywistości), openly the So.Le. (Wiersze So.) Le. dla –for example, about how together. rice cook they Ordif- saying what was omitted. ashamed of noticing notneeded THAT to be some interpretation, and able be to add his linguistic imagination, and know that mentioned. THIScould be Respectively, one They were fairly simple: to be one well in needed versed Białoszewski’s work andknow were (are?) conditions the that to be needed met, in order for one to become an “insider”? 24 23 22 those meaningsthose reading when Denunciations before: nographic” meanings. one whether And forced so, be found will everyone to reassess ”takenand out that a phrase of context” is undoubtedly helpful revealing when “por however,to make, is an acknowledgement that no “return be there will to innocence” present a short anthology of quotes out taken from Denunciations. One remark we need meticulously staged. find Oneplenty will of similar stories in Białoszewski’s work. I will States, before whom an effort of masking and hiding and pretending to be friendsonly is (Szumy, zlepy, about ciągi) of arrival the Soliński’s relative, Mara Paluska, from United the Ibid. Similar stories appear inlater including books, of entitled a series poems Poems for own ass.” after my to look I need do is sit and on smoke to paint! trunks their cigarettes. And I need run andknock the door.on ”They Can’t do nothing, coffee. tea, they All but serve would open, “I still can“I still go out there, […]He right?” put will on a sweater, or a transparent top –one that stands in front of mirror.the Turns around and asks me: “Am I pretty?,” “In sky?,” this adding so. up Small. Shoes with to middle bootlegs, of with calf, some the fur. This quasi-leather. He anything something. AndButsensed Jaś told Le. when Lu., gave Lu. hima wink. said it didn’t mean natters those During about painting, So. Le. would meaningfully at look Jaś. He thought he aboutLeon Dutchmen the ”Misio is from nobility. Noble man. Cause he’s got a canal through running his ass.” Texts andtheBody Ibid. 93 (prose Blockade [Blokada]). by Le. Statement andlaterhis legalhusband. Soliński of Leszek partner UZ, vol.4,, Reality Denunciationsof 54(prose Leon). Comment concernsHenekProeme, have,They ina sense, made thosekindsof reading possible. things jokingly, ofrecurrence, rules recordings. sensefrom whenderiving thosewritten ofmumbling sentencesfull intoannouncements.to transform They revealed, to put showed thefirsttime, for also to others, how to approach the works. managed They Sławiński andBarańczak, inreality, oflanguage mechanisms whointheiranalysis mighthave beenunaware. critics academicdiscourse.Other of so-called purity Itwas “Such huge asses” would Le. say. He said that his own ass had gotten big, too unnecessarily 23 24 . 22 Pullings -

port a philosophical view called “realism,” a philosophical called port view according to which there exists possibil the - eagerlyso proposed by –of Białoszewski reality’s unquestioned reign – it tells us to sup- in a coded manner about erotics, etc.? If we to follow decide version the of reality that is intercourse, sexual describes although it undeniably in reality. occurs Why he speak does prose – but somehow it not. does There emerges a question why,of for example, he never 28 27 26 25 really happened are dramatized, highly given elements of cabaret and, finally,camp. random, but inreality closely controlled observations –inwhich of what is real, what properlybeen recognized. It was a fusion of recordings of rambling everyday –seemingly like Waspoems and Was of, we can a fusion speak of two elements, of only which one has I believe that of case inthe Białoszewski’s prose, but going also back to his evenfurther rights.” prospect and is as inferior to Nature as rights the of community the of blind men are to our “allwhile we say, to order, we try all and over decide is as far from and perfection its and on crime, perversion so arede Sade:all natural, the appear they because innature, and demonic, is created as something resembling nature, as understoodparticularly by ofby reality. subjectivity pointing and a dictate to blurred This reality,powerfulboth something “strange”, letus say something perceived as vulgar, he would himself excuse possibilities with interesting consequences: of case inthe “catching” during Białoszewski to which readers were less likely to pay attention to his retracted subjectivity. This opens fully, leaving few tracks. In other words, he staged an autobiographical according pact, But his control, his ”subjectival dictate” over “reality,” to hide decided Białoszewski care-

– crime of– crime passion.” you? Want to turn me into I asked And so himkindly and a doll?” said: “…or you regret will “Undress Włodek: I asked and get in bed.” And he responded, upset: “What’s all wrong with put on a soutane. highlights, or a moon-glasses,or a lapel-less blazer with a file folder under his Once,arm. he MironBiałoszewski’shermeticpornographies Sobolczyk Trans. Wydawnictwo Łódzkie, 1991, Łódź 296. (From Polish translationJP) D.A.F.Sade de, Powiedzieć wszystko,B. Banasiak, M. Bratuń, K. Matuszewski, eds. Powszechna, Warszawa 2002. 236. (From Polish JP) dopostmodernizmu,romantyzmu trans. B. Dr M. Łukasiewicz, po inNicw labiryncie remarked reading. ofsuch on thepossibility ,ś a seksualnyoutsider (Solidarno trans. (Zwi (2),azki myslowe inZwiazki naturalne, LSW, Warszawa 1978, 191. G. Ritz to absoluterespect, thathasa right subjectivity a superior itdecides to record ifonly ofdictateare accepted step awayif therules andifwe from cannot it, orifitrepresents and subjectivalway ofrecording. However, theseare subjectivitiesthatare unimportant, choice,This dictateisopposed right of by subjectival to record subjectivalwillingness dictate ofreality, orlife, andusedhimself. orlive thathelistened to carefully speech wroteover thespanofsomany years wascreated thatBiałoszewski underthe A story Therefore, ofDenunciations. inthe andhisviews review Bereza I amopposedto Henryk Ibid. wnęce]). we [Rusin 115(proseinanAlcove Rusin frominside thehouseonly timeto time: ”He’s money. for falls And I need.” Ibid. 94. Onpage 100Miron a stroy tells ofhow hegot ”rid” ofMarek, whom helets 28 Based on this perspective, everything could have on everything perspective, this happened Based inBiałoszewski’s 25

26

ż dania. polskiej i płecw literaturze Gender od ag, A. Kopacki, M. Łukasiewicz, Wiedza 27

111 112 German RitzGerman writes: a sign of a certain worldview. Not (yet?) “sublimating” and not (already?) “emancipated.” a kind of complete disregard, must understood as freedom orbe of full (self)expression manner of about speaking “indecencies” word), this liked (Białoszewski is which not for readerthe discovering reality which is perceived in that way. As a consequence, this with psychological the reality of a proposition-confession language, is supposed to be parameters for perceiving reality. The record of reality,seeking maximum convergence it was, why would he experiment In with speech? it sense, this is language that the sets philosophy, not that andbelieve it personally I do was held by Białoszewski. If indeed Many critics followed view, this outlook their because realistic. It was likewise is not my ity of an objective record of Reality, and language has no influence over whatsoever.it 30 29 reeking of indecency, tasteful sloppiness of language controversial disguises content.” thing.” Artur Sandauer pointed it out he when wrote: “It is fortunate that poems inthe not vivd enough, hence he disappears. But he found yet another way to talk about “this “other”the among “others” as a representative tendency. to function of a certain He is quoted inthe this excerpt, but was unable to read properly. ismuch Białoszewski too of ing, respectively. not does Białoszewski fit either thetwo. of Ritz almosthas foreseen –oneand post-modern aestheticizing being and disguising and other the emancipat- works of others. Ritz elaborates two main models of homosexual literature –modern appear here and there inBiałoszewski’s work, it features far less prominently than in claim that being it expresses desire. (or is supposed Although to express) desire does In short, Ritz displays assumptions certain concerning “homosexual literature,” one to answer why, one would to conduct need much broader discourse analysis of his book. Apart from that one instance, not he does mention anymore. Białoszewski In order coquetry, he –trans.] [Białoszewski declares his “otherness” inresponse to approaches of to approve:used “Just pranks performs likewho Genet, dirty in response to the world’s onin, robes and it, his Pygmalion negates plays of Sandauer which a trick everything he himself created, like acting an outlaw was who letinto salon. He artistic the barges scholar, however, understands it quite personally. In his mind, it is Białoszewski, whom Genet’s worldview and it is a far less coincidental reference than one could assume. The issueparticular wasThis notanyway. discussed Sandauer relied on Sartre’s analysis of

context of Polish literature. of –withoutPrivacy sort this loquaciousbecome, after intimacy –will the 1956, most important inPolandelse put much so effort into hiding his or her homosexuality as did Białoszewski. confession. is merely Privacy a “non-discursive” way of looking at outside the world. Nobody His work is a perfect example of something private that can work without any form of previous assume and aesthetic One function. of political its great masters Miron be will Białoszewski. Anything that is private, operating when within literature targeting public the sphere, will Texts andtheBody Sandauer, A., JunkPoetry 200. A. Kopacki,, inNicw labiryncie… 61. (From Polish translationJP) G. RitzLiteratura po w labiryncie 29

ż dania. Homoseksualnoś a literatura polska , trans. 30

34 33 32 31 word this Białoszewski a double carries meaning. He is “poking around” inhis rectum, is bathroom inthe where he is “poking.” We however, to understand, need that with We are witnessing an exchange about ablutions preceding intercourse. One of partners the the worldthe of by art Affections writing Mistaken my catching writing /and I keep by them words.”) the definitefrustrates (like very Białoszewski statement: inthis want“they something from at same the time, giving praise for recording vernacular, the or message hermetic that onwillingness “their” to shape part him,threatening to eliminate himfrom game the and, – well, letme show you let’s then, ifyou’ll see catch this!” And it is precisely about this notwill letme play like I want –I cannot write erotics for boys and express my feelings differentseems perspective. to be Białoszewski like acting a young,belligerent child: “you more).to steal Personally, Sartre’s inclined be to see I would mechanism from slightly named, of “as” labeled being only will push him of hima thief (incase calling Genet, tre. how perceive I would Genet’s transgression thoroughly inaction,so examined by Sar (Otworzyć oknofrom na odpowiedzialność) volume the Affections Mistaken had similar reflections apropos entitledpoem the It thinking. better” be like obscenities to be looks –he Sandauer will seems to-decode is more or less obscene. “If I cannot write about feelings as a homosexual, maybehard- Affections with Mistaken Beginning Hepyent direction of obscene: the In much”),too but it written is all inlanguage that is completely private, child-like almost. about life together as not entirely“although satisfactory: with you much I share /not

Hepyent 33 MironBiałoszewski’shermeticpornographies Sobolczyk UZ, vol. 1, 319. 1952, 83. dedésirer” andpassim. Genet., Saint Comédienetmartyr in: complètes deJeanGenet , Ouvres u Paris: d P.J. Sartre, n e f é d originellement et,ilssontcondamnésd’avance;illuiest désirssexuelsseront Ses comme desfantômes. savieelle-mêmes See quesitleurobj Quel UZ vol.1, 167. Ibid., 200.

Mistaken Affections Mistaken (1)“erotic” means “love”, similar to (2), which Sandauer (2),which about, talked “erotic” the element to turn starts into the ho ho ho muchso today, unless… you know, “and loving? not expected “psrest” “And mbest?” “Yes” “do we have some paste left?” I’m waiting for your loving lay down on couch the stop poking around bathroom inthe 34 closes withcloses four about poems “mistaken erotic affections.” In , there content appear the poems, several of which Zmwartwieńsiulpet .” 31 Ontop of that, there is a fear of being Open theOpen window to responsibility 32 He prepares “surprise.” a little (even though it speaks (eventhough it speaks . This is -

113 114 entitled Lesiu, I have found can be seen inDenunciations me quote. Let it inits entirety: process. Yet, “unless” suggests that is lost. A similarly not scatological story everything afterall. The last lines indicate that there was something that thatday obstructed entire to restpartner and “stressed”? not so be It would explain why “loving” never place, takes quiet!) and “rest” –is it again an instance of introducing an English word, telling the switchBiałoszewski to a foreign language? “psrest” Does mean ”pst” (as in“shush!” –be kind of appliance? abbreviated, Or maybedrastically English, “I’m best”? But why would Afterthat, stopspoem the communicating. Whatpossibly could ”mbest”be? somethis Is of course. “Paste,” he which asks about, is probably some lubricant, possibly vaseline. 35 countryside. Maybe “Lesio” Soliński, is Leszek would which somewhere place story the Thehas no story clearly outlinedbackground, but thatseems it takesthe it in place

Texts andtheBody UZ, vol. 4, 50-51. Inheritance came by mail. the This money is not for me, but for my sister.” sent him “They away. He was workingcutting the in trees.woods, Died recently. “Did it help?” not lethimgo swimming with boys the by shore.” the water!” Forell writes: “no idleness, no sleeping in–it encourages all tendencies. Do In morning the I go to him at quarter “wake to seven: up, now, cold gymnastics, “Pin I say: a girl!, a flower to hislapel, take him, makedance!” him onanism.” I know how with that. to deal To the Korczynianka party! is a hell of Telegram from my “God sister: help dosomething, us all, help with –sexualism Mrs. Jadwiga said one more thing; about her nephew: --- “For sexualism.” what?” “For him.”trying be will “They “Why? Tell now, for God’s anyway.” learn sake, I will incourt againstbe a case will him.” “There “What has he done?” “What has he done! What has he done!” Pstrążyna was on her way to the morning mass: --- “Read Forell.” “And how are you supposed to know?” onethis thing you dofor me” barns, Like big were. as barns they up.seventh messed grade He my kissed hand and I said: “Zdzisio, clean after yourself, “Stool big as That’s kalach. how I knew. Foundthethem in fromZdzisio Gania attic. the “What have you recognized?” “Lesiu, I have I have seen, recognized” 35 36 Four –I need advice… /Then… Mr. runssomething. – he Palankin /I know. go.”Will 5, 6years. /Need /is a mother. somebody/there I had on couch. the Year, two / good. with doctor, the Palankin, visited who his theater “on fourth the floor” once: “It’s been (Sprawa )from (ja) podejrzana volume the Was and Was about, he talks an appointment from to “hide.” something more than a willingness In Suspicious his poem (Me) Case samethe time, absence the of narrator –the Białoszewski –is not accidental and stems repeated name of author the spiteful, to be seems not a merely “linguistic mimesis.” At in a major city. There a motifalso is of excessive book theand in trust its author – theand a country like Poland, level this of intellectual ignorance encountered be easily could be correct, entire the place takes countryside. inthe Although, story consideringif I am witnesses a huge leap forward in abouttime and talk a failed “treatment.” In conclusion, Białoszewski. It is a bitter about story how men’s lives were In ruined. last the sentences we funny little this anecdote may it feels seem, like humor was not only the intention of maybe she means Birger Forell Swedish (1893-1958),the evangelical priest? However gives advice on how to treat symptoms the once manifest they themselves? Then again, educationsexual of youth. the Maybe he is one the writing about sizeof the stool the and else, there mysterious the is also everything “Forell,” most likely author the of a book on rectumpractices the muscle becomes stretched and stool the becomes larger. Ontop of or other It object)? might that be heroine the of little this that believes episode after such onanism” stand “fingering” for called so the (stimulating of one’s with rectum a finger with words the “messed up,” excrements as symbol of sin. But “sexualism does with claims ladies the to be able to recognize one’s preferences by sizeof the stool the (a play joke The aroundbased theis in thatstory the fact a girl.) one of to meet naked –try advice is found: “Do not lethimgo swimming with boys the by shore.” the forbid – God ism” stands story inthis for suspicion person. (The additional of a homosexual being Viennese master explainsto the “etiology of homosexualism,” that “sexual- to realize notdoes to be need a Freudian about and talk “anal fixation of libido,”which according ask about basis of the association the “sexualism” between and of act the excreting. One in that area). We donot know exactly, when, place. takes story the Firstly, we should in Bieszczady, around (some Żarnowiec of prose the pieces from volume this place take is how conversation the proceeds: Mr. Palankin recognizesand Białoszewski letshimcome without waiting inline. This

MironBiałoszewski’shermeticpornographies Sobolczyk UZ, vol. 1, 354 at first he asked “are you here at talking, mywhile shoes, sick of and body spirit” –he stared, there“because are my patients here “oh(?)” “body” philosophy –India). It was written here, on bottom. the (I was reading something from I asked about soma soma… and something… 36

115 116 a magazine. “Porn magazines for eight or ten dollars. It like seems it’s not that much for samethe introducing time word the easiest inthe form to define – as a genre filmof or Communal establishing of doctor’s personality). works by such Białoszewski depictions of doctors are fairly typical (for example, in tion of superiority (“moral” superiority?) of doctor the toward his patients. In earlier about hardshipsIt the is a poem of communicating, and possibly about convic the - As sixties. the a result, gap this a guideline cold leading obscenities.” to “hermetic be belong to a pool of common knowledge inPoland, and was not certainly of part it in and creates a gap that Knowledge hermetic. makes it of very “Indian soma” not does cal.” sloppy part thisis purposefully to present The decided poet formwhichthe in about sublimated eroticism, Palankin his while assesses eroticism as purely “medi- eroticssacral is (which dominant inIndia, cultof inthe particularly Siva), and speaks inPolish.(jerk)” Another explanation is that makes to the Białoszewski a reference – it feels “Palankin,” asused ifBiałoszewski it similar to “palant because sounds very recognizeswho only Latin meaningthe of word.the I also wonder if namethe is real related themes, going slightly around, but poorly estimates doctor Palankin’s erudition, sexual potential.sexual intercourse. In hymn 8th the it isof said that Rigveda “soma” drinking increases one’s immortality. juices the Squeezing out of plantfor this sexual as a metaphor is seen of god the Vedic the pantheon and, at same the time, a plant and a potion that grants to communicate over meaning the of word the “soma.” In India, word the stands for to a homosexual as somebody, is who inherently “mismatched.” They are unablealso “disorder,”cal or (in Pierce’s could evenbe of “index” pointing a kind terminology) dencies. He notices mismatched are which shoes, supposedfor to stand psychologi- to treat subject the as a “suspect,” although he knows, most likely, about subject’s ten- crack,” or a bodily one –ripping of rectum the or tearing of a bridle.seems The doctor of spiritillnesses both andone body the can narrow its meaning to a “psychological is “cracked.” It is a vague word. Staying faithful to Palankin’s statements that he treats ashamed too be to come and visit Palankin himself. Finally, we that learn person this for a few years, Professor then Palankin is most likely a sexologist.somebody This may If comes Białoszewski “advice” seeking inregards to somebody he had “on couch” the 38 37

In his late works, inAAAmerica openly about to talk , he “pornography,” decides at Texts andtheBody See Eliade,See M. Eliade Histoire descroyances etlesideesreligieuses, vol.1 Ibid., 355. because I lackbecause -- But I forgot I wear these, (brown) (by accident), one was light, one was dark leaving,Only when I looked: that one is cracked. I wanted to explain that I know, concerned with somebodyelse?” 38 Maybe Białoszewski tries to initiate conversation Maybeto initiate about tries Białoszewski sexually 37 description of movie the theater inthe is cold: has changed. There are no more confessions, like “I watchporn and I get excited.” Even is no more nodding at reader, the or playing little games with him–or simply game the In his obsessive about talk there porn, is no lightness more of subject, the there perverse of function the “informing Polish the reader about elements of life United inthe States.” days) But inthose Białoszewski fruits. introduction the not of themes does perform these 42 41 40 39 published before year the 2010.I donot agree withclaim, this but tell. will time tained by with Białoszewski his Journal to the “male” cinema –a gay establishment. Many say that will freedom is only true at- There is no sign of double meaning here: “I go to see a male-femaleporn,” and after that “Porn” is treated here as a “capitalist luxury,” stuffthat.” like a while, oncea while, he recognizing starts names of streets, the he observes: In I have my passed evening. show.cinema with a revue You clapperformance. afterevery thisAnd is how wonderfully one stands up and backstage. goes It turns out it’s went “Male” to the salon. …I also a relief have “Male” written on door. the You go inand sit down, too. … From some- to time time circle of light. fake They orgasm the end.at … There are cinemas alone,for men too. They stage,the oftakes his pants and screwingstart on they couchthe and– this that, in a little all going out on a couch. stage, the carrying She dances, undresses and Men bends. comes out on Movies. porn. a male-female film stops.I went once to see …Every There’s ina while a lady would– who want to look there, maid? which Upon me going out again, magazines porn the I hide beneathshelf the with an blanket extra “what a wonderful gifts.” gifts, wonderful bananas,cookies, oranges and I say to myself: room at Nuns’ back to the I come place on seventh the floor, down porn,Chinese my I lay MironBiałoszewski’shermeticpornographies Sobolczyk UZ, vol. 9, 232. ”pornuses,” were asif they a rarity. Ibid. 230-1 UZ, vol. 9: Małe i większeprozy opublikowanepo 1980 roku,p. 223. Cabaret KiciKoci, entitled Converters inthesketch , one oftheprotagonists asksabout 39 This is what This is he notes after his walkfirst around New YorkCity. After 42 (Dziennik), that (Dziennik), he himself didnot allow to be 41 40 just like exotic the (extremely exotic for Translation: Jan Pytalski

117 118 describing homosexuality, but would since use their legitimizeoppression, the I will oftimes oppression and repression. Old Polish didoffer an assortment of different terms psychosexual identity. I cannot write about So lesbians and gays referring when to the who accepts and affirms his him as a homosexual man describes definitions of a gay inPoland,tion, because, especially are those usually affirmative terms and one the of “lesbian” and “gay” eveninreference Yet epochs. to past not follow that I will sugges- about complex the problem of terminology, arguing, however, for of use the terms the 1 from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century, asthem aunts and uncles? than not have they probably left no offspring.I should Perhapsprovocatively address of use for termwould this legitimize patriarchal very the discourse. Anyway, more often “Oldarticle, those Polish gays,” my “ancestors”?cannot they Afterall, be fathers to me from What dilemma. a terminological start the potential the would heroes I call of my grandmothers. Wanting to write about homosexuality inhistorical Poland, I encounter often metaphorically predecessorsrefer to their as mothers,grandmothers, great-and Feminist researchers tracing signs the of creativity and activity of women inpast centuries

In In of GayStudiesinPoland Male-bedders: A Contributiontothe“Archeology” Why I DoNotWant to Write aboutOld-Polish Piotr Oczko Chicago Press,Chicago 2005. Era the Christian theBeginning of to the Fourteenth of Europe University from Century, John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, andHomosexuality: GayPeople in Western Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe Honi soit qui mal ypense 1

John writes Boswell burned at the stake in an attempt to lead to the closingburned at of Protestant stake the the inan attempt to the church. to lead ist community of lesbian was who accused inChmielnik, contacts and demanded to be few references very the is made to Elżbieta Petrosolinówna, sister-senior the ina Calvin- were, are as they today, less visible and more discreet, less noticeable than men. One of an absurd conclusion: “Lesbian love didnot find any adherents.” lesbians as women both and as representatives of a minority. Kuchowicz Zbigniew draws refer thus almost exclusively confirming thethe fact doubleof invisibility to men, of 4 3 2 of homosexualsspeak require a whole researchrequire primarily team.on I draw a whole work the by Kuchowicz Zbigniew not my undertake own archival research field,would inthis and anyway such a task from works the related Polish to Old customs and erotic forms I found available; I did ifsuch didnotpenalties cases exist? for Polish “maidens joined in Sodomitethe fashion.” Why would there demands be for in Turkey, thus giving Ottoman the enemy but PR, proposed bad also death penalties otherthe hand, old the press not only addressed such practicesamong men and women speaks of seksualizmspeaks heteroseksuzlizm and heteroseksualność about but [“homosexual Polish the use also termhomoseksualność English the “queer”to parallel or Schwul German the Oldthe Polish samcołożnik [a male with other a “male-bedder”] beds males, who species sodomiści; gomorczykowie plugawcy translation (inthe bedders] of Testament New the to anal intercourse with women and intercourse with animals –Old Polish “bestiality.” is difficult to tell what the lastsodomy termsmean, as in also reference used thewas term grzech sodomski sinof [the sodomy]; psota sodomska mischief of [the sodomy], though it of man with man]; paskudny wschodni narów [filthyEasternvice]; sodomia [Turkish shamelessness]; mężczyzny brzydliwe z mężczyzną bawienie się [hideous play paziolubstwois called gamraci nieczyści [unclean lovers]; niewieściuchowie

The “list” of Old Polish accounts of homosexuality mentionedthis comes in article WhyI DoNotWant to Write … Oczko So whatSo terms were olden inthe days? used Historical texts samcołożnicy use [male- Accounts about homosexual persons inPoland up until 19 the the case ofthemenin power.the case women who have no power, divergence such all in and punishesseverely butstigmatizes ignores from anddeparture culture theissueofsocialotherness by usually thenorms community ofelders andthereforea “male” usurped position on thesociety. Patriarchal Attacks on Petrosolinówna alsobeexplainedby can thefact thatshe belonged to the Łódź, 1975, 302. Kuchowicz,Zbigniew Obyczaje wieku, Wydawnictwo staropolskie XVII-XVIII Łódzkie, oftheepoch,characteristic doseemto beanachronistic. they ofmoral, arethey burdened with a variety medical, connotations andpsychological The terms“homosexuality” and“homosexual” andsince to the 19thcentury dateback [filthy ones]; (psotliwi) sodomczycy [(mischievous) sodomites],sodomici, ism ,” a term that exist does in the Polish because vocabulary], after all no one [male mischief]; turecki [page-loving]; mężczyńska psota niewstyd mischief]; [male 2 or homosexual persons without evenattempting to demystify [“gomorrhans”]; [“homosexuality”] and not homoseksualizm mężołożnicy [effeminates]. Homosexuality itself by inGdacjusz); Leopolita, also . For emancipatory reasons I will [those who bed with men]; bed who [those th centuryunfortunately 3 Most likely women and seksualność and [sodomy]; 4 On .

119 120 spare abominable Italian practices” rounded of with painted sweethearts by faces–mignons a crowd commentary (he had pierced ears, wore dressed elaborately, perfume, and was sur WalezaHenryk effeminate too was also for Polishtastes and enjoyedsame the type of that his fortune by “inherited be boys, by will Wolscy, Kochanowscy, and Wyhowscy.” Prince Jakub Sobieski, “loved who men to death.” Pamphlets mocked Sobieski claiming comments were made about Władysław IVWaza, Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, and Kuchowicz’s categories are which clearly kept separate by contemporary sexology. No wonder that in incest,masochism, group pedophilia, exhibitionism, sex, transvestism, and masturbation, at What all. is more, homosexuality is often mentioned togetherbestiality,with sadism, such pejorative associations authors, inthe or not does inspire pejorative associations phenomenon of harems the of girls and whores kept by magnates the not does inspire offensive meaning incontemporary almostthePolish), simultaneouslywhile described (itpederasty is worth pointing out that last the term has an exceptionally pejorative and usually referred to in work their as a deviation, degeneration, perversion, pathology, and quoted titles betray attitude the of authors the to the subject of homosexuality, is which ( 8 7 6 5 punishment for it was to be lost the battle of Warna), chronicler Długosz suggested “page-loving”the oftendency Władysław Warneńczyk (the against and enemies, ideological political not necessarily live ones. Thea weapon 25 years ago inrelation to “male-bedders”? denieslesbianssociety and gays right the how to love, could situation the different be Polish Love] by Alojzy Sajkowski (1981)either. If eventoday majority the of Polish the is mentioned inone sentence only. not One need search through Staropolska miłość[Old chapter “Czarny erotyzm”), and by Janusz Tazbir obyczajowe” (“Dewiacje ).

Obyczaje staropolskie, chapter the “Życie alkowiane, In old Poland accusation the of homosexual tendencies (real or imagined) was Texts andtheBody Warszawa, 1978, 348-9. Tazbir, Walezy, Henryk S. Grzybowski, Walezy, Henryk a strong how to govern.”] hand,/Heknew panować” desires to control [Hedidnotallowtheunclean him,/But, with ruling chuciompowodować,/zdrożnym Lecz, Umiał wodze,/ silną dłonią rządu wziąwszy beheard can inNiemcewicz’s ofthisreport Echoes historyczne: Śpiewy “Niedałsię wieku,-XVIII Wydawnictwo Łódzkie, Łódź, 1982. Kuchowicz,Zbigniew MiłośćStaropolska, XVI- erotyczne Wzory—uczuciowość—obyczaje otherwise, are from theabove works. dataintheabovementioned works.bibliographical quotations, All unlessmarked not provide Polish references to Old textsanddocuments; thereader may findthe Universitas, Cracow, 2001. I do To preserve ofargumentinmyarticle theclarity obyczajowe” kulturą nad inhisStudia staropolską, Selected Works, vol. 4, ed. S. Grzybowski, polskiego baroku, Wydawnictwo Łódzkie, Łódź, 1992; Janusz Tazbir, “Dewiacje Kuchowicz,Zbigniew Obyczaje staropolskie… ; and, by thesameauthor, Człowiek Miłość staropolska Miłość in: Poczet polskich, i książąt królów ed. A. Garlicki, Czytelnik, 6 [Love in Old Poland] published in 1982 homosexuality Zakład NarodowyZakład im. Ossolińskich, Wrocław, 1980, 9. 8 ). 7 ” and Człowiek polskiego baroku the , and Bolesław Śmiały. Later, similar , whom “he didnot 5 Already the - lover, Karol Szydłowski. In words the of Father Kitowicz, night evening”), inthe and donated town the of Koźmin and seventeen to his villages marital proof from her husband except for one morning good at dawn and one good parents fortune,“without returned to her receiving any to a great Denhoff, a heiress anian nobleman, “kept men for amorous purposes” (his wife, beautifulKonstancja the chronicler Marcin Matuszewicz, Prince Janusz Aleksander Sanguszko of Dubno, a Lithu- “in posticum, Turkish the way, and gave Venus’s himthe curse.” Polish gossip, records also that one Piotr Krzysztoporski had relations with his servant of constitutes boors,which an extensive register of fake nobility and a collection of Old plebeanorum practiceofthe “the and filthy cursed addiction to sodomite profanity.” Liber generationis “Plato’s of science love found its place and followers inTurkish schools,” and criticized of British the Ricaut, Parliament, a member published inPolish in1678,claimed that of same the purpose uglycarnality.” The description of The Monarchy Turkish to the throne,” apart from 300concubines had same the number of “lovely boys for the had itReports that Turkish the Sultan, “the student of Muhammeds the and successor Also, representatives of other religions, Islam, particularly of have “sodomy.” accused been outrage inOgród fraszek: landowners keep young boys for that purpose,” and Wacław Potocki reported with eyes,and their close men which with devils which men breed.” protestant warned: “sodomy clergymen is a filthy disgrace…which angels flee,seeing on bythem today’s historians, wasbuttendency this to be all absent in Poland?). Also, the (it is interesting why, if, as claimed by journalists the of and times those repeated after handbooks for priests to askthem advised about relations with men during confession romanizare “sodomitespriests were referred and to as gomorrhites.” For Stanisław Orzechowski, devils”), V and Julius and to Pius also sodomite, to the andIII. Monks a brother and and sodomite”), VI(“he was a fornicator and a profligate to Alexander and lecherous tributed same the to Popes: to John epicure, XIII (“he was adulterer,a dirty fornicator, servants,/ Fearfully bendingservants,/ reason against nature.] dishes, powders,devise strong juices,/ fairerthe is not sex enough forthe defile they them, Slightly more is known about private the lives of magnates. the According to the treasures: youth the his stripped heart, him of his riches, ruled his jewels and youth the else all The object passionsof his some was spirited youth, whomupon bestowed he almostall of his author of sermons, Paweł Gilowski,A Calvinist wrote, however, that “some rich and Protestants for atCatholic men to Calvin, - journalists attributed a weakness WhyI DoNotWant to Write … Oczko [Look how[Look men sinhideously,/ envy They barnthe in andbulls horsesthe in herd;/ They Przeciw naturze rozum ażzgroza. przywodząc, Mało imbiałej płci, paskudzą otroki, Wymyślają potrawy, proszki, soki, mocne na oborzeZazdroszczą bykom, koniom w stadzie; Przypatrz się, szkaradzie, mężczyźni jako grzeszą meant thesame as gomorrhizare et sodomizare. Catechism and books by Walerian Nekand Trepka, known later as Liber Chamorum, or

the book book the by Paul

121 122 Afterthis incident, until his father’s death, Sanguszko estate” and latter the then “invited Chyliński and didwith himwhat is stated above.” had to give his father “command inwriting over Dubno the garrison and over whole the his profligacy.” The youngprince,locked upin a room threatened and with a whipping, wife and “harness to his thuswho fruitlessly attempted his son to return to persuade The abduction and imprisonment Chylińskiof the doing was infact the of prince’s father, 11 10 9 w wiekach XVI-XVIII, found I also an interesting passage: Włoszek agreed who to these,sacramental, after all unions? abouttransvestite? Słodownik Sebastian and Wawrzyniec And what is one to think Wojciechsign from categories: Poznań homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, to modern Already short this description demonstrates how difficultuseless and it be to aswould - Krakowie by Jandescribed Kracik and Michał Rożek inHultaje, złoczyńcy, wszetecznice w dawnym for there was nothing one couldn’t buy from Poniatowski.” paid himwell, evenmade himrich;finally found a way to raise him to the noble status, holding public positions. Jerzy Also Marcin Lubomirski “had an eyefor a little Cossack… One may infer, therefore, that Sanguszko had no trouble flaunting his lovers,evenwhen

Procesy o czary w Polsce published by book Małgorzataw Polsce In a recently Pilaszek, Procesy o czary There are much fewer concerningreports the lower classes. An exceptional is case In public opinion he was considered a woman. For against crimes nature he was burned. he returned to Cracow, he got inKazimierz married again, with time Wawrzyniec this Włoszek. Poznań. ThereallowedSebastian he to be with a woman and livedwith a woman himself. When Kazimierz. He inCracow Słodownik Sebastian had married and lived with himfor two years in In 1561 Wojciech from Poznań for who ten years “wore woman’s clothes” courtthe in faced Dubno.left in his taste blinded him; with exceptionthe of tribunalthe whom he did not show his favorite, But after his father’s death themhe had again, keepingthem asearlier thehe did becauseones, did not have an open and costly favorite as he didbefore he was threatened, only secretones. and shackled, he was sent to the Gdańsk prison where he didhis penance for twelve years.” men of means. Only one Kazimierz Chyliński met opposite the fate: stripped of his gains all as long as favor the was with him.Many of favorites those citizens recognized became and bounty.the withall left So anyone who foundthus himself favored hisused swiftly luck for that his luck may end for it is built on shaky foundations. But although he fell out of favor, he Nothing liking. found would to his stop favorite this from such plunder except for fearthe Texts andtheBody commentary Z.commentary Lewinówna, PIW, Warsaw, 2005, 63-4. J. Kitowicz, Pamiętniki czyli Historia Polska, ed. andintroduction P. Matuszewska, 1986, 173. w.O marginesie społecznym, XVI-VXIII Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków-Wrocław, Jan Kracik, Rożek, Michał Hultaje, złoczyńcy, wszetecznice Krakowie. w dawnym Ibid., 64-5. : 10 11 9 wicz referswicz to the 18 and East wild the corrupt the West. Finally, as a confirmation of his hypotheses, Kucho- Zaporishian Sich, thus drawing on Sarmatian the tradition of juxtaposing Poland with Kitowicz writes who with disgustto Father about customs the offrom Cossacks the 16 15 14 13 12 rare and inspired authentic, with growing, time aversion.” “should not demonized” be “one because that was gets truly sense the perversion this scholarship. Kuchowicz notices additionally that accounts of Old Polish homosexuality We canthis find much (orthis little) information on Old Polish “deviations” in available temporary exegetes, however, entirely from depart such an interpretation. phenomenon of homosexuality only inlate Judaism, writings inthe of- Philo).Con description the ofespecially (as a matter destruction the Sodom of to the linked fact basisThe for discriminating against homosexuality was obviously provided the by Bible, Magdeburg Law was merciless to homosexual persons: of Poles that it is quite unknown here and almost as strongly despised as inEngland.” is concerned, popular is which so with Poland’s neighbors, one credit has to sayto the medieval homoerotic poetry: homoeroticmedieval poetry: perhaps contain men and between are which to love a reference oftenparaphrased in upon authority the called of Scripture the entirely ignored words the of David which Ibid. for it is an ignominious andsin disgraceful ispunished. to be to be sentenced to death and according to custom burned with fire,without any compassion, If anyone is found to have business against nature with an animal, or man with man, are those that withdrawn, magic the be that so he could live without boy the again (1608). with his wife fell then apart and to hate he begun his mother-in-law. He demanded therefore herbs making his master, Mikołaj Turkowiecki, deeply inlove fall with him.Turkowiecki’s life were by undertaken one Lenkowa, washed who young the Stanisław three in times Skrzypczak It is not love. oftenmagic thatrelated described books court Such to homosexual practices WhyI DoNotWant to Write … Oczko Z. Kuchowicz, polskiego Człowiek baroku, 320. othertranslations into author quotes thepassage in several [The Polish, trans.] Homosexuality, 2000. Hide,Montgomery 1970; DanielA. Helminiak, about theBible Really Says What Homosexuality…, 95-159; inR.P. Woods OP, notSpeak On LovethatDared ItsName, reading,further mayinJohn befound Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and andNew inOld A discussion ofhomosexuality Testament, withsuggestions for 2008, 411. w Polsce Pilaszek, w wiekach XVI-XVIII,Universitas, o czary Małgorzata Procesy Cracow, passing love the of women. thy love to me was wonderful, pleasantvery hast unto thou been me: I am distressed for my thee, brother Jonathan: th centuryopinion of a German doctor, Kausch: “As far as pederasty

(2 Samuel 1,26) 14 15 He subsequently refers 13 Those who Those 12 16

123 124 when the study the when Jesuit inthe or Piarist seminar end came and to an it was to part time contemplate image the of some female saint. tears And also streaming down his cheeks fan,the donot which at look voivodes and pantlers; nuns, long who and passionately girl-tomboysunruly insisting on ridinghorse the man’s the eyeshiddenbehind way; maritalevading their duties wives; and family frigid quarrels and women’s tears. I see offreaks; bitter old bachelors over of glass the spirits and, evenmore, husbands the storiesthe of boys forced by threats and whippings into marriage; of mocked village Thus I imagine, or (awarereconstruct that well full what I am producing is “literature”) frequentedwho church the fair.” information that “the Venus’s was brought curse to Poland by one woman from Rome relations inOld Poland on basisreports of the about several “meretricious whores,” and awareing fully parallel the of its implications –determining shape the of male-female andabout comprehensiveness accuracy the of that image would like –and be I amus- and on sinners. basis of the sources It these but could not otherwise, to speculate be lamentations of moralists, and files. police It is an image moralof criminals, degenerates, obviously dark, with sources very incourt registers, sermons and slanderous pamphlets, of homosexuality inPoland means only that it rarely had been mentioned insources. much luckier of of because all above. the Most likely of infrequency the occurrence the Poland, evenifless visible, less self-aware, and less well-organized and, paradoxically, if such found men were inThe to be Netherlands, most likelythere weresome in also and around and death. 300menButCalvinist. where sentenced 70to tortures to jail contemporary standards to The Netherlandswhichtimes, those wereof predominantly of homosexual contacts; 53were burned at stake. the tion inBarcelona, Valencia, and Saragossa judgment passed on 371persons suspected nobility is estimated at 10percent…In years the tribunal 1566-1620the of Inquisi the - whatpeople: to realize that number entails it is worth realizing that inOld Poland the irrespective and place, norms. the epoch, existing 2-7percent social of homosexual lated to 2-7 percent to pertain of human population and number this not does change, heard intoday’s also texts by right-wing journalists. One can hardly resist feeling the that of echoes Old Polish “sexual xenophobia” can be quite frequently do not practiced, they know and find repulsive,which is praiseworthy.” Another traveler reported that inPoland “sodomy, neighboring inthe which states is 18 17 each other, and engaged inlively correspondence. sociations” of homosexual persons were discovered,together, socialized who visited 1730-1732, at turn the of Enlightenment the era,numerous, widely branched out “as-

There are manythingsthat I can only infer, but fantasiesthose are hardly optimistic. The image personsof homosexual produced the by research on Old Polandcustoms is These These are strange consideringtheses that the fact homosexual orientation- calcu is Texts andtheBody Golden Age, Collins, London, 1987, 601-6. eg.See S. Schama, Riches:Dutch TheEmbarrasment of inthe An Interpretationof Culture Ureus, Gdynia, 1997, 205. eg.See D. Łukaszewicz, psy” “Niemieckie i “polskie świnie” oraz inne esejez historii kultury, 18 One should not, however, apply 17 In The Netherlandsthe in years ration; homosexual the was now a species.” androgyny, a hermaphroditism ofaber soul.sodomite the The a temporary been had of it when sexuality from was transposed practiceof the sodomy onto a kind of interior homosexual acquired an identity and that “homosexuality appears as one of forms the David, to Plato, to Hadrian and Antinous, to the Ganymede myth and to other “damned differencetheir in spirit. Wanting to define themselves, they couldonly refer to the Biblical where could “their meet they own,” and explained also faster which the heartbeat and ference, but surely had intuition they to forbidden them led which and secludedplaces “copulate”they with. Perhaps didnot they always have language the that to name dif- oddity,their alternative their psychosexual orientation, were who not indifferent to whom and emotional character. I can hardly agree with thesis proposed the by Foucault that only 19 inthe satisfaction from intercourse itself without necessarily considering of sex the partner. the that rule people sometimes derive adult intheir experiences lives), according to the to Kinsey’s report, almost 40percent of men and 20percent of women had homosexual a deviationcalls or perversion. and behaviors right the to love traditional which Polish scientific discourse ignores or category of “sexual orientation” to historical figures, I onlywish to return to their “acts” perception of contemporary gays and lesbians onto historical data or apply theahistorical and love, however sentimental that may sound. I absolutely donot want to project my (un)awarenessand had a different identity, sexual their of couldthey not inlove fall a differentperspective. For I do notthatbelieve lived becausethey ina different epoch andlogical emotional attachment. I fantasize about being able to look at fatetheir from is that homosexuality is not just desire but sexual (and also perhaps above psycho all) - behaviors” of individuality. all What is consistently forgotten (or consciously denied) 21 20 19 or, evenworse, “acts of sodomy,” with HIM.The studies of homosexuality behaviors”past “homosexual discuss of epochs identity and a separate classification medical theof homosexual

But past eveninthe doubtlessly there existed individuals aware of difference, their Of course, such “acts” and “sodomite practices” didoccur, dotoday as they (according WhyI DoNotWant to Write … Oczko University Press,University 1994, 640. War animal.” in: Life, Private of History Volume IV: Revolution From of to the theFires Great with thepractice of fellatio. Inshort, kindofmonster, was a new the pederast an mouth’ teethandthick, short along with curled,‘very lips’ deformed familiarity indicated unmistakable signsbelonging identifiedspecies. to therecently Similarly ‘a twisted or adapted ofa penis–thosewere to accommodate anobjecttheshapeandsize the condition ofthebuttocks,“[T]he a relaxed sphincter, ananusshapedlikea funnel 1978, 43. Foucault, Michel, Sexuality: of History Volume I,trans. Hurley, Robert NY: Pantheon, K. Eisenblichler, of University Toronto Press, Toronto-Buffalo, 1996. I,” in: West, andDiscipline: Desire inthePre-Modern andSexuality Sex ed. J. Murray, R. Shephard, inEnglishPolitics: Rumours “Sexual I andJames theCaseofElizabeth , ed. Perrot, Michelle trans. Goldhammer, Arthur BelknapPress ofHarvard 19 thus depriving demonstrate who those “homosexual 20 For what Foucault has inmind is a social 21 and not a psychological th century the centurythe -

125 126 scribes forscribes example of story the two 17 like sent girl the by her mother to the monastery: or imitate heterosexual models (as many contemporary gays do). battlefield (homosocial relations are often a repressed representation of homosexuality), had a proper education.write couldalso They about shepherds, aboutfraternity the on Greeks” much (very present in old homoerotic literature), provided, of course, that they 25 24 23 22 coffin onfoot from Cracow to Vilnius, [King Jan Sobieski’s beloved], or letters to Zygmunt August to his following Barbara’s behavior”erosexual or “proof of of acts copulation” inreference to Poland.But letus return If to Old no one would dream of using terms such as “het- anima” (“they were of one and heart one soul”). sculptures of couples), married where More Henry has written: “Cor erat unum, unaq. respondence), and memorialized by also a common statue alludes (which to graveyard and considered a couple by families their is (which documented cor by surviving the Baines, inseparable shared since they a room at Christ’s inCambridge, College accepted heart, howheart, to master it and tear it away else!” from everything passion: “I cannot destroy my love, nor doI want to. Oh, he knows how to speakto my lovetheir as didLudwika Biebrzyńska, torn by forbidden, equally the for incestuous, neither means the nor language the to express feelings; their could not they write about badly. What is more, probably I will never read about Forthem. protagonists their had forCossack whom he purchased nobility from king… the Sanguszkowhether suffered after his loss);about Jerzy Marcin Lubomirski and his little Szydłowski “possessed who his heart”; about Chyliński in Gdańskthe jailed prison (and corner…I wouldthe like to know more about Janusz Aleksander Sanguszko and Karol braid; or secretexchange the of glances at tavern the to a hasty leads which kiss around maidenly letters hiddenina chest’s drawer alcove; inthe or ribbons kissed from “her” or embracing the harvesters, have who and dropped or lain under a tree; scythes their doubt of hearts the two young lords gone hunting and riding together by stirrup stirrup; Ibid. In In These imagined These stories of mine probablybadly, ended usually for had they to end unless it were exercising inthe some of act kindnesse. together since we first left Englandneverwee separated bin two moneths from eachother twenty-six .Ofthe everparallel will world years wee spent never didequal, nor I believe now years‘Tis thirty-six since I began happinessethe of a uninterrupted friendship which the Texts andtheBody This is how she described her feelings to her her own nephew.This ishow shedescribed Ibid., 269. Miłość (chapter sercai charakteru”). “Rola inspired heterosexual by –mayinZ. be found love –obviously Kuchowicz’s Staropolska PolishNumerous examplesofOld andmoving andpassions, feelings ofmesalliances Press,University 2002, 29-32. Paul Shakespeare to Rochester, Hammond, Menfrom between Sex Figuring Oxford Figuring between Sex Men from Shakespeare to Rochester, Paul Hammond de- th centuryscholars, Sir John Finch and Sir Thomas 24 why should I apply a different measure and a different why should I apply 22 In 1681,Finch wrote to Baines: 23 25 They could They not protest Listy do Marysieńki - aim is “the creation of a gay community a contemporary inboth and a historical sense.” gender studies. Urbański in“Zakazana przyjaźń,” critique an a philological is articlewhich of infact 29 28 27 26 material for 19 the and supposedly who spent night the before battle as with his page.serve could The story and who, as Długosz claims, was loverthe of “male pleasures and passions” disgraceful on Madeira, one of whom was identified as battlefieldthe on whoWarneńczyk survived means and language about to speak it. Repressed, excluded, were they not only deprived but of of also rightthe the to love, the “proto-gaythe tradition,” to use Stewart’s term, not not understand do that, nor why search I should throughI do old writings for discuss the identity the discuss of Laura, Kasia, and Anusia but a priori reject tion, spiritual friendship, commonality of souls, Platonic a convention. idea, Critics sides that reference the is no more than an imitation of ancients, the a literary emana- friendship” occasionally appears inliterature, ex-cathedra arguments appear from all a record of authentic and experience feeling, why is“male it that so-called the when waspole buriedthere. is often Iftreated old lovewithout poetry thought a second as color of ground the a different andthat suddenlyrealizes notices a wooden a layer ogy, of a patient seeking my layers inthe traces of culture as a researcher in digging “Old Polish homosexual persons.” This is noteven history, it is more of an archeol- build a fragile bridge my between sensibility and andof experience the the to findingthere answers to questions about contemporary gay identity,” even to the negation (or, perhaps, of historical the neglect) context of texts and these ering inold texts confirmation the of contemporarysensibility, sometimeswhich leads Historia żółtej ciżemki –ifonly he existed, like Shakespeare’s sister. Domańska, Kremer, nee author of Paziowie króla Zygmunta, Krysia bezimienna, and

The only, quite improbable,trace,the is strange legend abouttwo Polishknights living “The common“The feature of contemporary gender and gay studiesseems to be discov - WhyI DoNotWant to Write … Oczko University Press,University Princeton-New Jersey, 1997. A. Stewart, CloseReaders, Humanism and Sodomy England, Modern inEarly Princeton Press,of Chicago Chicago-London, 1991, 27. R.Bruce Smith, Homosexual DesieinShakespeare’s England: A Cultural Poetics, University Powszechna, Warsaw, 2001, 554-5. w pięćdziesiątą Ritzowi rocznicę Germanowi urodzin, profesorowi ofiarowane Wiedza Prace Urbański,Piotr przyjaźń’“’Zakazana nowołacińskiej,” w poezji inCiałopłećliteratura. w.,XVIII PIW, Warszawa, 1965, 24. Cz. Hernas, lesie, W kalinowym vol. 2, Antologia polskiejzezbiorków polskich pieśniludowej Oh letme, strong jump God, to join him.”] climb[I’ll choir, the down,my look see beloved, A dajże mi, mocny skoczyć Boże, doniego. Wnidę na chór, spojrzę na dół,ujrzę miłego, The author mentionsthe also work politicalR. whose Smith, of Bruce th centuryPolish historical writer Antoni Kremer, brother of Antonia 29 those minute those and faint which traces 26 the subtle the discourse 27 writes Piotr 28

127 128 fifty-year-old Saint the Elred used term to referpartner; to his lover of hisown age (he misleading. A contemporary be fact gay not man will hesitate to use it inreference to his men desiring otherbetween men and desiring boys. And those term“boy” the may in any less heterosexual of because age the difference? In Platoa distinction even we find frequent in patriarchal culture –relationships older men between and younger women descriptionthe of a relationship an between older man and a younger one. Are –so the els” are upon to discredit usually called a homosexual reading we when are with dealing Oldisworth’s was, for poem example, Bacon? Miss Elisabeth example, Erasmus of Rotterdam. of desire appearing of humanists: the lines the letters inthe between and for poetry 32 31 30 word?” arewhich spiritual thus union; to achieve yet he then asks: “But is ‘spiritual’ right the above, physical the separation men is perceived between as liberation the of souls their lessly and to address failed tried subject. the As Hammond lines inthe quoted observes, Deare Friend Mr. Richard Bacon.” The rest pagethe of is empty,the as if author hope- one page contains only titlethe thatof a poem was never written: “On Deaththe of his and praising and thebodily spiritual qualities of his In friend. manuscript, the preserved areor poems so dedicated to Bacon: touching in awkwardness,their describing longing, to then move to Douai and diethere at age the of 18.In work the of Oldisworth a dozen minster and separated: then Oldisworth studied inOxford and Bacon inCambridge, Sea,”the Bacon, with whom dedicated author the to Richard inWest went to school - These arefrom lines a poem by Nicholas“To His Oldisworth (1611-1645) beyond Friend Ibid. What is more, spiritual the communion, of emulation, theory the and “Greek- mod Here is another example, from taken English literature, for lack of Polish sources: Texts andtheBody Quoted after: Hammond, after: Quoted Men…, between Sex Figuring 33. Pub.,Garland New York –London, 1984. example MedievalLatinPoems for See MaleLoveandFriendship of , trans. T. Stehling, 32 Would word the “spirituality,” I ask, even cross our minds had addressee the of As onely blows, not fire. the cooles Of such a kinde And is this Winde From vast the depth of our Desire Of sighs and Blasts expire doe which Is but a puffing Agonie Winde the And all us and twixt Thee ourAnd sets at soules liberty. Gives fancie space, The breadth of place Now abroad file. doe passions,Our before which didlieinprison, but hearts, Our makes more them wide. notPlace doeth sunder, or divide 30 31 35 34 33 Here is how Piotr Urbański speculates about meaning the of above the lines: is song the experience by Andrzej Krzycki Ad Dantiscum de amore suo: The only example of Old Polish literature (perhaps?) describing a homosexual I know way letter inthe to his lover. as “son”!);even referred to him Marbod, Bishop inthis of Rennes referred to himself II ting descriptions. To the skeptics I dedicate words the from Christopher Marlowe’s Edward not mean that feelings those did not exist! In western Europe, feelings the evenfound fit- were they which written. We would invain look for descriptions of feelings, but that does behaviors” and “acts of sodomy” dictated by official the ideological attitudein epoch the of

(1594) – in the opening(1594) –inthe lines of play the Gaveston is reading letter the from king: the ness future for to the boys primate? ascribed This confession is preceded which by a passage referencethe Could to the (childless) – even if requited fruitless – love related be to the- weak is that of my folly,/ For I am silent and dying insilent fire.] and morecursed wretched/ Is he is who silent and dying insilent fire./ This last fate, Dantisce, more wretched he loves who alone/ And spurned are his his gifts, pleas and form./ But lost, [Woe to me, how wretched is one the loves who withlove/ equal But of lacks fruit the love/ Yet Old sources and research on sources those terms based uses such as “homosexual WhyI DoNotWant to Write … Oczko homoerotic Latin poems because of their uncertain authorship. oftheir uncertain homoerotic poemsbecause Latin Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM, Poznań, 1996, 128. to Krzycki’s I am notreferring other I. after: Quoted Lewandowski, Antologia poezji w Polsce, łacińskiej Renesans, 2009, 11. Marlowe,Christopher II, Edward Platform, CreateSpaceIndependentPublishing more data. for examplesandbibliographical J.See Boswell, Christianity, Sexual Tolerance, andHomosexuality…, 39-41. Boswell See Nam ettacito taceo cogor mori. inigne Ultima sors est haec nostri, Dantisce, furoris, ettacito tacet Qui cogitur mori. igne Perditus, infelix horumque est, miserrimus ille Et sua spernuntur munera, forma, preces. sortemsuperat miseri quiSed solus amabit Et semper amoris tamen hicfructu eget, Heu mihi, quam amore qui est miser parili fervet thou wouldstSo smile, and me take arms. inthine And, upon like gasped Leander sand, the Might have enforced me to have swam from France, Sweet prince, I come! thy these these, amorous lines Than livethe favouritebe and of a king! What greater bliss can hap to Gaveston wordsAh! that make me surfeit with delight: And share kingdom the with thy dearest friend.’ My father Come, Gaveston, is deceased. 33 35 34

129 130 Given Away inMarriage, or Desperation]: za mąż damy a w swoim żądaniu omylonym, Desperacja” czyli [A Complaint by a Lady ent register. The firstpoems is the of an anonimous complaint: “Uskarżanie wydanej się Antologia libertyńskiej poezji erotycznej XVIII wieku. These are, however, of a very differ reading in“Płodny invite which two poems a queer/gay jest światI found występku.” 38 37 36 a girl, but “languorous he can’t remember with drink from end.” which The priest asks: Guess”] by Marcin Molski (1752-1822).A young man confesses that he has with sinned Similar doubtssex? after arise “Trafność reading spowiednika” Confessor’s [“The Apt appetite? Orissimply this a roundabout way of saying that man the preferred his own hermaphrodite? Orperhaps he was not “endowed” woman’s the well enough to satisfy Was “hermaphrodite” this an effeminate, impotent man or was he a biological really “Płodny jestświatwystępku.” wieku, poezji Antologia XVIII erotycznej libertyńskiej to remain hidden,unarticulated, dare which notits name. speak love (l. 3-4),next there appears a mention of an evengreater suffering, about lovewhich has a paraphraseseems of famous the anacreontic verse devoted to the suffering due to unrequited I will I will call, help will plead, me/ maybethey Orgive me another boy who’s better endowed.] want My with a hole/ to stop a hole father himagainstscream, made me marry my I will will/ he’sI see inman’s A lady a hermaphrodite. for spinning the They wheel/ clothing./ A servant Doesn’t know anything, doesn’t do anything, liesnext to me as ifnext to a pile of manure/ Then [Ay, how am I not to fret, I’ve when deceived./ Only now been I see that my husband is different/ ment animated,/ Carmelite the very became “Oh, I know now, you had her from back.”] the “It is first the time, to my conscience, father,/that I felt such rapture of senses.”/my thatAt mo- [“Tell me only if you felt great delight,/ When you were poisoning your soul with that venom?”/ Texts andtheBody Ibid. 60. ed. W. Nawrocki, Wydawnictwo WSP w Kielcach, Piotrków Trybunalski. 1996, 27. P. Urbański, przyjaźń…,”“Zakazana 559. Albo z dobrym moderunkiem chłopca midodadzą. moderunkiem z dobrym Albo wołać niech micoporadzą, będę krzyczeć, Będę Poszłam ojca niewoli zaniego; od ci ja po Dziurę dziurą chcą zatkać, niekata-ż zjedli. bo Parobeczek przęślicy. od Darmo mnienimzwiedli; Aż on armafrodyt. widzę w męskim stroju. Baba Nic nieumie, nicnieruszy, przy jak gnoju. leży Dopiero widzę, coto w mym zaodmiana: mężu Ej, oszukana. sięniefrasować, kiedym jakże “Ach, chędożył.” już –z tyłuśją –rzecze wiem! Tu karmelita właśnie jakby ożył, Tak zmysłom wielkie czułemporuszenie.” raz,ojcze,“Pierwszy na moje sumienie, piekielnym jadem tym Gdy duszę twoję trułeś?” “Powiedz mitylko, rozkosz wielką jeśli czułeś, 36 38 37 - describes a “knight-fornicator”describes had who “a curly hair up his ass.” more drastic examples. For contrast I will again quote Oldisworth writing about Bacon: 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 it to reach for any of a number of thematic anthologies. One could quote hundreds of similar examples from western the cultural sphere, suffice to sin against a broadly understood Sixth Commandment. position? In same the anthology references appear to Sodomy, but are those an allusion a sudden? And wherefrom his knowledge of thepleasures drawn from a non-missionary An inquisitive reader could ask: why confessor the does animated become so of all long/ urgent their needed cock service”] pański /kuś długi porzebował ich pilnej loyally usługi” as longserved [They the as master’s (virtus inOld Polish body male literature. If men are shown it is role inthe of knight-hero the sin” is that sinalmost exclusively heterosexual? Neither we find descriptions will the of fashion. poems; andpoems; 20 eveninthe companion; sonthe of Michelangelo’s nephew changed pronoun’sthe in Michelangelo’s literaturethe of Middle the Ages Alcibiades was usually represented as Socrates’ female ered laudable young when men engage inmany romances.” It is worth recalling that in for a young man to have many lovers”) [male] was conveyed as: “On Crete it is consid- adulescentulis quam plurimos habuisse amatores” (“On Crete it is considered laudable later? In English the translation of Cornelius Nepos sentence: the “Laudi inCreta ducitur How many of were those by disguised authors the themselves and how many were falsified destroyed, and evenmore so, how many were never written of because self-censorship? intuition and instinct that I like a “textual to call gaydar.” has an enormous impact on strategies the of homosexual reading of old texts: namely, J.A.Morsztyn, How many of such texts, however, were did not they because survive resolutely I would like to mention a category with is entirely unscientific and subjective, but which WhyI DoNotWant to Write … Oczko community to refer to the intuitive ability to identify lesbiansand gays. community to refer to theintuitive ability The combination of the words “gay” and “radar” isused inthelesbianandgay J.See Boswell, Christianity, Sexual Tolerance, andHomosexuality…, 29-31. 1983. example: for See The Penguin Book of Homosexual Verse,ed. S. Coote, A. Lane, London, P. after: Quoted Hammond, Men…,34. between Sex Figuring S. Trembecki, “Oda doPriapa,” Płodny quoted after: jestświatw występku…, 69. harem ofJan “Sobiepan” wedding. thedignitary’s after Zamoyski Ibid., 164, doJ.W. naksięży “Skarga biskupaSierakowskiego. księdza ) or – very often) or –parading –very their crudeness póki and vulgarity: wiernie, “Służyły 44 One could quote many such examples. Wherewith fed hee your Heerings, &your Sights. Tell us Heav’nlynesse the of Delights those pureSo an Angel daily to embrace, Tell us, ôtell us, yee that had grace the Paszport kurwom z Zamościa. fromPaszport the Thepoemisaboutthefateofgirls kurwom th centuryHafez’s were ghazals ina heterosexual transcribed 40 ; Trembecki, an example of Enlightenment, 45 43 42 I believe that I believe a gay reader may 39 If worldthe is “heavy with 41 I will spare Reader the

131 132 expressing homosexual desire. it One can clearly see inShakespeare’s sonnet XX: engaging with instability of meanings, of all which strategies as a safe may wayserve of texts play with reader, the vacillatingexplicit between statement and mere suggestion, an important indication where deeper, where to search, to dig ifnot always. Many old passages written ininvisible to read ink, lines, the between textualhave tensions ability the and able to sense be textual to remove masks, to reveal 50 49 48 47 46 EnglishElizabethan “nothing” termfor female a colloquial genitalia. was also ing.” The interpretationbecomes more complicated, however,when thatwe realize in Apparently “onethe is clear: all thing” by added nature is to the speaker’s “purpose noth- sion toward homosexuality oftenthe concealwriter’s own repressed and hiddendesires. hidden intexts.the Usually not does he know also that manifestations of extreme aggres- known well so by lesbians and gays, and codes lackssecret signs sensitivitythe to sexual he simply of lacks experience oppression the andof experience hiding the his sexuality afraid that a heterosexual reader cannot noticedetails, subtleties, fully those and tensions; though wrongexperience, and decodings overinterpretation are a genuine risk here. I’m works themselves, of homosexual texts andpoetics construction the of authors their on basis of the the was inlove with Bacon. Ritz’s German repeatedly voiced postulate the that we study the us what non-literary the motivation sonnets the behind was, nor Oldisworth whether inno waywill translate into image the of historicalreality. and social notwill They tell The reader?problem A concept? that is allusionsto the literary and rhetorical figures as female subject same the organs the purpose serve (producing pleasure). Is a wink this “one the sense thing added” nature which endowed young the man with, or would penis,

Obviously of type intuition this as an cannot interpretative serve tool, Texts andtheBody Wiedza Powszechna,Wiedza Warsaw, 2002, 54. Ritz,German pożądania, Nićw labiryncie trans. B. Drąg, A. Kopacki, M. Łukaszewicz, Shakespeare’s sonnets: Shakespeare’s Sonnets, ed. K. Duncan-Jones, London, 1997, 151. P.After Hammond, Men…, between Sex Figuring 16; edition seealsothefollowing of Shakespeare,William Complete Works, Pordes, Henry London, 1983, 1201. zjawiska),” Teksty , 1978, no4(40), 45. puzzle is “musket.” M. See Pankowski, “Polska (próba określenia nieokrzesana poezja “Gadka” as “a portrait ofa malehomosexual’s body” (!), whenthereal solution to the PankowskiMarian sensitive to homosexual matters)to treat (a writer JanKochanowski’s controversial Polish reading ofan Old An exampleofa particularly textistheideaby Men….,between 5-61. in Homosexual Desire… Many examplesare alsoquotedby P. Sex Hammond inFiguring A whole register expressions ofcamouflaged ofhomosexual desire isquoted by B.Smith Mine thy be love and thy love’s treasure. their use But since she prick’d out thee for women’s pleasure, By adding one thing to my nothing. purpose And by addition me of defeated, thee Till Nature, as she wrought fell thee, a-doting, 50 with omission the of writers’ the biographies and of genesis the of 46 48 be sensitive be to traces of his own 47 but it can be 49 In this 52 51 There is one difference, persons,the case in of therehowever; homosexual are, opinions and philosophy. as such often interests individualswho find in it a reflection their of own, often orthodox, a poststructuralist. Thewriting of is, old epochs however, deeply rooted in religion and ity among many of my Old Polish scholar source the could be friends of envy to many gay, and level the of openness, tolerance, and sensitivity to the problem of homosexual- tions, know of scholars course. I personally of Old Polish culture are who lesbian and and consequently show a much greater toward tendency homophobia. There are excep- culture often tend to be conservative,patriarchal, and deeplytraditionalist theirviews in atperspective phenomena the are they describing. but I want to suggest that it is worth looking from a different historical and ideological of brilliant the scholars work whose on I continue to draw as of a student old culture, and gave Venus’s himthe in postico curse category of “black erotics and deviation”: “the man had relations with him‘in posticum, know how). In end,only the they found most the blatant things and inthe them threw attend to the texts with a queer sensitivity could not, they (because would not, or didnot ginning with Brűckner and ending with Tazbir didnot search carefully enough, didnot with somebodyelse’s voice. Then again,perhaps scholarsthe of Old Polishculture, be- And anyway, old of history of homosexuality or silence is above speaking a history all homosexual behaviors sketched out at of beginning the incomplete.article isthis highly dark. Therepossibility, exists a slight however,that the meager “cannon” of Old Polish in what Ritz wants to exclude. works,their is of little help to me, for archeology the of gay studies is interested primarily is deeply rooted inhistory. As observes, Boswell discourse, place the of pre-war the Jew is by taken lesbians and gays. This way thinking of

Another obstacle insuch research that is fact inold the literature specialists and Writing of history the on homosexuality old based texts often meansgroping the in of fate the of dead,no the liturgical commemorations of of times crisisand suffering. Relatively no gay grandparents remember who pogroms, the no gay literature, exile to remind living the majority standards conduct.” of sexual nonconformity;sexual samethe countries which insisted on religious uniformity imposed could which history notpean make room for Jewish distinctiveness reacted violently against early hostility Christian to extermination inconcentration camps…the of Euro same periods - fatethe of Jews and gay almost peopleidentical has throughout been European history, from It said often has been enoughthat the contemporary in Polishright-wing nationalist WhyI DoNotWant to Write … Oczko J. Boswell, Christianity, Sexual Tolerance, andHomosexuality…, 15-6. ed. P. Oczko, Politycznej,Wydawnictwo Krytyki Warszawa, 2008. staropolskiej,”w literaturze . Kampania współczesnej we kulturze, campu Zjawisko lektury,”doświadczenia Teksty 2006, Drugie, no6 (102); andM. Wilk, “Camp perspective, example: for D. Śnieżko, staropolskie ciało. czytało “Jak Somatyczne Polish attempts have been made to lookRecently atOld culture from a different 51 52 .’” In no way doI want to question authority the

133 134 and contemporary Polish culture, to hear nothing. Excellent texts on subject the exist world, elsewhere inthe already heard of use the term“menstrual the literature”); not surprised be and I will advocating “writing from history back” the I am (afterall,to hear in Poland we have excluded from dominant the discourse from (history below). waitingstill for of history the groups were who marginalized, repressed, oppressed, and 58 57 55 54 53 56 to declare my to participate willingness init. of gender roles inPoland. Polish affect,knightlythe in crude sensuality sexuality,and and in historical conceptions general inthe – ifnotwas inscribed uniform and historically –models varied of Old chronicles of nobility. the One to look would need also at ways homosexuality inwhich re-readingform of a queer letters, journals, court documents, folk sources, and home that isthis a project would require more than one researcher: one would to per need could serve us as a model.could serve While gap this is slowly in being filled relation to 19 the history of history the representation, their waiting is still to be researched and written.

The history of (the traces of) homosexual persons homosexual in Poland,The history traces evenof (the of) or more modestly, kind few gay people today are aware of the great variety of positions in which time has placed their Texts andtheBody Płodny jestświat występku…, 7-24. W. Nawrocki, prowokacja kodów erotycznych, moralna:“Libertyńska ostrych poezja in: Teksty, 1997, no2; A. Wolan, eros,”“Sarmacki społeczny. 1993,Dziś. Przegląd no8; See, example, for thequotedworks by Z Kuchowicz; T. Chrzanowski, “Ciało sarmackie,” Politycznej,Wydawnictwo Krytyki Warszawa, 2008. example, for See K. Tomasik, Homobiografie. polscy XIXI XX Pisarki i pisarze wieku, bibliography mayat: befound http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/gayhistbib.html M. Vicinus, G. Chauncey, Library, NewAmerican New York 1989. A comprehensive Press,University New York, 1995; Hidden From, History ed. by M.B. Duberman, Press, New York, 1989; A. Bray, inRenaissanceEngland, Homosexuality Columbia in RenaissanceandEnlightenment Europe , ed. by G. Kent, G. Hekma, Harrington, Park tijd,moderne Meulenhoff, Amsterdam 2004; Sodomy.Pursuit of The Male Homosexuality Books, New York 1994; G. Hekma, Homoseksualiteit inNederlandvan 1730tot de mentionJ.I will buta few: Boswell, Europe , UnionsinPre-Modern Same-Sex Villard 2008, no1-2, 360. EwaDomańska’sI am paraphrasing insurekcyjna,”“Historiografia Literatura naświecie, 1994, 13-18. A. Selerowicz, inaczej. kochających “Leksykon Fakty, daty, zjawiska,” Softpress, Poznań, one laconicOnly textisavailableon thissubject: pages long essay a few by Ibid., 17., italicsmine. , and inprevious almost none to have societies seem had such awareness.” 58 Thisthe is naïve research proposal I wish to make here and 57 the Old the Polish terra is still incognita. period Obviously, Translation: Krystyna Mazur 55 I will not be surprised not surprised be I will 53 56 and those th 54 century We are - against whom, collectiveidentity constitutes itself. invariably most important from points East, the inrelation to the Other or to whom, statenew as clearly separated from revolutionary barbarity. The direction journey,the of borderthe and consequently reassures its presence, and consolidates vision the of the nascent the Polish powerthe to structure state. The return constitutesthe crossing of from This East. the version Odysseusthe of topos 4 3 2 1 of period, the Przedwośnie

In two the most important novels written afterthe independence, StefanŻeromski’s Houses ofglassandcesspools On theTwo Parts ofPrzedwiośnie Purity, Dirt,andtheChaosofRevolution: Łukasz Pa on boundaries, drawing on differentiating theI (us)from the not-I (not-us). depends individual orcollective identity movement formationofa new The first inthe I am makinga tentative assumption, inthecourseof the argument. develop I will which J. Kwiatkowski, międzywojenne, Dwudziestolecie PWN, Warsaw, 2003, 213-4. isvisible. thispattern which (Ignis, żołnierza nieznanego Poznań, 1922). to a fraction oftextsin only I amreferring Gebethner i Wolff, Warsaw, 1923);Strug, seealsothenovel by Andrzej Mogiła Lwów, 1920); kraj ludzi, Ferdynand bogów i zwierząt, OssendowskiexamplePrzez (for Bandrowski example, (for jasnewrota, Wydawnictwo by Jerzy Especially Polskie, Przez the Polish Department, of University Warsaw, November 18-19, 2008. from at theconference 1918-1939: Dwudziestolecie –zaprzeczenia – fascynacje odkrycia ina volume ” awaitingpublication ofessays społecznejw Przedwiośniu, rzeczywistości isa modified version ofThis article “Czystość,brud i granice. O konstruowaniu and Andrzej Strug’s Pokolenie Marka Świdy, and innumerous other works 2 the protagonist the always returns or makes his way with difficulty to Poland włowski 3 4 had a special importance, I believe: had a special 1

135 136 7 6 5 take them to church. them take I wishwear I could also white for that moment.” for that moment! We dress will our children inwhite and for first the this time yearwill into her native Wołyń, on other the hand, is enveloped inan aura of “Oh, luminosity: was written on basis of the reports by repatriates from South the of former the tsarist first part of Przedwiośnie place” and its former owners. one inwhich meaning: “shows itouthouses is a way has a symbolic contempt for the manors, with excrement covering floors. the In Pożoga, turning the of mansions the into called Pożoga, stains also heritage the of Polish the landowning elites of eastern Poland, so- the powers of entropy reside on. The revolutionthe in memoirsZofia of Kossak-Szczucka, is continually threatened by invasion the of impure. the of “our” reality, which is in processthe of being created, or has tamed alreadyand been signifies amorphousness,dirt decay, and thechaos;latter situates itself theat outskirts offered Douglas by and Kristeva, purity is synonymouswiththe ordered world, while on oppositionthe purity between and pollution. In short, in analysisthe of cultures some of of Douglas’ aspects the work) division the of inside the and outside the is based boundary. In works the of and Douglas Mary Julia Kristeva draws (who inspiration from

A very similar contrasting juxtaposition of images shapes meaning the ofA very the Prose written afterleaves first inthe period independence no doubt which the side Contemporary anthropology us to one alerts of of shaping aspects the symbolic the Texts andtheBody Ibid., 282. Katowice, 1990, 155. Z. Kossak-Szczucka, Pożoga, Wspomnienia z Wołynia Św. 1917-1919,Księgarnia Jacka, Wydawnictwo Marek Derewecki, Kęty, 2007. kulturalnego. średniej, klasy szwedzkiej historycznej z antropologii Studium trans. G. Sokół, by: J. anthropology and inhistorical-social Frydman, O. Löfgren, Narodziny człowieka wizji cielesności, Wydawnictwo Filozofii NaukoweUAM, Instytutu Poznań, 2000; Aureus, Cracow, 2001; M. Bakke, Ciałootwarte: filozoficznekulturowych reinterpretacje 2004; by: criticism P. inart Leszkowicz, Helen Chadwick: ikonografia podmiotowości, K. Kłosińska, Fantazmaty: Grabiński, Zapolska, Prus, Wydawnictwo UŚ, Katowice, i wilkołak. ‘Inny’ Lubkiewicz-Urbanowicz,” w dramatach Teksty 1999, Drugie, no5; by: M. analysis isusedinhistorical-literary Sugiera,meaning ofimpurity “Leworęczna inspirationfromdraw theirwork. A theoreticalapproach refers which to thesymbolic ofKristeva’sapplication andDouglas’ I only inthereading ofPrzedwiośnie. theory EssayonAbjection,An Press, ColumbiaUniversity 1982. anorthodox I donotcarefor Pollution Conceptsof of and Analysis An Taboo, Taylor, 2002; J. Kristeva, Horror: Powersof M. of(im)purity: I am usingworks to the anthropology key Douglas, andDanger: Purity H. Malewska-Peyre, Wydawnictwo Psychologii Instytutu PAN, Warsaw, 1992. wśród obcych,” in: Tożsamość, a odmienność kulturowa ed. P. Boski, M. Jarymowicz, community.the new M. See Jarymowicz, “Tożsamość rozpoznawania się jakoefekt the shared emotions inspired by are, theOther to homogenize thegreater hisability Other, significant whobecomes thesource ofnegative identification. The stronger This process isbased and,on dichotomization consequently, a selection of one Kresy, which is which suggestively emphasized by images the of devastated and polluted , which, as, which, scholars the of work this by Żeromski suspect, 6 The unfulfilled vision the of Thethe of unfulfilled entry Polish troops 5 7 gasses,” and even“the stench of poorly the treated [sheep]skins” (71,80,117). breath away,” refugees air the “close trains inthe carrying and rancid” like “stupefying smell: “the fetor” of decomposing stench the bodies, of excrement “which took one’s most secludedplaces, by outlets. sewer the In Przedwiośnie, terrorBolshevik and forces his father, Cezary former the tsarist clerk, inthe to meet an ironic conclusion to the momentous events of revolution. the beginning The theof Armenian-Tartarthe massacre, brought enormous collectivegraves to the becomes purity are strongly very marked. The image people bodies of the of murdered during 12 11 10 9 8 empire. is related to its power to objectify, to reduce world the to undifferentiated matter. work from 1930sthat the (what he saw as) satanic the quality ideology of Bolshevik the contemporary writers and thinkers have associated communism with demonic powers. bolshevism fromexiles, first the part the of novel is butthedark power of chaos. Numerous Juxtaposed with sacred,the whiter-than-snow, of idea homelandthe of journeying the it the significance of a pilgrimage, implies a symbolic thepurityit implies in aim significance the journey. the of of a pilgrimage, a symbolic his own distant destination”allegorical (113,120).The representation travel,of which lends dying on repatriate the Baryka, train, “a pilgrimSeweryn himself who had had to abandon atalso other moments narratorthe of journey: the term the “the uses two travelers”; he calls mother is represented ina similar manner). Subtle allusions to the religious sphere appear Saint Alexius lends hagiographic character to the (Cezary’s Baryka description of Seweryn stairs where during legend he was day” allowed the to rest allusion (105).Thisof to the Kharkov “had repeated attacks of sickliness” and hole ina cubby “hadunder to lie some chronicler of journey, the notes, father the awaited who repatriate the train for weeks in possibility of interpreting problem the which is central to my reading. As narrator, the the acquires its form, most transparency, perfect Baryka. of half-mad tale Seweryn the inthe distinctive feature of future the Polish system political is modern to be cleanliness, which forbecomes a synecdoche entire the Empire over taken by revolution. the broader significance to this image one couldsay that Baku, marked decay,bodily with “openthe maw” of decks and the “the excrement of Russia” (42).If one gives a slightly ofat speaks ships the with emigrants departing the Baryka from port, Black the Sea

Żeromski would surely agree with Marian Zdziechowski’s thesis expressed inhis Travel to Poland, engages in Baryka his fantastic when Seweryn visions, opens another Thisvision withtheis dream juxtaposed of Polandwith houses made glass. of The Purity, Dirt,andtheChaosofRevolution … Pawłowski S. Żeromski, Spring, TheComingof trans. Johnston, Bill CEU Press, 2007. Z.J. Adamczyk, i legenda. Prawda Oficyna Przedwiośnie. Wydawnicza GiP, Poznań, 2001, 51. Cracow, 1993; discussion ofthetext: E.Pogonowska, Antychrysta, Armia 139. M. Zdziechowski, przyszłości,” inhis: Wybór“Widmo Pism,ed. M.Zaczyński, Znak, poezjiw antybolszewickiej polskiej lat1917-1932, Wydawnictwo UMCS, Lublin, 2002. E.Pogonowska, “Armia Antychrysta,” in: DzikieBiesy. RosjiSowieckiej Wizja peregrynacje.” obraz/terytoria, Gdańsk, 1996; especially “Wprowadzenie”chapter, andfirst “Alegoryczne A. Wieczorkiewicz, 8 In account the of events the inBaku, descriptions bring which im- to mind Wędrowcy fikcyjnych światów.rycerz, włóczęga, Pielgrzym, słowo/ revolution has its intense 9 Staring 12 11 10

137 138 into arsenals of live bombs,” of world the threatened upheaval, by social “kitchens inwhich and pantries change clear of events echoes those prose inthe of first the half the 1920s. of The experience riots bloody inCracow inNovemberescalation to the led 1923.It is difficult to find disappeared with demise. their ferment of History, brought which down three great empires, and most likely has not possibility of establishing cultural new forms. The statenew emergesthanks to the as forcestart the of lack original the of differentiation preceding and conditioningthe role. Perhaps, however, chaos the of upheaval was present state new inthe from the wars the between wind or (the contagiousperiod emphasize disease) its transgressive its decomposition. The metaphors the of revolutionpopular beginning the theat of state,new bringing with it miasma the of deteriorating the Empire and germs the of and prohibitions of absolute borders. Imperceptibly it penetrates interior the of the tormenting collectivity. new the grounds very arethose threatened. grounds life with rituals of or social of ideas purity and pollution may suggest that 16 15 14 13 is characteristic of societies without a crystallized, stable order.is characteristic without of societies a crystallized, proofis infact of The weakness the oftowardtendency rules. the the absoluterules statusthe of absolute commands and prohibitions. The introduction of super-rules lines norms the these defining a givenbecome morallysanctionedsociety and acquire orrespect disrespectfor often which the rules the signifies breaking along of a taboo: foggy Warsawfoggy inHilary, buchaltera, syn to euphemistically seems subdue, muffle, the present prose lyrical inthe of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, although melancholy the aura of rules of communityrules living. role of a super-guard structure, creating of social the a simplified fundamental code of but for also establishing inner the order of state. new the question about symbolic the meaning of impurity, not only for establishing boundaries, realitythe of Poland new the ina naturalist way, inits literal dimension, provokes the farm, and from Jewish the “trash heaps, gutters, and sewers” at shown Nalewki. Dirt in text. Terrible exudesfrom dirt descriptions the of “peasant pariahs” Chłodek inthe areon earth your houses of glass” (126).Similar images appear later inthe of parts the ofeasternrepeatswith mud-flooded view disenchantment: the town,Baryka “where

Ibid. Between 1918-1923, a waveBetween of demonstrations and eruptedstrikes in Poland. Their The titleThe thirdtheŻeromski’s of part of novel is an expression the of phantasms In Mary Douglas’ theory, the opposition purity between and impurity performs the The crossing theof Polishborder must lead to disillusionment. Disappointed theby Texts andtheBody the strangersee: E. Pogonowska, “Armia Antychrysta,” 132. time. For comments abouttheelusiveness and phantasmaticoftheimages character of I am interested here in thetitlemetaphorwaspopular andresonant which only atthe M. Douglas, andDanger; the chapter Lines” Purity “Internal to thistopic. isdevoted K.H. Rostworowski, Antychryst. Tragedia w 3 aktach, Wydawnictwo Polskie, Lviv, 1925, 101. 13 16 Pure or repulsive, accepted or ruthlessly condemned, penetrates into literature as an undefined anxiety. It is 15 “The “The fromWind East”the ignoresthe commands 14 And to fortify the And to fortify of nobility, the clearly resembles a landowner’s mansion. realities emerge. The manor againstwhichthethe symbolrise, animalspower the of of realthe sense threat a universalizing form of parable, the outlines of typical Polish Władysław Reymont’s novel Bunt zwierząt [Animal Mutiny], attempts which to give 20 19 18 17 revolutionary anxieties, makingpresent them only form inthe of vague allusion. myth of Jakub Szela. fear animates phantasmsthe also of peasant bloody the uprising and anti-nationalthe compositional and that logic fact the praise the of beauty the of life on land the is cou- presence of most this, impressive, of novel the section is not justified the by novel’s by ambivalence. Among most the important of difficulties those a coherent reading and its historical and historical-literary interpretation is marked important problems of reality the of early the 1920sremains unclear. “Nawłoć” escapes events. The significance this of move in a novel which attempts to represent the most authorthe moves actionto a landowner’s the manor of located on great periphery the tained “deadly” inthe of style reports from front. the In of second the part text, the impurity is present where it would least expected. be regulate reality and disrupting cohesion the of novelistic narration. In Przedwiośnie impure, tainted the with chaos, may anywhere, revealed be violating which rules the of “Szklane domy.”border, This however, not does protectfrom internaldanger. The ing collectiveidentity. new the The creation theborder symbolicof sense the determines

The war of 1920 is representedŻeromski’s in novel by a mere episodes, mainfew - “Nawłoć,” oranxiety The first part ofPrzedwiośnie Purity, Dirt,andtheChaosofRevolution … Pawłowski 1975, 16; firstedition in1923. [trans, KM]) bridge. J. A dead-end road.” Iwaszkiewicz, buchaltera, syn Hilary ( Czytelnik, Warsaw, drowns ofpalelampswhenthefog exittoward themandtheonly anxiety thebroken down Nowywandering Świat, Długa, Nalewki, Chmielna, andMarszałkowska. The of any horizon, theblackhumanmasses[emphasis mine, of dreams thoseuneasy Ł.P.] homesteads, theroaming ofthecrowds inthebrown confinement withnoexpansion “All of Warsaw inthefog, inthefog. on thegreat itselfdespairingly draping The fall anallusioniscontained,Such example, for inoneofthecityscape: ofthedescriptions (Czytelnik, Żeromskiego Stefana Warsaw,“Przedwiośnie” 1965). (Państwowe Zakłady Wydawnictw Szkolnych, Warsaw, Markiewicz’s 1971)andHenryk Żeromskiego Stefana these difficulties:emphasize Artur Hutnikiewicz’s Przedwiośnie Two textsrelated to the novel, mostpopular critical editions, had bothofwhich several J. Mortkowicz,aktach ( Warsaw, 1923). case alsointhe worksThat isthe Żeromski,by for exampleTuroń. Dramat w trzech Polish imagination. KM]) seemsstereotypical,The description usingimages strongly embedded inthe snakes.” (W. Reymont, Bunt, Fronda, Warszawa, 2004, 10; firstedition 1924. [trans. mistress inherhands, withdolls andtwo redlike dachshundsappeared wriggling ran infrom missus her rooms,“The the came witha rifle,young master the young 19 points to the most important mechanisms of construct- 18 The power The social the of 20 are: that fact the the , this , this 17 In In

139 140 worked as a tutor at manors the Oleśnica, and inSzulmierz, Łysowo. imagethe of world the of from landed the gentry his memories of he when time the was improbable at time. the As demonstrates, he further Żeromski must have taken As Artur Hutnikiewicz argues, existence the of Nawłoć the arcadia, of a land plenty, Przedwiośnie “a weed,” is which frequently fact the emphasized by readers post-1945 of novel). the pled with a sharp critique of Old (the landedPolish the gentry word “nawłoć” means 25 24 23 22 21 is an attempt to develop two interpretive those clues. to what is differentthis in world,perhaps unconsciously revealed. My belowanalysis as it brackets or image undermines idyllic the of world the of Nawłoć, it opens text the are no longer naïve the inhabitants of of instinctual sanctuary this Polishness. Nawłoć is a conscious reference to Soplicowo, archetypical the of model Polishness. nationalmythology is strongly mythology. connected to the The world of manorial of characters the a subtly reflective character, an awareness their of role ofpart Przedwiośnie The 20 familiar to the author, suggests a historical reading of that model. lifted alreadyup her diminutive little nightshirt” (170). a description “enjoying of Cezary the sight of young this beauty in her undress” as “she morning,the informal attire, of subtle full so eroticism, inŻeromski’s work turns into ceptible in“Nawłoć.”fromscene The Pan Tadeusz Tadeuszwhen wearing Zosia sees imitate original. the A play with convention and its ironic overstatement per is very

“Nawłoć” not does also fitthe formula theof realistic novel if,the incase of Such parodic repetition, situates which a traditional inan model updated context Texts andtheBody ironically, itwould bedifficult to agree withit. romans, Wydawnictwo DANTE, Cracow, 2005, 117). Ifthe phrasewasnotused interpretations of thenovel (“Polska, wieczny romans Żeromskiego” in: Polska, wieczny aboutthe Polishness” Gawin writes Dariusz “instinctual ofNawłoć inone ofthelatest stranger to theawareness ofstylization, mask, androle. of theFrench dehotel, maitre Maciejunio isno would which suggest thatthekindly a character. such performs only For example, inone ofthesceneswe seehiminthehat faithful masters’ servant, themaster ofceremonies modeledon Wojski, orwhetherhe One couldspeculate, example, for the silentMaciejunio isreally whetherthealways ofSoplicowo.the world qualities are signaledmuch andappearnotto violatetheessential core more of subtly also Mickiewicz’s oftheculture description ofPolish gentry. Yet inPan Tadeusz those I amaware permeates oftheironical,which quality Obviously andstylized historical , Żeromskiego Stefana 12-14). (“Przedwiośnie” attendsto theNawłoć-Soplicowo parallel closely Markiewicz like in hisreverie Tadeusz inthecountry.” his arrival after Soplica 169)Heryk wasinterrupted Baryka explicit(“Cezary references inthetextareSuch very A. Żeromskiego, Hutnikiewicz, Stefana 47-8. Przedwiośnie th centurycopy of 19 the , we establish reality the of of beginning the 1920sas criterion. the the seems to have seems double significance. with, givesit some To begin th centurySoplicowo, however, refuses to faithfully 23 21 Irony second inthe Żeromski’s private 24 , so that, so they 25 Then, 22 -

thinking would a totalthinking denaturalization be of order hierarchical the social of Nawłoć a type of knowledge or art one can master. Theultimate consequence of such a way of “perchance,” and “utterly,” Jędrek (even ifnot consciously) fully posits lordliness as Fond of repeating words by used people from spheres, higher the such as “relatively,” with officers, the from has his service outgrown the in role assigned to him Nawłoć. spherethe of awoken newly the aspirations of stable-boy the who, upon returning one may assume, admiration. is here Such not of a sign servile reading would ignore gesture, inhis tone of voice and smile, he imitates young the master Hipolit. Imitation, he returned from army, the Jędrek stable-boy the came down with lordliness. In each he parades around “skirt” ina priestly instead of cassock” a “full-length (244).Since French songs and fondly reminisces about At his visit inOdolany to Paris. ball the cultural form related to it, in other words, displaced. Father Anastazy croons frivolous of what should remain hidden. of stability anda sense is continually threatened with disillusionment and exposure entation of lives the of place takes on gentry the a wobbly stage not does which offer otherthe sideof ebullient the life of Nawłoć the arcadia. It appears that grand the pres- suggest that of experience instabilitythe the and uncertainty of world the constitutes suddenly introducing a dramatic and menacing tone. The descriptions themayof falls down wheels of equipagethe to disrupt seems anecdotalthe character of account,the balance, displacement the of characters. the The “spasmodic” motion the of slowing descriptionsboth narrator the strongly emphasizes moment the of throwing the off back of britzka,” the Miss Karolina process inthe her exposing underwear (198).In ment she and priest the had tumbled from swinging the seat straight into empty the makes priestthe and Karusia offbenchthe fall ina britzka: “In a synchronized move- as iffromejected a slingshot” dash of (144).A sudden horses the urged with a whip overturning of equipage: the “its spun wheels convulsively, travelers the while were scriptions Already falls. Baryka’s of spectacular arrival in Nawłoć is marked by the strong horses of to a ball Polish the gentry!” (245). “What words joy the of can describe healthy young people by taken being devilish of world.experience the An autobiographical confession finds its way intothe novel: of author, the narrator the not does want to lag characters the behind ecstatic intheir on horseback, up take many pages of novel. the Drawing on youthful the memories with horses’ the gallop. The dynamicscenes ridingtheof britzka,thecabriolet, and lends Przedwiośnie, well established and safely safeguarded” (156)–suggests only empty stylization. In conviction in“Nawłoć” inspireswhich ontological In trust. inits Soplicowo is still place. A similar everything customs with epithet the “the last.” Mickiewicz’s however, epos, world the describes still inPannized Tadeusz, author whose concludes descriptions the of characters and In Nawłoć one encounters many role characters of and social dispossessed their the As important, or evenmore important, are thanof scenes rides the wild de- the The end the long-lastingof paradigm culturethe of the of nobility is firstrecog- Purity, Dirt,andtheChaosofRevolution … Pawłowski Pan Tadeusz the world of noble arcadia lacks the static and unchangeable form which its epic majesty. Instead, the world may symbolically be represented stated stated expressis verbis expressis –“Here, was inits place, everything

141 142 of Nawłoć the arcadia contains a fundamental lack, it cannot evoke atmosphere the of inscrutable to the inhabitants of manor the house ashe when first arrived. The world opposite: is exact the ation he when is leaving, with Baryka as he strange seems and sive nightmarish visions. They theappear in text as interior monologues: foresees,dangerous, very as Baryka for it a subversive carries revolutionary potential. traditionally on into birth based position the of privilege. Jędrek’s comic behavior is, something hiding under cover the of apparently “quiet symbolism.” resemble hallucinations, ifwe understand after them, Kristeva, Julia as signsobscure of familiar and objects spacesreveal a new and different nature.Baryka’s bad premonitions impaired. have They a ghostly quality dreamof a waking which in well-knownpeople, thoughtin deep or alcoholic stupor, commonsense the when perception of reality is imagesThose return the at momentsthewhen protagonistseparated is formthe world: They arethecatastrophicvisible in also alcoholic made in speeches stupor: 28 27 26 Judge’s house quickly acquired/customs The that inspired.” place the very in Nawłoć. undesirable of reality), aspects one then has to admit that was goal not this achieved related to hospitality is to destroy stranger’s the “evil eye” (perhaps capable of the seeing untenable. Two hypotheses may support latter the reading. of Nawłoć? The former interpretationsthese of seems entirely obvious;thelatter notso able is infact experiences to see danger deadly the really which exists world idyllic inthe only source of disturbing the images? Perhaps newcomer, the marked by traumatic the other terms, is Cezary’s memory, his psyche wounded by cruelty the of revolution the the disturbing phantasms: that of subject the or that of surrounding the world? To put it in

The premonition tragedythe of the of Nawłoć manorwith - obses tormentsCezary If, as Arnold van argues Gennep inRites of Passage, aim of primary the rituals the It is worth question, the posing symbolic which then, order is disrupted by the garden and cut your off head with an ax.” (156) and Wojciunio, Szymek and Walek, and eventhat Józio drag you –Józio! out –they’ll into the for of sake the a few silver same spoons, people, those me, believe same the people, Maciejunio on“Be your guard, my Keep friend! your eyesopen! For that silver cigarette of case yours alone, He put his arm around Hipolit embrace ina drunken and whisperedearnestly inhis ear: inaccessible and mysterious to the crowd than church the inNawłoć?” (176-7) there, what there is inthat drawing room, of middle inthe old the manor house that’s more Is he capable of letting of poor in the surroundingthe what’s see can finally they so villages in young the to grab master by throat the and smash gob, himinthe alternatively mug? inthe When abominablethe will day come Jędrek this when thefind courage will theand strength Texts andtheBody York, 2000, 14. A. Mickiewicz, Pan Tadeusz, trans. KennethR. Mackenzie, Hippocrene Books, New A. vanGennep, Rites Passage, of Press; OfChicago University edition, Reprint 1961, 27. Julia Kristeva, Theof Horror.Powers 27 In Mickiewicz’s or “kin stranger, epos, he that stayed awhile/ Within the 26 28 The situ- 29 tainty. apparent idyll, about world summery the and its underlying annihilation and uncer bottom. have They written thedark on feelingswhichthe hideunder surface theof of articlesand on novel books the have pointed out that fact the Nawłoć has a second enters element the chaos, signifying of History, present is which also here. Authors Throughthe cracks and gaps this of world thebased unstable,on movingground, of Nawłoć is an impure myth, or, to use a very contemporary term,a perforated myth. attempts vehement the to hide present of ofSoplicowo beginning the 1920s.The the but others also inNawłoć. Yet voices openly. them only Baryka that premonitions bad the affected not theonly strangerthewhowitnessed revolution transferred onto his brother Anastazy) into anachronism. a pernicious One suspects of people like him(Hipolit’s outburst of anger verging on aggression immediately gets fortune felt pressure the of forces the of History, transform which himand class the in relation visitor to the from revolutionary Russia. It Nawłoć is as heir ifthe to the detested class departing of land owners, to reveal seem Hipolit’s feeling of inferiority term borrowed propaganda, from Bolshevik the “we’re bourgeois,” implies which the He with refusesuswe’re to drink because bourgeois and he’s a big Bolshevik” (265). out of revolution: the “He despises us. I know it, and there is nothing more to be said. relation to the guest is who now considered representative the of forces new the born ever, is no longer of patronizingthe full so arrogance and complex betrays a deep in behaviorThe samethe of Hipolit Wielowiejski the endat Odolanythe of ball, how - you fancy, but only on condition that you don’t make yourself ridiculous” look (214). among ideals of servants “statesocial the the of Nawłoć”: “Here you can doanything absurd.also As Hipolit says cautioning when about his friend desire the to realize his “blague,” relations light inthe which, of social of Nawłoć, not seems only exotic but to know about real the lives of working the people –as a type of Tolstoyan or communist tolerance. They regard his“bolshevism” theslogans radical – he promotes,the desire protagonist’sthe obsession. annul hispremonitions. bad We cannot claim, that then, are those merely of sign the half-Russifiedthe countryman in the realm of apparently instinctual Polishness, nor Soplicowo; spring in the of independence, Nawłoć cannot find space forthe strange, symbolic order, or world the of human life and action,from or semiotic, the sphere the Kristeva, Paweł Leszkowicz comments on dividing of fragility the the boundary the Chadwick: ikonografia podmiotowości, drawing inspiration from work the of Julia to develop suggestions these further.

What is the social order of Nawłoć, then? I believe it is a cultural cliché, which What order it is a cultural is social of the Nawłoć, I believe then? Bolshevik”The“big phrases and “he despises us”withthe negativejuxtaposed The inhabitants the of manor seem to treat the strangeness the guestof with gentle In on his British book the artist, photographer and author of installations, Helen Purity, Dirt,andtheChaosofRevolution … Pawłowski Polska 124. wiecznyromans…, w świetle dyskusji i polemik z 1925roku, WSP, Kielce, 1988, 52; the second by D. Gawin, isusedThe firstofthose terms by Z. Żeromskiego Stefana inPrzedwiośnie J. Adamczyk 29 A radical change contextin the of interpretation of Przedwiośnie would allow -

143 144 of rupture of symbolic the structure, it when opens to the irrational and sensual. the “the between boundary amorphous interior” and “the normative exterior,” momentsthe related to it.” constitutes ground the both and reverse the of symbolic the order and visuality the semiotichewiththethe defines metaphor of sensual lining “the the of worldwhich work “Chocolate,” Leszkowicz points to “the dark of modality subject the and reality”; of primary, uncontrolled drives. In his suggestive interpretations, among others, of the 33 32 31 30 to sound antiquated. way back. worldthe of Nawłoć and his stay at farm is but Chłodek the an episode, a stop on his “strangethe between visitor” (321) and manorthe inhabitants. has to leave Baryka narrator’s description suggests, disgust. transformsgirl from erotic the to the traumatic. It to arouse begins terror, and, as the and touched Seen by Cezary, is ofwho poisoned beautiful bybody the the a rival. ing and archetypal inthe solid haven of Polishness. instability and chaos, author the to argue, seems are hiddeneveninwhat is most last- andfragility uncertainty of world the afterseemingly distant) (the revolution. The manor right, the suggestiveto a landowners’ inflection. “Nawłoć” theof is a record ently only context the of of beginning the 1920scan the give about story the a visit in entreaty to the love relationships of characters. the Although problem the of eroticism banquets end should which instammering, cacophony. drunken unify replaced at in Odolany ball the with Cossack’sthe “Russki wild dance” (166, 264). The polonaise, inPan Tadeusz Mickiewicz’s in“Nawłoć” epos, becomes a mad attack of “the soviet”; poultry stately the powerfully fixed in national mythology. scene The offeeding poultry, famous from ofsurface text the and mark it with inscriptions, attacking icons the and signs most The itrepressed undergoes a semiotization. babblethechaos, of history, rise to the emphasizes symbolic, the culturally fixed character the of Soplicowo,Nawłoć the more conjoined instincts of death and desire to History, eroticism is inseparable from powers the of The inseparably destruction.

Przedwiośnie “Nawłoć” is not anachronistic inrelation other of parts novel. the to the Appar After Karolina’s death, an unsurpassableborder estrangementof hostile is created Little also is left of Mickiewicz’s simple us love“Let one other,” if we applythis We can find such moments in also “Nawłoć.” Paradoxically,the morethe author Texts andtheBody memory ofLaura’s inOdolany. atthe ball memory withBaryka secret tryst whose blatanteroticism hiddenby isbarely thepoeticfigleaf, asin theabovementioned to thereader, pointing outthefootnote It isworth ofthetext butalsootherfragments , Żeromskiego Stefana ofNawłoć (“Przedwiośnie” world 14). wroteabout Markiewicz passions”“the tangleofelemental andbrutal Henryk inthe Ibid. 133-8; ofa passage a paraphrase from page 137. Paweł Leszkowicz, Helen Chadwick, 188. 30 The author interestedparticularly is the in fluidity permeability or the of is not concern the of essay, this it is worth pointing out, that, similar 33 Their escalation maybe foundscenethe in of Karolina’s death, a symbol of distinction anda symbol stability form, of is a cultural 32 pulsate under cover the of narration stylized 31 - character norms of and inner the social prohibitions? and (im)permissible in “welcomingthe discourse” of state new the translate into the Poland. How establishing does bolshevism as outer the border of (un)acceptable the mechanismthis for shaping the of world vision the of independent innewly social the to repressing revolutionary the abject, it is worth asking about consequences the of acceptance.of social reader,to the himoutside to place border the or to move himbeyond boundary the inhis power to makeeverything sympathizer this of world revolt as hideous as possible figure,that is represented of the communist. Lulek, by a legible The narratordoes 36 35 34 with revolutionary the abject from interpretation new the of reality? What is considered tutes itself. disgust and removed outside frame the of order the of I or the Us thus which consti- repressionto the of abject:dark the sphere semiotic of subjectivity is marked by life and literaturesocial at of beginning the 1920s. the space for reflectionŻeromski’s on work and, more broadly, the on relationbetween of novel the inspired by anthropology the of impurity is intended as an opening of

If ordering the and of purifying symbolic the spaceof state new the was related The discovery Thethe discovery of strangenesswithin oneself is connected in Kristeva’s theory Such interpretative thesis provokes questions. several My reading of twothe parts Purity, Dirt,andtheChaosofRevolution … Pawłowski a much broader literary legacy from legacy thatperiod.a much broader literary (Książka, Warsaw, 1921). selectedexamplesfrom merely These titlesare obviously collectionRepublika demokratyczna story inhisshort the communist Rudnicki Lucjan Polandnew from one; a perspective otherthantheanti-Bolshevik thisisoffered by publishedin1930).was only Itwould bealsointeresting to look atthebeginningof J.Księgarnia Czarneckiego, Cracow, 1930; inmid-1920s, thenovel waswritten but by Stefania Tatarówna, losowi, a socialist from thePolish Party (Przeciw Socialist represents theposition ofthenationaland, democrats on theotherhand, inthenovel Polska,”“Biblioteka Warsaw, 1921; Noc i świt , Polska,”“Biblioteka Warsaw, 1925)who iswell definedinthenovels reality by Józef (Cudnoi ziemiacudeńska,Weyssenhoff 1925). differences ofthetimeways The influenceofthe political onthe perceiving lives inthe first years ofnew Poland (Wyzwolenie, Św. Księgarnia Wojciecha, Poznań, everyday aboutthe sketches Bartkiewicz’s andfictionalized stories collectionofshort Choynowski, Domw śródmieściu (Gebethnerand Wolf, Warsaw, 1923)andZbigniew Nałkowska, thelesswell-known prose isinteresting inthiscontext. The novel Piotr by Generał by Barcz JuliuszKaden-Bandrowski andRomansTeresy by Hennert Zofia Pokolenie fromnovels of1918-1925—Przedwiośnie, MarkaApart Świdy, thecanonical 1997, 63. codzienności., O teorii socjologicznej Pierr’a Bourdieau PAN, Wydawnictwo IFiS Warsaw, in that order” ofparticipation the borders order ofthenew andrules inherbook Iluzje introduces theideaof Jacyno Małgorzata “the welcoming discourse” which “establishes is insidethesubject” i wilkołak…,” (“Leworęczna esp. 151-5). Urbanowicz, on focuses which “the gesture ofremoving outsidethestrangerwhoin fact Sugiera’a work by Teresais Małgorzata to theplay devoted Wijuny Lubkiewicz- and “…Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi.” uses ofthetheory Oneoftheliterary-historical J. Kristeva, Theof Horror, thechapters Powers especially “Approaching Abjection” 35 Here I can only remark that third of inthe part novel the revolution the 36 34 What gets removed together

145 146 the problemsthe interesting above signaled carry interpretive potential. reality involves dynamic the change of social or lack the of such dynamic. I believe as capableof and society the its of whether representation starting a revolution; of or not does time the does recognize dangerous, the underprivileged section socially idiomthe discourse? Onereflect ofthe couldwhether literature also on Bolshevik of Texts andtheBody Translation: Krystyna Mazur 3 2 1 imposes a certain character on our before senses reach they our mind.” source of cognition, “Stereotype precedes using mind; the it is a form of perception which and communication with it, keeping inmind that stereotypes should not only the be Research on stereotypes proves how important are they for comprehension of worldthe for price the of considerable simplification.” to clearly them uses which mark borders the of own their and others’ the identity, even “a stranger/thebeing other”: “their [stereotypes] presence is validated by community the munity. As functioning one matrices a result, to conform to generally infear needs of unconditional imposition of one com behaviour- and activity pattern on a particular helps us obtain general appreciation. other Onthe hand, stereotyping means also the savesthinking us from making an intellectual effort. It integratesgroup withtheus and plains phenomenon this from two differentthe perspectives. On one hand, conventional common (evenifit’s erroneous) certainly and view reception of images- embed firmly conceptualize world, the including own their emotions and beliefs. relation communitythe between and individual;the it helps also people categorize and

Literature that perpetuates stereotypes is not literature. bad It rather refers to the net definingthe dynamics the of of a cognitive is, therefore, a type A stereotype of AnnaNasiłowskaandManuelaGretkowska Stereotypes ofMaternityinProse Works Jeannette Sl Ibid. 23-34. Teorii 2003no2.Przestrzeń 23. B. Tokarz. –Profiling:“Creator –Stereotype i.e., Reality,” Alternative Literary Toruń 1993. 21. Functions,” MythsandStereotypes, [in:]Among ed. K. Borowczyk, P. Pewelczyk, Poznań/ W. LippmannOpinion, Public D. after: Piontek “Stereotype: Genesis, Features, ab y 2 3 1 Psychology ex-

147 148 very utterance.very ing components of recipient’s the knowledge –condition positive the influence the of sphere inthe also of presupposed meanings: i.e., assumed to be known and- –be which “units that locate themselves not only inside or outside of act the communication, but its participation communication. inliterary In stereotypes sense, this treated can be as underlines theory This probablythe most important feature of stereotype inliterature: stereotype which results in exhibiting moment very the of schematic creation. thinking This coversterm activities all the of author aimed ridiculing pointingat and to it a given from his or her books. mula, only replacing name the of Flaubert’s heroine with names of subsequent characters and decipherization. relation stereotype between and literature stabilization, on isthree rules: based creation, betterit known seem or familiar, and it safer. so seems According to Zofia Mitosek,the consciousness. social inthe ded Stereotypes order our world and effectively, makethey 8 7 6 5 4 customs ( customs – presenting culture related behaviour or finally,the in sphere ritualsof (sacrum linguistic – sayings, idioms; –formin literary the of themes, plots, and styles; iconic proximity to rhetorical This activities. meansthat stereotypes takeoften various forms: reotype inliterature considered be couldthought also of a figure which underlines its characters.” reader” and that it concerns a situation of “identification theof recipientwith fictional means “adapting images literary indescriptions of that experiences are to the close It happen it iswhether uncertain will at As all. Mitosek explains, creation of a stereotype to Kamila Budrowska, however, it has not place taken yet inPolish literature since 1989. culture: novels, criminal Harlequin romances, etc. is how it is.” This phenomenon is most often encountered in popularreadings of mass convictiontheir that world the not from does from differ books their the world:real “It a given work not will have any doubts. Moreover, stereotype stabilization preserve will of objective the distance, of a recipient to lack subject. Due knowledge about a given across not will question anything. It summarize for and will describe reader the his own treat it as a borderline phenomenon humanities, inthe similarly to myth or topos. category.is not a literary It Tokarz’s Bożena is least the risky to follow definition and

Thelast to note method existence of stereotypes inliterature is its decipherization. Another possibility of stereotype’s existence inliterature is its creation. According Since Zofia Mitosek’s publication, it haswhether notbeen clarified stereotype is or Texts andtheBody Ibid., 25. B. Tokarz Creator –Stereotype…22. no 2. 68. G. Grochowski. –Communication –Literature,”Teorii“Stereotypes ”2003 Przestrzeń Ibid. 180-181. 1974. 174-190. Z. MitosekLiterature and Stereotypes , Narodowy Zakład im. Ossolińskich, Wrocław profanum 5 Put simply, it means that reader the would “I am the use for Mrs. Bovary” 6 ). 4 8 The first stabilizationthem – of means – that a stereotype we come ) and 7 Ste - - to natural, animal behaviour:for instance, hunting the to natural, instinct). instinct is rooted animal inthe world term“instinct” very (the inmost refers cases passiveness of child, the although mother the is not mentioned either. language’son a given grammar. born” In English, form the “I was indicates a certain noticed a paradox inperceiving issue this from of perspective the one’snoticed a paradox status: social 12 11 10 9 Emile siderably late starting date –the 1762publication to the set of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s BadinterElisabeth pointed to the that fact myth the of maternity was constructed con- to be resolved. In her analysis and ofcultural approach social to this problem inFrance, maternal the called instinct. that fact the maternity entirely will remodel life the she far. has so led This awareness is risk of the 35, when afterbirth complications is higher. The needsmother to be aware of forced to reproduction. girl the of natural the not urge perceivedwill be as of a part life and omnipresent nature that formulates and applies its Paradoxically, own rules. pregnancy girl of a nine-year-old an acceptable –such as age the boundary limit – in order a mother. to become Nature that inits stereotypical, common meaning, nature not does spiritual need preparation, and hormonal readiness often not does coincidewith mental maturity. seems, It however, any has who girl already had a period can become a mother, although physiological the enough to handle difficulties related with maternity. From thepoint biological view, of the child isthe introduced as an active subject of event the here [inPolish –przyp. tłum.]indicates complete independence of child at the its – birth on…” (“Urodziłam siędnia…”). Bogusława Budrowska writes that active the form used child is the most important.rule: ability to reproduce. Here, stereotypes with linked her maternity are formed around one about maternity without context social the mother the inwhich exits by means of her (women’s (war) or social a political emancipation) situation. It is impossible to speak on mother’s the role, her rights and duties. This image often changes as it is shaped by

From of perspective the today’s research, problemthe of maternalthe instinct seems The age giveswhocrucial of a mother firstthe after to her also age is child birth of Another stereotype places future the mother is ofwho adult ina position a person This thoughtThis already is presentthe first in sentence of one’s biography, born “I was cultureIn there every is a stereotype of maternity:i.e., a group of commonplace views Stereotypes ofmaternityandattemptsto challengethem StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby Cf. B. Budrowska asa Turning Maternity Point in a Woman’s, Life Wrocław 2000. 379. Ibid. 19-20. Ibid. 20-21. Warsaw 1999. 992. “A thought conceived by…” Cf. Polish Language Dictionary, Vol.. 3 ed. M. Szymczak, It functions ina senseof “creating, conceiving” butinreference to inanimate nouns: –themother.delivery Today, isnotusedwithregards andmaternity. thisform to birth Formerly, there existed a form out of…,”“Born thesubjectof indicated which . 11 On the other Onthe hand, Macintyre Sally claims that any of evidence maternal the 9 . The structure obviously depends 12 Anna Nasiłowska 10

149 150 stereotypes of maternity are which worth looking at with more scrutiny. their decisiontheir about not having children. information about of infertility to accept more partners the seem Others than easily couplesmarried are frequently subject the of cross-questioning about offspring. their parents.the The orderseems obvious: first a wedding, then a child. Long-time childless maternity, of sense the having children on depends legitimate the relationship between people getthere when married is a baby” (P34). married” and Manuela when asks what for, answer the is, “For you to feel more secure, parents,through be scenario. this will they learn Piotr Once they quickly reacts,“Let’s get scheme: forearlier discussed child’s the Manuela good. Gretkowska and Piotr Pietucha go riage. The image of a pregnant –less stigmatizedbride –emphasizesandsocially less the woman tries to have a baby. woman to have tries aremarried not even subjectthe of such supposition and it is not if a single well seen womenmarried have or should have maternal the women instinct, while are who not 17 16 15 14 13 her to interrupt her education and career.” she snatched her job not without a difficulty and therecessive marketdoes not encourage tions.rolesocial The of a woman has changed irreversibly. “She is usually educated, well We are witnessing transformation of behaviour patterns and mother-child-father rela- A Book of the Beginning, A Book of ing about maternity works. literary discussed inthe In Anna Nasiłowska’s Domino mature and her angel-like character are an unchanging of- set clichés basic inthink used life.a new Budrowska writes, of remorse. full be The essence the of mother-angel is herselfto sacrifice sake the for of her child unconditionally. If she has a job and she so gets a helper, she should naturally fication patienceof and normal good. motherandtrue Every mustbe an angel and love

The reverse order the of above acceptable:also activities is first pregnancy, then mar Stereotypes of mother’s the passiveness, of need the her physically being and mentally she must on focus bringing up her child and resign from path the of or her modify career. ignore her and needs feel happy about it – therefore, “a masochist.” be In terms of her activities, to haveneeds and express only positive emotions toward her child. She must herself, sacrifice The role of a mother in cultureour narrowly is very defined. In terms of emotions,a mother Widespread opinions on maternity depict mother the figure as an angel-likepersoni - Texts andtheBody ”D”and ”KP.” Warsaw abbreviations: thefollowing 2002. inthetextafter be localized will Quotations A. Nasiłowska Domino. Treatise. onBirth Warsaw 1995; ed. A Book theBeginning, of (2438). 3. E. Winnicka B. Budrowska…382. Maternity M. Gretkowska Polka, Warsaw 2002. with localized “P.” Quotations A. Nasiłowska, “Nature ofSuffering,” asa Source Teksty 1993no4/6. Drugie 189. How One to Bring Upa Childduring Weekend?, “Polityka” 2004, no 6 17 and inManuela Gretkowska’s Polka 13 According to yet another stereotype Accordingconnected with to yet 16 14 there emerge also other and 15

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Jag är gravid är Jag erature: French magazines devoted to pregnancy and a Swedish two books, one entitled Manuela was pregnant.future The mother searching.keeps on She buys appropriate lit- is different,” fatherthe experienced refutes accusations of not havingearlier that realized to her closest person –Pola’s father already who has had two children. “Every pregnancy under “good advice” and helpful procedures. First, author the turns with her questions stereotypes of about thinking a nine-month unity of mother the and child, the hidden of signs that would prove normality of her state, Manuela Gretkowska comes across looking for others’ advice and penetrating various sources of knowledge. In her search that the addressee subordinates and confides her behaviour to a better-informed that addressee the subordinates and confidesbehaviour her to a better-informed “Advice, recommendations, permissions and bans the fill which up text…require it simply likes Manuela), and finally replieswith a kick in her stomach. two kilograms and child, the has who not kicking yet been (because, as Pietucha asserts, pregnancy and mother. the Gretkowska herself as normal see only will she when puts on mainlysurveillance, by imposed handbooks clearly enforcing objectivization of both much to overcome. Absurd make beliefs a pregnant woman feel that she’s under constant stitions womenwith. not decide to fight Fear relatedwiththe child’sseems too health Moreover, a specialist. to visit is of necessary enlightening super contain books a lot twenty day per times (and ifit didkick that often, shouldalso we consult it a doctor), as Manuala Gretkowska notices, is not considered so. Hence, not child does ifthe kick pregnancy state. thattwo normal extremes All these but, is should between called be The notion of normality is a combination pathology the of of pregnancy theand pre- The image of pregnancy emergingfrom the handbooks read the by author is terrifying. dle it:dle confronts omens with ill during prenatal the examination, she might not able be to han- schizophrenia. Voila, inschizophrenic patients’ breath butane” detected they (P70). air by exhaled pregnant women. Gretkowska comments on it, “I thought psychosis, so: Apart from that, maintain they that allegedly, “specific substances” were foundthe in and claim that “pregnant women attract mosquitoes temperature.” body with higher their could one from learn French them? magazines tell women to eat vegetables seven day per Bogusława Budrowska writes that such manuals promote persuasivethe strategy: I store my old (P122). unread books. thanwider choice the of names ina calendar…I throw guideinto where fridge the scary the veinlyme thrombosis, disease, (green) meconium, fibronectin, is selection The thalassaemia. child.the Week by possible enlistsissues all week, book the before we past ninth the month: resultsat of Good all. prenatal examination donot guarantee of health mother good the and I check my Pregnancy: clever book 40Subsequent Weeks. What next? The is child healthy…not These These are examplesthat mayeven make a young motherlaugh, butwhen a woman Polka’s Polka’s Maternity isnormal Stereotype I: StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby narrator is pregnant for first the time. Uncertain whatof happen,will she keeps I’m pregnant (I’m ) and a Polish manual Pregnancy: 40Subsequent Weeks. What -

151 152 authority.” 19 18 that decipher will “natural” maternity and related stereotypes. Anna Nasiłowska’s is hard ideal text: “The to stand.” Therefore, Domino Thelastsentence “This is yet – anotheract ofidealizationdeveloped – inis in history” gests that a woman from rescued can such be lynch ifshe is aware of manipulation: this that she is a bad mother cannot who caretake of her offspring. The author of only recommended the of pain, but are activities has she a source an also impression her baby but, above such all, “good” mother abuses herself: physically and mentally. Not – commandments of guidesthat the know better, a woman not only contact loses with subordinateswho kinds of recommendations. to all In attempt to follow –at any price she a participant. became The author unveilsthe process of objectivization of a mother making enough effort. samethe At time, she is distancedfrom the activities which of as ifshe was afraid of condemned being of or not accused strong-willed being or not In her description of above the incident, Nasiłowska avoids using first-person narration, women” –constructs her own list of pregnancy words of wisdom: she patience loses and – following examplethe of learntthe “prescriptions for pregnant Having read advice, the she: may orgasm to an lead and success the solely on depends her motivation” (D105). reads an American breast-feeding manual. She finds outthat pleasure of breast-feeding Anna Nasiłowska’s Domino, like a child, embarrassed by means purposefully of writing about “obvious things.” In consequences do not if they absorb provided information. A future mother is treated petent and ignorant. Theirknowledge is depreciated. scareHandbooks womenwith

Polka Polka of author The basis. This is yet another act of idealization inhistory. wish. every their better seems thanIt fulfilling civilization faultswhose concernthem on a daily insuccess believe who and unshaken happiness…They consider nature a good mother keenly same the but thing, I do about I knowwhat to think it.persuasion This is directed to people She would move hell but she doesn’t know where to find its doors. (D105-6) for a silent revolt against her ownand will persistently for looks gates the to the underground. breast. She But is in despair: I want it much! so she repeats. she blames So her subconscious her lumpy breasts. She has fever, stagnation milk The starts. child turns its head awayfrom the spends hours pulling out concave and already chapped nipples, evenat night she massages 2 1 Texts andtheBody indicated inbrackets). indicated one edition: A. Nasiłowska A Book theBeginning, of Warsaw 2002. (page numberare quotationsAll come from Domino: Treatise andA Book theBeginning on Birth in of B. Budrowska,… Maternity 251-252.

accurate version: plague the of mice. (My mum says is this 100%true). A person refuses to help who a pregnant woman or liesto her, have will luck. bad In a more A pregnant woman (but first is ineverything successful givingall, in of birth). 18 These expressions These arethe whyreason mothers increasinglyfeel incom- reacts ina similar way. Acquainted with numerous superstitions, we following the may observe situation: “A young mother looks likelooks a work Cities Cities (D 106) sug 19 -

Tarot. János asks Manuela: with a Hungarian publisher of Tarot. which is not to her revealed just of because In her sex. The author confessesthat there is “an obvious the experience of in maternitymystery” classification of herself as a womanwhoknows: with such interpretation roles. and of unambiguous the Sheescapes social sexual also is more, always she will know and how what Gretkowska to feel to do. not does agree in “continuing human the race” immediately –will and, recognizeexperience this what tained conviction that a woman –due to major involvement of and her body physiology forwhich years inaccessible has been to a mother and a child. Nasiłowska’s prose cultural uses images also of maternity to obtain support field inthe ing may evoke of emotions. a lot Furtherthat article,in this see we womanthe will in of readerthe by motherthe to move tries who emphasizing that ordinary breastfeed- – nothing counts. else picture of breastfeeding shows that it is most the important activity ina given moment rarely found inliterature. She constantly underlines significance their power.and The however, is conscious of that fact the she notes down flashes hitherto of experiences intimate that experiences entirely engage youngthe mother and her family. Thewriter, a joke difficult to survive is a method moments awaiting the test’s results. she has found herself in.Turning her fear of losing baby the afterthe prenatal test into semantic-logical constructions reveal her desire to keep distancethe toward situationthe tension literal between meanings of words and meanings expressed indirectly. Peculiar, that replaced could be by opposition: the irony/pathos. Gretkowska deliberately provokes In above the example, difference the thetwo itbetween is possible to see authors, one The stereotype of pregnancy as a natural process is developed theby incessantly main- “Hell,” “despair,” “revolt,” “gates to the underground” words –these feelings describe Pathetic expressions inDomino could just as pregnant well be and I would ask you how it is. it. It doesn’t matter that I’m a woman and should this natural, be with hormones. padded You to get to it… used – How another person inyou. it does feel This to carry be must amazing, I wouldn’t be able initiation. One day afterthe birthday. (P96) nipples, stretch emerge marks certainly will which like ritual scars resulting from femininity the for sure. A woman: someone whom I will not for be, sure. Despite ripping breasts with purple of womanhood (an abdomen?). I don’t feel more womanly someone I’m at A man: all. not, infrontI stand of shinbones, mirror: the a bulb. ribs, Pregnancy as a crowning achievement StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby 5 3 – Scary it is. – Scary – The obviousness the of is terrifying. mystery you– Do I can? think I don’t understand it either. I sometimes feel it, but I don’t understand In it China, is not allowed to sweep under a pregnant woman’s (P285) bed. evenmoreno seems 4,which absurd, but…) child withthe umbilical the cord (I don’t believe it, but I don’t do it due to the superstition Standing on tiptoes and lifting hands overthe head by womenlate in pregnancy may stifle serve as a means of building a distance toward of building a distance as a means serve Polka Polka she quotes her conversation

153 154 of maternity is not a question of a woman’s choice: in already gave and birth Obviously, partners. their pregnancy is not exclusive to the women “normal” is appropriate as far as it multiplied is also by of women experiences all who roles.and It social is mystical and illuminating. Bringing it down to earth and it calling only women). Shediscovers also that pregnancy is a phenomenon going far beyond sex ing obviousness, this Manuela Gretkowska to rely tries on others’ the (not experiences obviousness“The the of is a keymystery” notion for “the normality” of pregnancy. Fac- 21 20 in consent with feelings and of experiences an average woman state.” inthis foetus, listening, waiting for child’s the kicks and life. mystery the of Everything a new on weight, pissing, puking, pregnant but sex, love, also counting centimetres of the by critics as an example of a bookshowing “normality” is of “There putting pregnancy: And again, paradoxically, it is Manuela Gretkowska’s that pregnancy was perceived diary depicted ina manualbe like 40Days: Pregnancy Week by Week: goes aroundgoes nine-month the circle. of baby. the A pregnant woman, says Nasiłowska, has to unite life with everyday which of novel the about speaks difficulties the the on way to such subordinationsake the for a woman’s body, is perceived ina fairly stereotypical manner. However, main the character shocking?is so review ofreview Polka, of not pregnant being –there is something that else “normal.” be can also In her indicates that of within experience pregnancy the and pathology state the –between

Polka, In In Nevertheless, notion the of “normality” replaced by notion the of average” “being was me asked: who can I?Am I allowed? Is it her? Is it (D92) so? one say says who also no. yes, will I have not asked for been an opinion I want –whether it. It her to be my daughter. Fine.things These areserious to lettoo will. The them depend on good one wanted to fence a cloud sky. gliding inthe water Orto tie I haven’t chosen with a string. Obviously,left. the I prefer choice…out of helplessness….The choice? It’s laughable. It’s asif wherefield, a fragment truth on short legs stamps and minces. Three right,steps three steps about rightWhen the of choice, I hear free I’m embarrassed. Yes, a bit choice, the little this of a child creation. (P289) afterthe miracle theResurrection of and noli me tangere only, with a thought miracle the you can touch it ifyou can’t comprehend it. It’s impossible to understand. Noli me tangere Polka. I sometimes catch hold of Relic. What ofleg. ankle the her ejected it does matter that indescribable. An almost invisible cell, turning into an embryo, and now eight-month-old growing under one’s kicking heart, liver the –nothing more banal, pregnancy. everyday But is belly not of sensational a protruding at A child all. thattions a spectacle insuch a way The ordinary nature of a miracle (of conception)cunningthe is theof supernatural. func- It Texts andtheBody Cf. K. Budrowska. “Treatise on Maternity,” Artystyczno-Literacki 2001no4. Przegląd 83. K. Dunin. “Pretty Polka,” Nowa 2001no8. ResPublica 103. Domino, Domino, it is neither coincidental. It is a “destined” activity the experience of experience pregnancythe process as a physiological engages which Kinga why is surprised Dunin ordinarily this normality described 21 And subordination and totality of experience the which, paradoxically,which, cannot 20

accepted what had already happened. ment withabout news the pregnancy. women to have Both did not try a baby. They only to be Everythingseems else fact. this a coincidence. Perhaps, results this from astonish- which maintains subjectivity of a woman’s consent to maternity means to simply notice treats herself as a medium, not a driving force. Consequently, to decipher stereotypethe Something wished else a new human to come being to the world. In view, this a woman by something (fate, destiny, universe) the or someone Absolute (the else God). Being, somewhatpened beyond consciousness their and without consent. their It was decided It is visible that mothers both interpret state the of pregnant being as an hap which act - scared with “mystery,” the but after a shortshewhile to understandstarts its essence: why fragment this corresponds of with view Manuela the Gretkowska’s is who at first ably and unceasingly –women want children, bear they whether will it or not. This is of depriving mother the of her subjectivity is –this simply how it has to be. Unchange- otherOn the hand, author the defends of experience maternity the from accused being have a different“The miracle meaning: – of an birth replicationordinary the of matrix. Polka to give just birth, many like so women and “females” before her. least for now. There is ambivalence. Gretkowska simply doesn’t know,what it means before me” (P 35),says future the mother. There is no contentmentsentence.this in At categorizations, most. the “I will give to a child birth just many like so women and females maternalthe community. inscription of into her experience range the of other women’s demonstrates experiences firstthe thelast or whoone couldthat. do Such classification the of future mother and reminds a woman that getting pregnant not does make her and giving to a child birth woman should get of rid her individuality for of sake the “common the good”: child. the of pregnancy, namely pattern. replication the This meansthat of a pregnant a certain generationtween her sex, she belongs to and her state as well as a characteristic feature “normal”(every woman) and, additionally, aware she has to be of relationship the - be “normality” gets expanded. It woman is normal that every should give to a child birth treating maternity as “reproductiona stereotype of a matrix.” Here, the meaning of A similar sentence, although in a different tone,be uttered sentence,will althoughthe ina different by author of A similar “Reproduction of a matrix” scared Manuela Gretkowska, to avoid writer the tries who For maternity involves which is a phenomenon entire the society. This stereotype process is developed Theby previously idea of discussed pregnancy as a normal Maternity asreproductionofa matrix Stereotype II: horoscopes. What coincidence, necessity have and will free to do with it? (P48) earlier or never. It by calculated has universe, the been stars the that circulate and arrange in universe to emergence of anything new….Cosmic landing inmy uterus could place take much In most fucking doesn’t lead cases, to pregnancy. There be a mysteriousmust consent the of StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby during delivery. At moment, that very words the spoken out context inthe of pain

155 156 dren. Surprisingly, is place this the Manuela Gretkowska dreams about: where could enjoy they intimacy and their not bore others with stories their about chil- was greatest the value, are oftenevoked in order to isolate mothers, create a cosy corner an that observation stories the about matriarchal countries where women’s well being as of a means alienatingindirectly serves women life. from Thewriter social the made more and more that certain unceasing this unity with child and the with other mothers And a simple stroll city inthe becomes an illumination. authorthe also of words, these through thebecomesblessed a figure act of childbirth. fedbirth, and taught helpless those creatures human the speech” mother, (D94).Every were many so of and them each of had them a mother. These numerous mothers gave of civilization: “Today, into crowd, the I went people. between It’s unbelievable, there Domino ofbirth Domino the of her own death could which happen moment inthe of giving life. omnipresent nature “capable of tormenting someone to death.” She with is fear struck life comes and easily A new it’s to destroy easy it” (P338).The authorthe experiences 24 23 22 convenient grammatical form. Thisbecause is “naturecannot be in closed words.” from culture by also means of language as community their by cannot any described be work case this against of mother the child. are them Both and newborn the banished not dangerous. Sucking, rattling human and by swinging in experienced every being, properly the behind locked doors, performs rituals” its bodily rituals (D94).These are for a woman. A mother and her child become members of another “which secretly, tribe The main character in Domino and attesting nature.” However, betweenexperiencing as Bogusława Kaniewska is a difference adds, “There speech ofspeech doesn’t know a child who pronouns and points with its finger” (D96). What? This. That It. There. In thoughts which in writing look like helpless, mumbling rative: “When I try to talk about it, I keep stumbling. I can express it only in my thoughts. capability or inability to utter and feel “inflexibility” thelanguage of the in nar inscribed babythe “New-born.” is girl called What becomes important of a question is to evoke doesn’t need way” it, it this mine. she to remain I want (D104)).In is called Domino, among others, her daughters don’t have names (“My daughter doesn’t have a name. She Ibid. Anna Nasiłowska notices yet another of sense “civilization of mothers.” Anna Nasiłowska understands “replication of ina different a matrix” manner. The Nasiłowska’s character continuously fightswith imprecision of wordsthiswhy, – is lady crazystate. inthis (P74-5) Who understand will and support (push, push harder!) a pregnant woman better than another baby…Meetingsthe doctor, with a psychologist, conversations with other club members…. A room of (for scents, food good a child), a room with ultrasonography where you could see Texts andtheBody B. Kaniewska. a Yellow“Not Only Shirt,” 1996no1. Kultury Czas 88. K. Ruta-Rutkowska. aboutConditio Feminae,”“Questions Fraza narrator’s daughter make her notice women –by now, silent heroes 24 knows of fact a mother being that very the is alienating 1999no4. 137. 22 She is is She 23 - ing story: one day,ing story: having noticed visible the pregnancy of author, the in a caretaker Nova In her articlepublishedPublica inRes by an incident Manuela inwhich ina swimming-pool Gretkowska participated. possible best the state.pattern The of such approach to a pregnant womanillustrated is everyone’s whereas good, mother the is an institution to sustain serves which in good the the onethe hand, a continuum of “distrust”the toward words that we face in name would not ofwhy This make being. is a human the A Book Beginning Word created worldthe – other words are not able do that. An incidentally mentioned Her husband narrator’s the sees symbolic distrust toward words. He claims that one cycle withcycle consideration of subjectivity the of maternal the experience. is not Instead, disheartening to women. it outlook presents on natural the a fresh life itof of act Such inthe us birth. experienced interpretation of maternal the community alphabet” (D123-124). ter about my past. I’m readingbecause it difficulty written with it certain is a raw with to me – are lying in front of me, oceansthe I have and sailed I’m sailing. She still is a let- as little as my daughter“Well, once. to be Here, oceans of oblivion I had –returned makes one realizelife the force mysteriousness and consent to its and inexplicability. over all again, and without illusions. falsehood Itgives unnecessary strength to start Naked”Child. to “de-define” need the (D 115). Realizing the world brings consolation, Adam and Eve, one while of sentences the from Domino world that is unprepared for arrival. their The world created to be needs from scratch. identifiedwith violence. There is a way for a mother and a child to find themselves the in mechanisms causing state this of affairs. And mechanisms are thelanguagerooted in not enough to say that “nature is inexpressible, like nothing else.” It to discover is necessary cultural phenomena. professionally who for a mother with interpretationthe becomes deals a challenge of difference true. seems Paradoxically,the encounter withthe experience of maternity otherthe hand, narrator the allows a differencebetween words theand Word.this Only of my protruding public. became belly (P151) Joseph.bath-keeper Theknowingly taps me on belly: my I walk out of cabin the inmy one-piece swimsuit with almost knee-long of style legs,the Francis A view that maternity is a public stems experience from conviction the that child the Maternity ispublic Stereotype III: The mother inA Book of the Beginning reports on her dream about of flood the words. StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby Krystyna Ruta-RutkowskaKrystyna claims that is paradise the where New-born the is. Each whyThis is the characters books aboutof the the of birth author’sdaughters arecalled The inability to express emotionsthese contributes to the question:why is so? it It is …You don’t tap strange people, you don’t caress other people’s children. The centimetersfew – Baby? , Justyna Bednarek includes follow the - says: “In was the beginning the Domino. Domino. seems, onseems, On

157 158 the kindergartenher andthe belly seized said, “Someone has put on weight!” 28 27 26 25 Some might evenadd:with another man.” word ‘»regnant«’ third second man woman and she every every slept thinks: with a man. eyesof inthe being usuallywhich makes others, her a sexual “When someone says the of perspective the one’s identity. sexual A woman/-other of an loses aspect her identity other women’sto touch It bellies. is related with pregnancy state as a different in also are women probably who are mothers themselves.givespermission Thisthem fact by Gretkowskabath-keeper described and caretakerthe quoted in abovethe fragment woman. The –a pregnant good or Bednarek-the- ublicist, but she becomes a public stops an being individual Gretkowska-the-writer with a belly explains that a woman food-sharing, authorthe to locate it tries in culture, in publicthe sphere as she under mother the intimacy between and deepest the child. the By asking about of sense the hunger. inDomino Both public. According it’s to her, beyond goes which simply appeasing a phenomenon helping her how learn to pump milk. saying, “So skinny but she would triplets,” feed but she relieved writer’s the by body ratherexperience than opposite take stances. Only once turned to Nasiłowska a nurse various women, but there hierarchy is no artificial them. between They are united the in frequentlyis also visited by “girls from pathology.” the The author of Cities dreamed of having a daughter but has just had thefourth son. The mothers’ hospital ward ers are who it experiencing for first the time. One these womenof lost a baby, another with healing powers.” damaging influences; she is receivedwith embarrassment; she is as blessed respected ness, a threat to embryos and to impure men, and exposed particularly powers or other looked at with indifference, “She of mayher be considered husband’s a proof active- pregnancy and childbirth evoke intense emotions, and consequently, a woman is never as we know, istaboo. a cultural sex Adrianne Rich noticed that over all world the both complicated and delivery vacuum ofcharacter the inA Book Beginning is forced longer to stay hospital inthe due to the Ibid. To Anna Nasiłowska, breastfeeding is a situation that she almost requests to make A future mother clear the of intercourse carries evidence having had a sexual and, Every increasinglyEvery sustained superstition The evokes fright. main an unnecessary Texts andtheBody Mails written on May 12,Mails written 2004to the authorofthis article, Jeannette Słaby. on thebaby’sis sucked head andpulled. Whatever, itwasdangerous, butendedupwell.” of anelegantyoung doctor. Vacuum basins. toolto unclog looked a bitlikethisrubber It gowns on yet. ofmy eye, Inthe corner on a tieanda ironed I sawmyblood spurt shift doctor.nothing andcalled There wasa changeofshift,came, otherdoctors withno cord,her umbilical herpulsegot weaker. suddenly that, The midwife realized shesaid correspondence,In herprivate Anna Nasiłowska writes, daughterwastiedwith “My 1976. A. Rich. Woman Of Born: Motherhood. andInstitution asExperience New York, London, J. Bednarek “To Be a Pregnant Woman,” Nowa 1997no9. ResPublica 26. 27 and A Book and of the Beginning, breastfeeding becomes a form of . 28

She mothers meets already who gave and birth oth- 26

comes across 25 Bednarek - male companionsmale breasts whose spout water. Comprehending milk-to-water the (also ablebe tightened the to seize nipple with its mouth” (D107). meaning to her. It’s unnatural and untrue, “A semicircle ishard. too would A child not breastthe associated with an almost hairless of head Madonna. had a different Thisview naked breast. The womanperception her recalls paintingthe of contourthe ideal – of 31 30 29 mond Morris claims who that shapethe of breasts imitates circularity of buttocks. in culture –become more and moreDes- by sexuality Theirisdescribed desexualized. The abovescenevividly shows how breasts –considered to be an important erotic symbol stands its importance for future interpersonal relations. not known such descriptions before. to overcome embarrassment and inhibitions, are which reasons the why literature had Budrowska that thinks is this why mother’s the inorder is limited body to breasts: touching adds on to deciphering yet experience another this pattern. thinking Kamila able impulses constitute a large of part Domino. subordination to physiology. otherthe way around –as consciously challenging stereotype the of unconditional the womanthe but rather indicates understood child can be that lending to the her body to her. She owned also mysituation (D92).The belly” described not does subjectivize motherthe and child with the own their attachment other, to each “My breasts belong excess of from milk a woman’s breast is representational: 15 to her. bare Among She them. and desires ridicule to lay others, she back goes to the restrains which ballast woman the by not allowing her to feed her baby inpublic. ment. However, author the is not satisfiedwith needflagging the to rejectonly a cultural given –without function basic back their any connotations, sexual shame, or embarrass- mean that breastfeeding should activity. qualified as be an asexual Women’s breasts are of breastfeeding and women’s breasts stigmatized. not as Desexualization sexually does otherthe way around inAnna Nasiłowska’s works. The authorthe stereotyping rejects

th centurywork by Jean Foquet semi-circular presenting Madonna with a perfectly Domino The narrator inDomino Breastfeeding, learning and how milk with dealing one’s to pump own unpredict- Anna Nasiłowka summons well-known images of breastfeeding false seem which boundary when youstop! when say: boundary (D110) side of my and body pressed breasts both simultaneously, through first the pain up to the throne made of a bucket sat placed upside ondown, it I also provisionally, on one, healthier eventually I sat on bath the tub. To avoid a still soaking fresh wound, I put an improvised, silly pump, warm inthe shower, a towel, with my hand, with my hands, both increasingly tired, At couldn’t pump home, I still breast excessive the all on milk with time, a special I worked StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby D. Morris. Intimate. Behavior trans. P. Pretkiel, Warsaw 1998. 53. K. Budrowska Treatise… 89. K.After: Budrowska Treatise…89. onto therelation breastfeeding further withotherpeople. translates ofthechild during It isD.W. thattherelation between a motheranda child claiming theory Winnicott’s also recalls a fountain in Bologne depicting Neptune’s a fountain in Bologne recalls also fe - 30 In presentation the sense, this of removing the An increasing number of publications 29 This unusual process marks 31 It is

159 160 alien oralien a punk bitch. She makes up nicknames, identity.” “She stage the runs half-naked, with strong make-up. an She angel, pretends an to be identity problem of an artist and treats who a woman pregnancy as one of her masks, above mentioned actions. The author of Tarot for revealing one’ssalary secrets or reasons the why an artist or a public figurethetakes events that are far from tasteful. being her father’s grave (who, nota years for bene, dead already) had been a few or similar us a photo take Let sell. of they session experiences featuring Justyna Steczkowska at demandmedia for controversial women with “a human face” as isrange the as high readersfrom benefit it, futureand benefitmothers also from it(financially). The mention profitsfrom publication curiousand of photos a magazine while or news, culture –immaculate lactiferous glands provoke which thoughts” “bad The above situation provesthat there aretwo kinds of breaststhe unconscious in of Polishthe Mother. in one of Polish the cities? She answers question this herself, firstevoking the image of symbolic) transformation, Nasiłowska wonders sculpture this whether placed could be 34 33 32 ism saying: watch out, I’m reproducing!” reciprocal game. one Onthe hand, sensation, seeking on other the hand, exhibition- Gretkowska protested againstsomething such is “There activities, dishonestthis in masses.the By giving following articlethe the title: “Public Phantom Pregnancy , privatetheir lives and to readers intimate their selling and media to the experiences rock singers, and now mothers also –appearing inlifestyle magazines; on revealing other definition of “public” maternity. The concept based on is actors,women – writers, fascination.everywhere. sexual The formercanbe observed openly probably her pregnancy, be she gets offended the interviewer’sby statement, “What do Gretkowskadoes do?When she is asked for an interview, main the topic of whichwould as pregnancy of Moore Demi or earlier the mentioned Justyna Steczkowska. And what words would Two be. years later, her real pregnancy becomes an event equally important plets. Admitting to be a media “mas(s)-cot,” Gretkowska didnot realize how binding her her considerable astonishment at press inthe news the that she would give- to tri birth Ibid. What interests Gretkowskaevocation artificial inthe of public emotions is notthe In her articlewritten for “Cosmopolitan,” Manuela Gretkowska formulates yet an- The quoted waswritten article in1999 and beginswiththewriter’s it indication of thoughts during prayers. (D111) breast,ing stage. the faithful Ifthe would had showed they have a naked got inappropriate a well fed and well-dressed baby hands. intheir They must haveearlier,them fed before enter Madonnas,Our buttoned up to their necks, in a few layers of heavy dresses, are holding calmly sirenOur has never fed anybody, she’s holding a shield and an ominous sword in her hands… Texts andtheBody The article hasbeeninSilikon .reprinted The article M. See Gretkowska Silikon, Warsaw 2002. 100. I.See Iwasiów. ofBirth,”“Language 1996no7. Arkusz 7. 33 Perhaps, didnot writer the purposefully perceives public making privacy as an 34 32 and of objects ” - herself, she when writes, “New life, apartment, new mug.” new find this herself in new publicwith space a new “mug.” pointsShe to thistransformation 36 35 that a pregnant woman should streets in the to avoid not seen be people’s opinion that of Wanda Melcer’s Swastika and Child, terrified by her “crazy different”state, recalled intodivided saint the upper and body material the and physical bottom. The character The stereotype of motherevokesan asexual a convictionthat a woman’s body is vertically a housewife.” a bestseller.be It is thus an example of “transformation of a famous troublemaker into book as Gretkowska, the media figure,attractive whose new formerly to the a scandalizing Dariusz Nowacki noticed that, despite her stable private life, Manuela Gretkowska is popularity and definitely turns public theonce authorrightssellingthe to publish Polka: asking for them discretion. In context, this her pregnancy public is also due to her own in “Viva” magazine, during writer the which tells visagistes other hand, inPolka a life breakthrough” above the (P235),calling actions “pregnant pornography.” Onthe you mean: about what? independent So and scandalizing…and now baby…that’s the between anbetween “empty” and body a “full” body: ing pregnancy and continue desired. Chaponnière Corinne to feel a difference signals she is excluded yet again, or evendeprived of her right to derive satisfaction dur sexual a pregnant woman should consent to subordination of to a child. her body This means capture a woman’s and body by of act the appropriating it, destroy its attributes. Therefore,

a man’s glances. “Meaningless” without a body bodies, marks conditions desire. other hand, a young girl’s remains body “empty,” “meaningless,” of, disposed to bewith fulfilled agglomerates body A maternal horror the of is which an fullness obstacle for desire. Onthe Another template of about thinking maternity is a theory of processes, asexual which Asexual mother Stereotype IV: an enormous amount of money. (P201) I check royalty the rate for same –the as last the for book Polka, got are green, they convertible to dollars. The publisher is strangely concessive.I leave, After onethink day, reading prenatal these all memories? I haggle about the royalty rate. Silver coins I’m and book baby, selling the with first the beginning letter,the embryo. What she will StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby Białystok 2000.Białystok 69. K. Budrowska Woman andStereotypes: the Image of Woman after in the Polish1989, Prose eds.the 20th Century, E. Paczoska, J. Sztachelska, 1998. Białystok 150-190. After: K. Kłosińska. “Female signature,” [in:]Literature of Young Poland: the19 Between D. Nowacki. “NewBuilding, Foundations Old ,” Twórczość 2001no12. 116. Polka Polka – being the expression the – being of “little the stabilization and familiarity” –would 35 At same the time, “FA-art” the author criticthe is curious whether will the readersthe follow Gretkowska’s preparations for photo the session about her pregnancy, while and I thought I had demanded 36

th and -

161 162 she performs “such vulgar activities” 38 37 before I’ve goinga bit Butthere to bed. off heavy, taken everything. something is left, disturbed by her own inlateto be of looks a mother pregnancy, off “I take my clothes punishment, a woman is guilty of her own suffering. the courseIn time, theof starts artist Changes that Manuela’s undergoes her body exceed expectations. Pregnancy becomes and further, taboo concerning oftaboo act the making one’s intimate public. experiences and shame are by triggered pregnancy’s connotations. sexual valid It of a still is a sign pagan ritual and shout: she spreads with her (KP55).Embarrassment scandal body!” kept hiding her state under a black coat as “she was afraid that would they discover my Beginning. element of a future mother’s house: former “I.” Perhaps, it is fear the of change that is reason the is often why a mirror an cause pregnancy is perceived as of destruction and thebody annihilation of thewoman’s shaped and body,a slim perfectly future mothers treat- maternity be evil, as necessary redefinedthe context in to be needs which of pregnant women. Following the ideal of onlythe asylum of safety for them. In them. ofintimacy between upcoming view the changes lives, intheir might this be is not There sinful. is nothingwrong futurewiththe parents wanting still the to enjoy protruding bottocks” (P134-135). isdisarmingly too childish. Definitely and corda Climbingheels, sursum high a stool Should I buy heels? fucking Pietuszka crazyhigh wouldn’t have to get down to my level. during pregnancy! It’s getting more comfortable standing inthe position, from behind. refuting myth the of mother an asexual who, additionally, person, “Sex is a shameless we breaking may stereotype the observe abstinence of sexual during pregnancy and passive and consciously avoid pleasures bodily “for of sake the baby.” the physical love. procreation. only Sex serves Therefore, a woman/mother has to be sexually

Not out of greyclay but out of kaolin clay of ground face powder and rouge. (P253) normal face with helpthe of make-up…Out of swollenthe puffball there emergesa Woman. eyesI can’t believe puffy and mirror: inthe bulbous cheeks, changed what I see into a fairly models and naked posing with actresses maternal their (P181) bellies. there is my second half. As if frompatched pregnancy with a picture magazines, photos of at myI peeped belly. I got ashamed: here is my face, normal, and below, cut with mirror, the in mirror,the I peeped not just “looked in it” – onethe in bathroomthe – but is small too The stereotype motherthe of asexual is inevitablywiththecategory linked beautyof months, ina few Love two people, between results which ingiving life to a baby is rule nottheThis in pregnancyrespected diary. beginning of Polka the At very not –does indulge body in –as who a “full” mother a woman An asexual is also Texts andtheBody Cf. A. Rich, Woman Of . Born W. Melcer, SwastikaandChild, Warsaw 1934. 22. The author mentionsthat, rightbefore the thirdof birth her daughter, she 37 A Book of the. Similar words found can be inA Book 38 40 39 Domino of author The an eyea pleasurable illusion of intellectual the control over nature.” omits horror the of nature, namely dangerous the woman-nature. Whereas beauty gives to a human one it is eyewhich selective; sees thing and omits another…It most eagerly associated with excess, abundance, physiology, “We exchanged of nose the an animal she notices that splitting beauty from maternal the is a kind body of from escape nature and of birth the her daughter. Monika has an interesting Bekke on view attractiveness as and maternity reveals which negation of mother’s the own marked body with pregnancy patternsaesthetic inculcated mother inthe and her relatives. perceivedchildbirth could be as beautiful. It is difficultthere as have alwaysbeen certain culturalThe understanding of attractiveness that so be musta woman redefined the at character asks, “And now, me, am I beautiful among shreds, bloody the in shambles?” She literally and metaphorically “falls into pieces.” Right afterthe delivery, Nasiłowska’s walking” (P323). against rub (ribs stomach), the lying stomach (the moves throat). to the What is left is problems I have standing repeating (my it to myself. legshurt), sitting I keep illness, maternity inan unequivocal manner, “Pregnancy is not an pregnancy illness, is not an illness presented The comparisonexperience. inPolka of pregnancy to an of stomach the went level” past critical the or “potbelly” assign a negative value to this getting floppy.” (P271) lay down witha-metre an inscription belly. I could ‘I’m I wish inlate pregnancy.’ I’m “I don’t have pregnant. a physiological talent to be This is too much,this‘bellied’ half- explicitly woman’sthe describes opinion on physical changes accompanying pregnancy, not mine. I would to take glad be offbellythe too” (P112). The following sentence most is everything that was before:is everything back and leave. My breast hurts. Exhaustion, astonishment. Distaste. Rubbish” (D116). notices, “A filmTV. on is looking lustily. taking a shower. is A man A woman I turn (Ks 26).The mother separationagreeswiththe sexual andthe maternalof body and

Anna Nasiłowska’s Domino The woman deformation experiences also body of andher identity during delivery. Expressions by used author the such as “this ismuch,” too “unshapely gut,” “curvature Cities Cities of author The charmless, fragmented meat. (D98-99) firstthe freshlymother earth on formed out of clay…This isonly transformeda body intoidle, clothes to cover nakedness. It’s breasts painful bag, me, loose and this soft, shapelessbelly, like What happened? Before there was vanity and coquetry, only now I experience and exile I need StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby K. Budrowska. Treatise… 84. Poznań 2000, 108. M. Bakke. Open, Body Cultural Physicality : Philosophical Reinterpretationsof of Visions . 40

Nasiłowska says, “I have devastated. been I’m paying for life with my body” Women and Stereotypes about talks fearthe of castration presented in draws a clear line for beauty in her life – what beautiful she calls is an example of stereotypical separation of attractiveness 39

classifies

163 164 be seen through her. seen be man –“stopped reflecting for now,”becametransparent she and her interiorown can motif of mirror the comes back. However, mother the –earlier mirror the being of her remembering about “the baby formed out of her own entrails, out of meat.” Here, the about it as as possible. soon By forgetting, she wants to be awaken from dream, the from organs nor about about talking it. contrary, Onthe it is woman the wants who to forget something red” (D99).The youngdad isembarrassed neither withtheview of hiswife’s brane, a whitish huge, bag, empty stomach interspersed with veins. There are shreds of man participated who delivery, inthe tells his wife that placenta the is “a type of mem- order to include of init destruction: experience her the body to understand that to change it is necessary definitionthe of “physical attractiveness” in third daughter, inA Book described of the Beginning. At that moment, woman the starts aroused by her breasts of but milk, full baby’s is this a hungry craving. new body.new It faith message her –which is takes final the longer of also to regain 41 depth of experiences. – repeated after Domino language the –to change would which sound from very the Beginning interestingseems to deciphering of myth the about mother asexual inA Book the of the woman comes across. reality the a pregnant In meantime, the whatforms to name notion of revolt the get back to the against language the I will and lack of convenient of beauty their but human of also right their called to be beings: The author underlinesthe importance of wordsthat can deprive young mothers not only as as she is an attentive of culture, observer not her distrust does help while regard maternity

sacrum In In The appreciation the of maternal comesbody togetherwiththe of birth another, In In without a comment.” (Ks79) OnlyAt gibberish. stylized. least at front.the I say, So “I don’t know, but I am. Please, leave it coming that most the from beautifuland body….I suspect the bright sentences are infact constantly separates…It differently calls soulthe body. theand And I was intheneed of Word languageOur is not It’s good. stiff as a board. can’t achieveIt transparency. What is worst, it how are! they powerful (K62-63) it. The wordOr disgust caused byto reject theand light smells. I wanted are and bloodless caused chill by of evil need the Orthis preparingblood? animal meat to be kitchen. inthe used slain.then No other way. What is more of pitiful than inview one’s weak being own (running) me? This slush?body is The anwhichImpossible, animal is cruelly first trained, I thought. atbody first the place. this Is suspicious me? This squelch warmthinside of supposed to be I have long fought with a grudge I had toward body.the toward Also my own body…my own It is hard for character the to consent to sexual nature of of act the maternity, because Texts andtheBody Cf. K. Rodowska. Animal’ “‘Wild Trap,” Fraza A Book of the Beginning, mother the more needs to get time familiar with her Domino, Domino, at all is of disagreement expressing to inability and experiences need the certain . The body body Theturns out to be an obstacle. the Yes, motherabout speaks desire the authorthe about placenta. the quotes The of a conversation a couple 41 1996no 11. 174. gave to a healthy birth child. knowledge the lossthe of and looks that good frame of she mind is supposed to be attractivethe from body maternalthe one, and for whom onlythe compensation for through mother depicting is asexual who not the reconciled with separation the of of need the legitimatizing shewhen describes public breastfeeding, on other the hand, stereotypes instead of challenging Annathem. Nasiłowska so, does on onethe hand, stereotypes present in literature. Moreover, bothauthors often unconsciously stabilize tween stabilization and decipherization on thebasis of almost encyclopedic examples of delivery. like another attempt to expiate “performing vulgar activities” during pregnancy and ofindirect method bringing a woman back to culture and it not whether does seem daughter)own is not attractiveness just an (by means of giving to a beautiful birth some other beauty canons apply to her. A still question valid isrealizing whether one’s simultaneously brings her back to culture. As a mother, she is accepted again because children.good This is how Anna Nasiłowska restoresthe woman’s peace of mind and happens slowly. It accompanies awareness the and of having given life to beautiful pregnancy and other the afterthe childbirth. and reaches her mind herself makes which as hertwo see people one –the from before such division. The disintegration the of mother’spersonality through body goes her rolethe of a mother she plays, and against acts existing cultural patterns impose which and desiredof body maternal the sexually the one. Nevertheless, to appreciate she tries tegration of “I.” the Ewa, character the inDomino, trauma resulting loss inthe of control over her own “I.” serious feeling the –besides of physical the –a more destruction has to experience pregnancy is a process that has its resolution. And woman-mother the not does always works, therefore it touches on a different problem. Gretkowska explainsthat (luckily) and ends of with birth the Pola earlier and begins than story inAnna the Nasiłowska’s writers.both Manuela Gretkowska’s covers diary almost entire the of pregnancy period The example the of stereotype motherthe of asexual showsbetween the discrepancy life, retrieved. has been there anger is still at words, the feeling the of beauty, new iswith which born every her “vulgar” her daughter body was created, “Anima, as white as snow.” Although buttractive she indirectly becomes so. This happens she because knows that out of shape body she had before pregnancy.to the The woman not herself at does call - attractive possibility –inthe book the again, to be despite inability the back to go In above the works, selected writers’ the attitude toward maternity- oscillates be The integration the of womanwho is physically attractive mothertheand asexual Nasiłowska interested is also inanalysing maternity as a process leading to the disin- different and reproduced. (K63) devastated.withtime.because heal Thiswill Most probablysame,the this identical way: but but is this what had place. truly It didn’t make me anyhow better. Maybe physically worse Hereby, my matter trans-sub-stan-tia-ted truly has I’m on been earth. afraid of words these StereotypesofMaternityinProse Works … Slaby can hardly consent to the separation

165 166 42 authors, others, while more the interesting ones, have broken. been doubts. Thatwhy, is most probably,some the of stereotypes got confirmed the by two Attempts to speak about maternity mean necessity the to answer questions, all dispel all of maternity belongs sphere to the many inwhich other various discourses encounter. and consider a coincidence. this all It is important, however, to notice that problem the analysis of phenomenon.” birth the

Breaking stereotypes is perhaps coincidental and unconscious, as a result of “a deep Texts andtheBody K. Budrowska. Treatise… 81. 42 We cannot deny that authors the are aware of that Translation: Marta Skotnicka ing, especially in the analysis inthe ing, especially of religious works, disables conducive interpretations and models thatcertain encourage heavy usage of biblical and references theological in read- are:in mind in particular “otherness,” “alienness,” and “oppression.” that believe I also from interpretative the currents mentioned above. Thecategories and notions I have layerscertain of of meaningwith use revealed the can notions be of poem this taken by father Januszis a poem Stanisław Pasierb is which entitled “Écorché.” sensitivitypostmodern toward various “minority discourses.” The subject of my study one example text that employs like to present of reading of such a religious I would with religious works? literary Without giving a definite or final answer to the question, studies, for instance –able to bring significant equally and convincing cognitive results criticism and is inspired by sensitivity towards “otherness” all –characteristic of gender 1 work.ary interesting areas of reflection overelementssacral present indifferent layers of liter currents. thematic Semiotics, critiques, and hermeneutics and gradually opened new have always progressed tools developed by due following to research methodological able relation to religion? Today’s works question devoted to the of sacrum currentsporary of for studies, literary useful research on texts remain which ingrasp- Are models of reading, of or types reader’s evencertain sensibility common to contem-

Priestly Poetry asa MinorityDiscourse? The Barenessofa Clergyman: W Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL, 1983. in Literature, 13-26, J. Gotfryd, M. Jasińska-Wojtkowska, S.Sawicki, eds., Lublin: by S. inthearticle befound literature can Sawicki inLiterature””Sacrum inSacrum ofoldermethods ofresearch on) in thesacred ( sacrum An encompasing overview ojciech K 1 However, is research that draws on instrumentarium the ud yba of post-colonial I believe that I believe inliterature -

167 168 determines shape the and emotional temperature of statement. the us remember: Let elements of world the created The by“I’s”lyrical poem. the existential specific status attention and, due to its emotions or “through” ina certain them way, other one observes centerIn very the of his work, “I.” there is a lyrical It “I” islyrical this that grasps one’s remains element crucial the of ekphrasis, Pasierb’s while monologue. is a lyrical poem of restraint.a degree The structure of its statement also suggestscaution. Description itself, devoid of any clear signs of relating to existing works of encourages art, likewise bias-free first in reading poem question:the of to misunderstandings.leads However, let us withstart a calm and, to the extent possible, 3 2 resultsthe of were which for used painting or sculpture modeling. musculature. As found can be inan dictionary, art écorché that is skinless,and hence, reveals a model its of history inthe to describe is art used completely to others. The French term, way specific the –image in a very someoneof given away to the gaze of others, opened centerIn very the of mysterious this there image liesthe poem, of a man is who uncovered Isenheim, or various iconographic representations of Saint Bartholomew. Pasierb’s text and paintings such as Mathias Grünewald’s Crucifixion achievement. It therefore might tempting be intertextual connections to seek between work of and art equivalent becomes verbal the ofto a particular painted or sculptural was,who first and foremost, an historianart employing a form of ekphrasisthat refers andterminology references to various works of suggests art was by that poem a man the

Texts andtheBody poet inPassion According to Pasierb, Lublin: Wydawnictwo KUL, 2005, 106-7. contexts employed more comprehensively by aboutpainterly writes the Ewa Sykuła 1996. 706. Kornell,See M. “Écorché”,Art of inTheDictionary Turner, J. ed. Grove, New York: will bringwill you courage of intime hesitation fleeting resemblance to normal men it for is all you indignity of spams pathetic shudder frombe hidden no reflex will you play strings of pain one can cut and fester for examination’s sake with bony chaffsand or ash isthis bareness how tendons shine with candle’s blessed yellow red with violet’s blues howsee naked muscles play fat orsmooth wrinkled chapped how banal are your ordinary skins mySee beauty écorché (peeled of skin, (peeled hurt, irritated, scratched), was a kind of exercise, artistic 22 The presence of expert from altar the in 3 But the poem But poem the that we encounter It poem. inthe is not about vulgar the nakedness of human flesh, but and to some degree drastic revealing is confirmed the characterby specific of bareness form of giving himself/herself away.that The fact we arewith dealing a complete, radical for“it is all you.” The hero consciously poem the of decides the on most drastic existential a natural way fends offthe world, defends us against “others.” In one the linesof we read clamation, “this is bareness,” that means in that everything rejects person speaking the with “others” is impossible. entire monologue by is underwritten irony, meeting bitter the realization that a true encourages closeness –invites honest us to an and However, meeting. meaningful the there of ispart a mention poem the of touch, allows which us that to assume hero the and sound similar likecalls direct encouragement for establishing a relation. In a later read as attempts to establish contact, as a form of invitation to the meeting. “See” – this subject’s statement ambivalent. is so Apostrophes community directed to the could be It is otherness gazeand their sentenced touch to endure –and that is why lyrical the to “aliens” is at core. its very Écorché it is an inevitable contrary: revelation.thatbut The fact the to the wound is directed tempts us that woundthe to convince place, is not an attempt for a hiding to search reality. However, things are differentthe in world createdpoem The at- poet. the by that of discovery the one’s “otherness” would escaping to retreating, lead from hostile aware of that fact the tear the gives him away unfavorable to an world. It might seem own otherness, distance and alienation surrounding, those at same the becoming time dimension. Thecharacter wounded byhero adding discovers a dramatic his or her society. It not does end interpersonal the relations of protagonist, the but changes their world “me” between and “them,” setting a person boundaries between and a community. and become foreign. The seems tear to makeeasy identification impossible. It the divides What is more, it is of because woundthe that others are able to come “from outside” the transforms its bearer into somebody from outside,the somebody “completely different.” dynamicsthe of interpersonal relations and makes much them more problematic. It – but realizeshardships the also of with being others. The wound completely changes existential separateness among people simple –the of fact not belonging to a community skins that no bear signs of having cut. Through been the wound it recognizes not only its of otherness thatis a discovery separates wounded the from body common and banal its relations with others. The protagonist is markedwiththe wound. His first discovery consciousness of“I,” lyrical the but also, or maybeevenprimarily, within bounds the of sions of wound. the It turns out that tear place painful the isnot taking only inside of the Lyrical monologue points rather to the effects of wounding dimen- social andthe reveals do not know and never know we will what caused wounds. the The text never explains. constitutes écorché, terrifying this or herself to others.monologue is a lyrical poem The fromspoken “insidethe wound.” protagonistthe is somebodyopen, marked of poem the by a wound, reveals which him The sameThe kind of ironycanbe discovered in a passage describingbareness. The ex- of mode existence that is against of a certain woundedBeing becomes a symbol How should one interpret key metaphor this under discussion? What poem inthe TheBarenessofa Clergyman… Kudyba experienced by the person speaking in the poem? We by poem? inthe person speaking experienced the seems to be a metaphor for to be seems being-against-others.

169 170 nepee b toe hnes s edns fr pca kn itresnl exchange. interpersonal kind a special for a readiness as thinkers those by interpreted The phenomenon existential bareness,givingof away a peculiar of is oneself to others and philosophers about of talk meeting the as dialogue mutual sharing and openness. interaction and encourage But meeting. what kindof meeting is at stake here? Personalists ing directs his or her entire outward self attention, to get trying and that worries force orpart ultimately end with dialogue. even a radical opening to others not does to a similarnecessarily lead opening on their againstbeing others.saturated The entireseems to be poem by a bitter realizationthat between moving anda deeply naturalistic body, portrait of a skinned brings which contest the – it is about away peeling that is superficial and exposing everything one’s interior. As about something much more. It is about revealing something that is buriedmuch deeper 4 value and enables “the absorption of shame through love.” an meeting our actual fellow man’s gazeconfirms,from hidden the world, personal our of pain. According to philosophers remaining within circle the of Pasierb’s interest, during touch little has to do very with affirmation.seems It as if it were, similar to the gaze, a tool previously mentioned of sense touch. He wrote about of act the a caress. In Pasierb’s poem, during a meeting, and of describing experience affirmation the of closeness – referred to the nas, analyzing when mutual the of discovery oneself Other, inthe and versa, vice precisely aboutlearn among it by observing, other things,motif the of touch.- that us recall Let Lévi however, that interpersonal the space sketched in“Écorché” a sign of openness towards another person, of having we in those love. trust It is hard to state, interferes with our internal integrity, away takes of sense our dignity, endangers intimacy a kind of embodiment of hell. They respond to our thatwiththeopenness gaze abuses and worksthe of author the of L’être néant le et on interpersonal relations by performed Jean-Paul Sartre. Similarly to their appearance in feeling humiliated and helpless. From that suggestion, it is only a short step to the analysis “given away” and realizes“indignity”and the “pathetic” character of his or her openness, poem’sthe hero wants to protect his or her personal value, but being experiences likewise protagonistthe shame experience and pain more pronounced than everbefore. Maybe words is open “for body ofsubject whose lyrical the examination’s sake.” Other Themakes as ifhe were touching an Thisthekind object. is of awarenessthat behind lieshidden bitter humiliation. – Other The foreign alien –looks or at us as if he was looking at an object and contrary, objectifies and deprives one of value andsensation increasesthe of shame and

In entitled his“Robe,” poem The author poem remindsthethat, of us firstly, a harmed and wounded human be- Texts andtheBody The Philosophy of Drama:The Philosophy of Introduction, Cracow: Znak, 1998. 72-3. Sympathy,of by translated Peter Heath. New York: Archon Books, 1970. and Tischner, J. Wydawnictwo Wrocaławskiej Archidiecezjalnej, Księgarni 1986., Sheler, M. The Nature AkcjiKatolickiej, ofShyness,Naczelny Instytut 1934orPhenomenology Wrocław: shame inworks familiarto thepoet, as: such Sawicki, F. Philosophy ofLove, Poznań: Responsibility, Cracow: 1962. 163. ofthephenomenon oflove and alsotheanalysis See comesThis term from a work, knownwell to Pasierb, by K. entitledLoveand Wojtyła Apollo and Marsyas to Herbert’s mind, it reveals dramatic the dimension of our Pasierb wrote , the poem inquestion poem , the fellow takes humans as

that bareness is a kind of “mating robe.” It is 4 The gaze theOther,of the on is one dedicated to love. We It is nevertheless worthwhile to recall: Hepoem. proposed an interpretation, one of many possible and not necessarily best. the track left the by author himself. In one of his essays,performed he an explication of his andized separated from circumstances. political It is hard interpretative the to ignore context. insomeplaced social It is differentwith Pasierb. His messagebecomes - general totalitarianin the regime of its time. At least, Krynicki’s very the text allows itself to be herothe of wave to be new this seems poem a metaphor of oppression that had its source entitled “Naked, I Woke Up Waiting for inLine Bread.”bareness The and helplessness of pronounced motif of bareness in line with a text places by poem the Ryszard Krynicki, against world the community inwhich works according to similar rules. excluded from community the of men. The entiresaturated is poem with a terrible irony stigmatized and humiliated first, thenand labeled as is “alien,” “abnormal,” to be finally itself allows us to recreate some of mechanisms the oppression. of social The “other” is and painfester, – to cut solely do so to inflict they and “play strings pain.”of The text ash, and bony chaff. If members this of anonymous community addressthe protagonist, herothe not does involve mercy or sympathy, but rather harshness symbolizedby sand, world, other than domination and cruelty. The norm established forthe relationswith textin the directs his or her words, is ignorant of ways the of communicating with the acter. One could have impression the that community, the to which person speaking the of the representations of community projected by “I” the lyrical have an oppressive char worldthe created by our poet. of oppression and meeting personal becomes a source in anbe invitation to a dialogue 6 5 Faith is constantthe risk of humiliation, derision and cruelty, and Churchthe from – seen or a feeling of safety. What is more, it not does grant of community. a sense It is solitude. and oppression that undergo. they Pasierb to suggest seems that faith not does grant peace inits entirety about poem the “otherness” as a work allows us to read of people of faith Fragments of “Écorché” have equipped above been inthe quoted essay with context that and individuality, and sentences hero the to an unending suffering.

But what exactly kindof oppression about? speaking The is poem the strongly be poet-priest couldpoem the The asa particular,by read tale violence. of All poetic reality we are alone, accompanied only by him. and cruelty.mockery righteous The thinking their inarewithwhen convenient,us but in we repeatexposed, ritualized gestures that offend us giveandglares, us away to shameless We cannot our hide, can agony, everyone see indignity of spasms, pathetic shudder. We are gazeof public. the gapingare to the Jesus to the exposed crowd. diesnaked, Christ exposed We, people of Church,the do not hide and we are visible to everyone wants who to see us. We TheBarenessofa Clergyman… Kudyba Pasierb, J.S.) Pelplin: (TheCrossing dróg Skrzyżowanie Wydawnictwo Diecezjalne, 1994. 75. 96-155. dem Anderen. EineSociolontologische Untersuchung, Oldenbourg,Wien-München: 1975. concept isdiscussedingreat detailby Kamptis, P. unddieFrage inthebook Sartre nach discussed inthealready mentioned L’ In particular, we ofthephenomenon are interested ofthe intheanalysis “gaze” as tre etlenéant(Paris,être 1979, 309-16)Sartre’s 6 5 Otherness that Otherness could -

171 172 “Écorché” oppressive community that turns against him or her? As with ismany case the poems, protagonist, tormented by feeling the of otherness, alienation and guilt, projects who the perhaps oppressive the community Maybe it poem? inthe is merelythe a projection How oughtthen we “Écorché”?to read Is it and a response to actual real oppression? Or and subjectthe ofbetween oppressivethe poem the community that he or she addresses. One of however, them, urgent is particularly and dependence concerned with peculiar the from any concreteness. The text provokes many questionsthat cannot fully be answered. a universal model of “circumstancethe of oppression,” which remains generalized and far possible meanings are of poem the far broader. inPasierb’s I would like to observe poem oppression? Although contexts hinted at by author the are important, it that seems the ple insoutanes” and –laughed helplessly to humiliation at, exposed facing anti-clerical a paraphrase of Pilate’s “Behold Man,” the hence pointing directly to Jesus as Christ the their otherness.”their priests, it is just another faceof racism. It is a price that people wear who soutane pay for read: “If anti-clericalism is understood not as resisting clergy, the but as hatred directed at priests. In an essay entitled Ksiądz istota nieznana Priest: The (“The Being”)Unknown we sion of line this of found can be thinking inPasierb’s comments about “otherness” the of and helplessness against crowd the becomes central to the The exten- whole undertaking. sketches of a particular faith, theology where of idea the mimicking inhis Christ bareness order to hide from violence, and poet’s the essay to convince tries us of religion’s heroism. It not – does perspective providea similar any safe haven. have Believers nowhere in to go 9 8 7 ness” is considered by scholar the “to have status the of an interpretative key,” hands into believe.” his side, there is no way I will (John 20:24).The line bare “this is - hands mark the of nails, the and put my finger intofromthe place the nails, and put my of pain” as a reference to words of Thomasfrom Gospel the of John: “Unless I see inhis symbolscal of passing, cleansing and death. passage the She about sees “playing strings unto my sorrow” 1:12).According (Lam to Pethe, motifs the of chaff sandand are bibli- of Lamentations,Book where one can read: “Behold, andifthere any be see sorrow like Bible.references She interprets to the words the “see my beauty” as an allusion to the Jesus In Christ. various differentthe parts poem, theof author the essayof observes to later search for proofs showing that hero is lyrical the none of poem the other than that “subject the is an anti-type poem inthe of speaking mythological the Marsyas” her attentionfocuses She subject on of states speaking the poem. the her thesis, claiming ( In entitled her book Poeta czasu otwartego.

A Poet of Time: Open the On Poems of Father Janusz Stanisław Pasierb) Aleksandra Pethe Thatwhy is alreadythe existing interpretations poem aretheeven of more surprising. Texts andtheBody Ibid. 191. Śląska, 2000. 190. Open –Onthe PoemsTime Father of JanuszStanisław Pasierb), Katowice: Biblioteka Pethe, A. Poeta otwartego. czasu ks. O wierszach Stanisłąwa Janusza Pasierba (Poet the of Pasierb, J.S.), Światłoi sól (LightandSalt Paris: Éditions duDialogue, 1983. 275.

likewise hoverslikewise like a fog that obscures straightforward interpretation. 7 Is inquestion poem the therefore about a work otherness the of “peo- O wierszach ks.Janusza Stanisłąwa Pasierba 9 since it is 8 only only of Jesus’ ina “state experience of agony.” the lyrical subject first,becausethat lyrical the where is the interpretative seems to bekey located.” with her erudition. Similarly to Pethe, she that believes “it is important to reconstruct of compares art, with other statements poem the of author the and impresses readers background of her interpretation. She meticulously reconstructs contexts from history excessive.sand, and What ash to be valuable is truly about Sykuła’s work is broad the 15 14 13 12 11 10 a well-known “poetic formula of lonesome the HOMO ECCE Christ protagonist In of end, the poem. the Pasierb’s inPethe’s poem interpretation becomes that would point inthat direction.” contextthe of Marsyas the myth, since “there is no interpretative suggestion poem inthe approaches during to Christ, his especially torment and death.” “accusation of and art, what follows, logically of culture all of careless and inadequate as protagonist. the In end, the Pasierb’s inSykuła’s poem interpretation becomes an fashion,In a similar she refers Bible to the in order a tormented Jesus to justify Christ ing for existential the situation of anyone. scholars Both proposed a similar of model read- constructed ina way that allows for situation the of to become skinned being a metaphor of is real who the hero must of poem the to misunderstandings, lead is since poem the any of two the scholars wouldsearch The like to admit. forthe answerquestion to the that message the remains of poem the much moreI believe general –far more than with a peculiar over-interpretationwith a peculiar of Pasierb’s text. a thorough reading itself. of Instead poem the of interpretation, we have presented been ItChrist? as scholars seems if both operated by using a set “preconceptions,” that replaced linethe “this is bareness” that excludes any sound ina way other speaker than Jesus imply a reminiscence of unfaithful the Thomas meeting the between Does andChrist? as an allusionseen to the of Isaiah, mention Book and every of “playing strings of pain” encouragement every bymisguided at Does them. to look “naked muscles” have to be conviction, however, inbiblical contexts, made engulf poem them the and it ultimately any clear, character) have sacral they approached Pasierb’s work as a religious text. This inhis volumepoem of Religious Poems), of Pethe’s statements. Ibid. Ibid.

Both of aforementionedthe Both readings of Pasierb’s to me. misguided seem poem In her comprehensive analysis of “Écorché, TheBarenessofa Clergyman… Kudyba “Écorché Ibid. 120. Ibid. 105. KUL, 2004. 103-128. Sykuła,See E. Pasja Pasierba według (Passion to Pasierb According ).Lublin: Wydawnictwo Ibid. 192. .” Against intentions the of author the himself never (who published this 12

She underlines that fact the it is difficult to anchor Pasierb’sin text 13 Sykuła finds Pethe’s concerningobservations chaff, 11

as well as against text the itself lacks (which ”

Ewa Sykuła distances herself from some Translation: Jan Pytalski 15

10 ” –a manifestation 14

173 174 but of a certain conception of language is which much more complex królowej inPaw language way. ina similar And it is not matter the of excellent the workshop literary of Masłowska speaks also as a “juvenile malcontent.” of reality characteristic for Jelinek, however, would surely not get laughed at.” Umińska or a feminist negative the thus making her potentially perception of object the mockery; Masłowska avoids any positive engagement, “so that no one would she is think a socialist “Ideas enough for good Austrians not will work for us, Poles.” Umińska suggests that her tribute. Quite contrary.the Her contains review such observations as following:the (Przekrój brilliant but awaiting still proper interpretation. obvioustoo or banal, on other, the sometimes, however, is fate the ofare which books language,the on onethe hand, and disappointment with book’sthe content, apparently oftenalso literally short on money. Such dual reception admiration –undisguised for andmaking, unmasks protagonists the are who to be revealed not poor only inspirit but novel the believe treats about life the of pop stars, describing mechanisms the of career- richment its because representation of world the not does propose anything new. They by Marek inTygodnik Zaleski Powszechny not) that does offer book the cognitive en- disappointment with book’s the content. suggest Reviewers exception (the is review the 1 by Dorota Masłowska The appreciation expressreviewers forthe exceptional talent the of author Królowej of Paw

The comparisonbetween Masłowska and Jelinek is quite compelling.use They UmińskaBożena by Jelinek appreciated it to prose enough to compare book the How to BeaQueen NadanaKatarzyna Dorota Masłowska, Paw Boża, i Iskra Lampa królowej, Warsaw, 2005. 2005no 28).It would that seem well-known the author of thus reviews pays 1 is usually accompanied or less discreetly expressed by a more

2 plebeians”; and ruminations the on possible the consequences of murdering Rybaczko: Retro’s fightswith his successivethe description girlfriends; ridingtheof buswith “the quote ofriety discourses. I could endlessly. mention only excellent the I will of scenes such a caricature we inhis speech recognize phrases ofcoming subjectivity; from a va- and passive voice inplace of active forms. verbal The character of StanisławRetro is produce effect the of objectification.uses, She for example, nouns derived from verbs its and elementary parts subsequently puts together those according to patterns which delimits world.their Similarly to Jelinek, Masłowska sometimes breaks up language into thinking and acting only insofar are as they permitted by the mechanized language which seem to be They them. guage as which, speaks of intheories poststructuralism, puppets, utterances. Masłowska’s characters are essentially flat becausethey are reduced to a lan- to own one’s a subject speech: is one the is who conscious of of sense the his or her own The characters areparodies traditionallyof understood subjectivity definedthe as ability of phrases borrowed froma tangle various language games participate. they inwhich ters and way the attribute they meaning to events. Their innerlanguage turns out to be Using what Masłowska like direct seems speech represents inner the life of her charac - than it is inWojna polsko-ruska. first chapterwith “hip-hop rage”: and ecstatically the uglyPatrycja Pitz, existential whose situation inthe is described female characters, such as Anna Przesik, Retro’s Sandra, girlfriend; Rybaczko’s wife; Stanisław Retro, a singer of fading fame; his manager, Szymon Rybaczko; and several supported ofsections by society. choice the of protagonists: Such reading is to be concept, onsociological onlyis a similar telling based time this about privileged the that language are limits the of his brutal world. królowej that The critics decided Paw This crippled type. language is his languageonly as a social a thug theand limits of

i nekrofagiem! (112) niemoralny! Uważam, żeStanisław pedałem Retro nie jestżadnym zwykłym lecz artystą, go internauta: uważam, żeprzez Stanisława Retro menedżera swego zamordowanie to czyn świadczyć, każdy skrytykuje o nim będzie zabijana? to nieładnie Na niefajnie…I jak pewno zemstaale karmy, to okropne, okropne mu prostu siępo wydało, osoba sięma czućtaka jak to zabicieZresztą niedokońca mu sięmoralne. wydało Potem korowody sądach po to mało, himselfChrist come to you dressed as Patrycja and wanting to do it with you? Think about it.] to put moves the on you, what so would you do, you’re not bad, you’re and good, what ifit is came to you, fucking ugly, so brought like a can her body of cat rolled food, her eyesand tried [Hey you, you, dickhead, yeah, I’m to you, talking I’m asking you. What would you doifshe w kostiumie dociebie podchodzi Chrystus Patrycji i chce to z tobą robić? Pomyśl (9) o tym. to co,cię poderwać, cowtedy zrobisz, przecież niejesteś zły, jesteś tylko dobry, a jeżeli to właśnie i chciałacholernie brzydka, oczamiwywracała przyniosłakonserwa, turystyczna swe jak ciało Hej złamasie, to do ciebie mówię, ciebie o to pytam. zrobisz, Co gdyby to do ciebie przyszła tak Howto BeaQueen Nadana Warsaw, 2005. Dorota Masłowska, Wojna polsko-ruska pod Boża, i Iskra Lampa flagą biało-czerwoną, 2 Wojna grotesque The language of Wojna aims at representing

175 176 “minor” misunderstandings with his wife: care of months his is child who several old. We can infer that fromduring the his tactics claims, novel the analytical and is infact For critical. example, Rybaczko never takes aim the of exposure andserves it isofthat, because effect this contrary to Umińska’s The effect the betweeninnerspeech of clash and perceptible sense, itsreal to thereader, he explains: authorthe of Patrycja’s songs. Placing a request under text the he has written himself, Patrycja, Rybaczko wants also to give a chance to Masłowska whom to be he chooses generation” currently as potential recognized the mass new consumer. As he promotes “Christianthe message” carry, she will addressed primarily to the “John so-called Paul in marketing her ugliness and launchingwithbe achieved Thiswill her media. inthe probablyPatrycja will as promotion the a success, be mechanisms even succeed will transgressivelythis uglygirl, inspired by response media the to the death of Pope. the can address her “admirer.” becomes repulsive usualroles the when inher life are reversed and of she all a sudden acceptance in thisworld. Thiswhy is even Patrycja, predestined forthe role thevictim of that do not they inspire pity. Violence manifest inlanguage is condition the of social physical violence), but aggressive so and themselves ruthless inpursuing goals their physiology. Women are of victims systemic violence (expressed in Retra’s as also case love” clashes desire with as sexual male world the of Paw królowej is reduced to trivial from real the significance eventsthe of their lives. in schematic,The female “waiting for and self-perception of characters the inPaw królowej are illusions separate which them reasons for his wife’s frustration that from deepens one month to the next. The dreams the The significanceescapes scenethe real this of protagonist who fails to recognize Rybaczko, inmanipulating a specialist to launch decides media, the career the of jest sytuacja, że brzydkajest sytuacja, dziewczyna, rozumie pani, przez wszystkich pomiatana…w tle Polska tekstu jestgotowy prawie, najwyżej pani dopisze rymy to hip bo jakieś, hop jesttaki…fabularnie to nicwłaściwie pisać by niemusiała, pani żeby specjalnie ale była to właśnie pani ważne, szkielet remote, and listens attentively.] stare-into-the-voidthe contest with herself, okay, it, screw he hits extreme the values with the something, damn it, you’re her mother,” but of course she doesn’t hear, pretends not to, does [“C’mon Sandra, why don’t you mind her, how see she’s “Do –he yells to Sandra. crying!” uważnie. (125) samą, sobą okej,między nie ma sprawy, pilotem ekstremalnychdo wartości podgłośnił i słucha chyba matką,” jej żeniesłyszyudaje, ona na ale gapienie oczywiście sięw dal zawody urządza “No Sandra przypilnuj płacze!” zobacz jak –krzyczy ją, doSandry. “No zrób coś,chyba jesteś thatimmoral I believe deed! Stanisław Retro is no artist, but a plain faggot and scavenger.] that criticize: I believe blogger murder the will every of his manager by Stanisław Retro is an Uncool, killed? being that’s for light, sure…And eachand it would put himinsuch a bad enough, but karma, the that most awful, seemed how is such a person supposed to feel when [Anyway, didn’t seem killing the quite morally right. Later hassle the courts, that’s inthe bad Texts andtheBody of text the and its author inculture, understood as a network of discourses of various ence. Self-reflexivity is related also to the problem of reception, or to thefunctioning of authenticity of homogenized the content intended to reach homogenized the audi- The “author” is merelythe tool the systemof here, the as markerand her nameserves self-reflexivity not does concern, as to init theused 20 have it. The manyself-reflexive elements the of novelcritical escaped mostly notice. This language,this and not just an expression of a “juvenile malcontent” as Umińska would it contains, becomethen a parody which will of “reflections” all one could formulate in levelthe of language and world as well as view on level the of “the author’s reflections” and force will us to consider significance the of her “unclear” authorship. quotationsthose inyet more quotations, Masłowska’s reveal a second will book bottom should not place entire the inquotation book marks as Rybaczko’s text. And ifwe place read. This circular narrationthe faces withthe disturbing reader questionwhether we Rybaczko places request the with Masłowska for a text we which essentially already have with Patrycja’s song and why he Masłowska: needs to own one’s language. Rybaczko, king the of knowswell media, the whom full to target others, creation the of book’s the “author,” ina situation it when is systemically impossible creative process, but mechanismsthe of book’sthe promotion and reception, and, among Consequently, we have to read “Patrycja’s song” as play with hip-hop conventions on realities first hand.] sheso may cheaper, be but authentic, so still she lived projects inthe and knows social the rightthe name to front whole the thing…and there’s Masłowska…of this now passing fame, wouldhoes…who surely with identify Pitz, cosmohoes with gas hair removal, he only needs punks and those vegetarian troublemakers,stream to all wilted culture,also those all to get low profile,everything to keep alternativethe it in climate, marginal in relation main to the - [he’s looking for] a phone number to someone well-known, but not well-known, too to keep (146) i socjalne. to może autentyczna okazać tym siętania,poza w bloku taka, mieszkała,zna społeczne realia firmowało…a ta Masłowskajakaś…teraz o sławie przebrzmiałej, która właśnie zewzględu na nazwisko tylko do gazemdepilacji, jeszcze które odpowiednie znaleźć, by to wszystko różnych sięidentyfikowały, będą na pewno tych zjełczałych…one lasek z Pitz cosmoświnie alne, aby trafić równieżtych do wszystkich punków i wegetarian różnych zbuntowanych, do znamię, klimatach było w alternatywnych utrzymane, kultury oficjalnej margin względem - telefonu osoby dojakiejś znanej, [szuka] umiarkowanie, ale żeby wszystko niszowości miało is a manifesto to be of truth.] ity, you know will how to make that stuff somewithall,and curse lyrical words, becausethis her around…backwoods Poland in background,the difficultrealities, capitalism…gritty- real hip-hop situation story thing…the is that there pushes isuglygirl, this you get it, everybody draft the of basically text is ready, youcan justsome add rhymes and stuff, thisfor is a kind of [Actually, you wouldn’t need to write anything really, but it’s important that it has to be you, the przedstawiæ, to tamjak lirycznie trochę przekleństw, to ma bo być manifest prawdy. (147) realia, kapitalizm…ogólna trudne Ce, przepychanka, rzeczywistości pani, wie no na pewno Howto BeaQueen Nadana th centuryavant-garde novel, the

177 178 is right-wing the press: tion by determined patterns the by set different the discourses. Amongtherethose, fashion and stars, to advertising and internet forums. book is doomed The to a recep- frommedia: press the shapes which public opinion, through magazines create which uses the playthe uses with objectified the receiver, represented the engagedby media in com- inFakt. described spendswho her nights punching holes ina grapefruit, an activity that had already been how we to understand need absurd the passage showing Masłowska as a “public enemy” space the for mercantile exploitation of author the and exclusion. of his social (This is The space cultureof is notthe space of conversation and interpretation of meaning, but There are ads tales andabout fromstars women’s magazines: Gazeta Wyborcza: ThereCatholicthe also is humanism thefrom of reviewers Tygodnik Powszechny or Baby,” 153zlotys. Buy it and like her.] be even morebook understandable and likeable. In her “My hand she newborn, holds a rubber for holes. body Thanks the to that notshe does menstruate, sweat, or urinate,which themakes est and entertain reader the a lot. The holesthewriter’s in body wereLancome gluedwith glue [A beautiful writer tall and to write was selected very [the novel], that so would the book inter gumowy noworodek “My baby” 153złote. Kup ona. go jak i bądź (97) tęmoczu, coczyni książkę bardziej jeszcze zrozumiałą i interesującą. W ręce trzyma Lancome dow ciele otworów. Dzięki temu niemenstruuje sięi nieoddaje ona, niepoci mogła czytelnika bardzo ciekawić i interesować. w ciele autorki Otwory sklejono klejem napisaniaDo wybranaautorka została książki piękna aby i bardzo tak wysoka, ta książka word to say, what is it with you girl, can’t you more be optimistic, afraid to be more optimistic?] to your brother, say it Doris, are to MC you afraid it would lame, be are you afraid of a kind [Have a kind word to give to another, not just usual the motherfucker, is that you all have to say mistycznie razspojrzeć ci szkodzi?(33) chodzi, czyoptymistycznie boli, czyopty razspojrzeć ażtak - ci dziewczyno dobrych, o co innym codopowiedzenia mać to jedyne masz, to MC powiedz Doris, banału sięboisz, słów człowiekowi drugiemu najlepsza dobre i jej koleżanka słowo kurwa żewciąż tylko a nie dać, Stanisław Bruno Schultz, Lem, and Witold Gombrowicz.] by Jews the and Masons, the instead of promoting writers are who more talented, such as West,the together with values the generally cultivated here.song This was promotedpurposely attitudes of protagonists the moral betray poor standing, puts which Poland light ina bad in potential[The translation intobook this of languages other shouldbe prevented,becausethe Bruno Schultz i Witold Gombrowicz. (119) i masoni, zamiast wypromować pisarzy bardziej zdolnych, Stanisław jak takich Lem, Polskę i powszechnie kultywowane tu wartości. Tę piosenkę celowo wypromowali Żydzi bohaterów zdradzają niski moralny stawia na poziom,Zachodzie świetle cow złym Należy tłumaczeniuewentualnemu tej książki na inne języki zapobiec, postawy ponieważ Texts andtheBody ) Media culture is thus shown as spaceof the alienation. Masłowska - author from view, but point also to “Masłowska” as distributor, their about whom knives,those she has never written another again!” book (135). These wordsthe hide in Silesian Kielbasa, and she stays at home, at home. Hey, people, put down shit, this scenario,this her fate as an author “Kuczok sealed: has been Wojciech gives a reading and dominated annihilated by as her a person reproductivea woman In function). dragging along abdomen the of vacuum the cleaner” word (the cluster suggests According to that voice, she has become “a housewife around trudges who her house child. She allows voice the of mainstream the about her experiences. culture to tell are signs of conscious the of refusal markers the prestige. of social She has a small that she moved into a bad neighborhood, Praga, and a bike rides with no logo. These of language relations uproot which one from one’s own experience. stake is autonomy the of author, the but his intimacy, also guarded against network the real subject is, ofwriting then, under conditions book the the of language. media The hind tectonic the shifts the on surface therevealed theof text in form grotesque.of The attempts to break through language conventions, an invisible but palpable presence- be captivating, The andreason poetic. forthisthe live is presence book’sthe of author,who and ugliness the of world the it represents, language the is of disturbingly book the lively, lessly read and cannot tear ourselves away from reading. the Thus despite its ugliness book’s hip-hop rhythms, however, a magnetic effect thattheso pull on reader we breath- phrases and clichés, in order to reveal strangenessthe and lifelessness of language. The Masłowska’s linguistic play on depends operations the of clashing and overlapping stock parodies discourse of motherhood exploited by media: the in a blackbag” grotesque (28)seems enough. Therebeautifullywhich a passage also is song, where she over is run by tram the and where “the ambulance [her] takes to heaven discourse andlogical “naked” the reality. For example, ending tragic the of Patrycja’s from thug the businessman Silny). low culture, a phenomenon exemplified culturedby who differs Rybaczko significantly mass culture it (which, is worth remembering, opposition the erases and high between mentary and promotion, as a strategy of opposition against the omnipresent discourse of Masłowska one is also of characters the of her novel. We find out, for example, Masłowska often employsgrotesquethe effects produced - the betweenideo by clash once, but now it much seems larger we when tore down walls.”] the Now we have beautifulapartment this inBemovo, 75square meters…I used to snort cocaine fer from cocaine addictiononce…and that was a mistake, but now I understand everything… Once I used to possess character bad flaws, now I don’t possessthem any more.” “I used to suf- symptom was itching the over…I had all of body the it, but…but now I understand everything. [“When I was pregnant I sufferedfrom choleostatic liver disease,”says a famous singer, “…the Kiedyś kokainę teraz ale wydaje ćpałam, siędużo wyburzyliśmy większe, ściany.” bo (14) terazbłąd ale już wszystko zrozumiałam…na mamy Bemowie piękne 75metrów mieszkanie… cechy charakteru, teraz ich nieposiadam.” “Na kokainy od uzależnienie cierpiałam…to był to swędzeniem było, całego ciała…tak ale…wszystko już zrozumiałam. Kiedyś złe posiadałam cierpiałam na wątrobową choleostazę,”“w ciąży mówi piosenkarka znana, “…objawiało się Howto BeaQueen Nadana

179 180 discoveries of Ferdydurke. Her different. is also book It followsthe in steps the linguisticof and philosophical differenther be; from what thelanguage those aroundof her would fabricate her as. not what language the pattern prepared for her as a woman, mother, then would have would like to trap her and simultaneously disown her of her language. Masłowska is we find out, primarily,that she has mastered evadingthewhich ofdiscoursesskill Texts andtheBody Translation: Krystyna Mazur Pominięcia i przemilczenia w narracjach XX wieku (Elipsa,2008). Seksualność and Josifa Brodskiego w krajach języka angielskiego (Wydawnictwo IBL PAN) andCiało, Humanistyczny and others. She is author the of a culture. She publishes articlesinTeksty, Drugie representation of women inSlavic literatures and feminist approaches to literature and Northern European Studies at University the of British Columbia. Her interests include an Associate Karwowska Bożena Professor Department inthe of and Central,Eastern of bya collection poems Czesław Miłosz for of Biblioteka series the Narodowa. a volume Writings of Collected Słownik ­ Czesław Miłosz and Witold Gombrowicz, editor of Teksty. Co-editor Drugie of the (1984); numerous articlesdevoted to the oeuvre of Julian Miron Przyboś, Białoszewski, works include Norwid of Interested Sciences. century literature in 20th and theory.literary His published Zdzisław Łapiński, an autobiographical novel entitled szabelka Konik, of(2010), a selection writings of Stefania Zahorska (with her introduction) (2010)and prose. Most recently she published of Maria a biography Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska journal academic the Academy of member of Sciences, research the group Literature and Gender. Editor of Anna Nasiłowska, professor works at Institute the of Research Literary of Polish the Authors’ BiographicalNotes realizmu socjalistycznego opowiadania (2004).Recently edited Bakakaji inne , Obozy Zagady (Universitas) as well as a co-editor of a volume (Nie)obecność. Professor inInstitute the of Research Literary of Polish the Academy (1971,1984);Ja, Ferdydurke (1985,1997);Gombrowicz i krytycy Teksty. Published Drugie numerous works academic as well as of Witold Gombrowicz (2007)and is currently working on Recepcja Czesława krytyczna Miłosza Canadian Slavonic Papers (2011) , Przegląd Przegląd , ­

181 182 Published Literacki” numerous articlesin“Pamiętnik Literatura, of Author której nie ma. Szkice o polskiej “literaturze homoseksualnej” (2010). mostly interested ingender and queer theory, of history homosexuality, theory. literary Wojciech Śmieja PhD, lectures at gender the studies of University the of Warsaw. He is canon and difference. collections. His current projects include Juliusz Slowacki, and Polish Romanticism –the ies. He has published and articlesinGerman Polish journals, festschrifts and article cover: gender inliterature, influences literary and intertextuality, translationand stud- Gender and in Sex Polish Literature from Romanticism to Post-modernism. His interests Iwaszkiewicz: Ein Grenzgänger der Moderne (1996);and Thread in theLabyrinth Desire:of clude: of interest is Polish literature of nineteenth the and twentieth centuries. His in- books Ritz German XVI po romantyzm (2010). Życie i śmierć doktora Fausta, złego czarnoksiężnika, w literaturze angielskiej od wieku Holandii, albo historia obsesji pewnej staropolska (2013),Homoseksualność studies. He published among others centuries, emblem and oldtiles, Dutch books; gay –especially pottery and lesbian genre Dutch painting, and arts functional crafts seventeenththe of and nineteenth New Historicism; national identity seventeenth-century and stereotypes; history: art drama; literature medieval seventeenth century; andup question the to the of evil; Polish, English, and literature; German tragedy and inEuropean tragic the literature interests cover above literature all and culture of Dutch-speaking the countries; old Piotr Oczko PhD, assistant professor at Jagiellonian the University. His academic writer author volumes and poet, and of two books threeprose, poetry translator. “Gender and Literature.” Author of Tadeusza Micińskiego podróż do Hiszpanii (2005), of Research Literary of Polishthe Academy group of member of Sciences, a research PhD assistantPiotr Sobolczyk professor Historical inthe Poetics Division of Institute the polskiego renesansu. –warianty Wzory –zastosowania (1996), and historical the poetics narratives. Recently published Mit wieku złotego w literaturze Studies Department of University the of Interested Szczecin. in thematology, historical Dariusz PhD Śnieżko assistant professor Division Theory the Literary inthe of Polish StudiesGender Institute inthe of Visual of Arts Jagiellonian the University. pisarstwie Józefa Ignacego Kraszewskiego Jagiellonian University, His dissertation was entitled w późnym Męskość i kobiecość Mateusz Skucha PhD, assistant professor in Polishthe Studies Department of the Wschodnia” Teorii” Texts andtheBody The Polish Prose of 1956-1976: Model-lierung einer Entwicklung (1990);Jaroslaw , and others. His reportages are published by “Polityka” . is a professor ofis a professor Slavic Literatures at Universität Zürich. His main field Miotła i krzyż. KulturaMiotła sprzątania i krzyż. w dawnej . He lectures on “Theories of Manhood” at , “Teksty Drugie”, Mikołaj Szarzyński Sęp (1996). “Nowa Europa Europa “Nowa and “Przestrzenie (2012)and editorial board of Bez Dogmatu journal. articles inZnak Stanisław Brzozowski, Karol Ludwik Koniński, Henryk Elzenberg (2012). Published her and memoirs and journals. Author of Problem religii w polskich dziennikach intymnych and critic, lecturer. Interested in women’s relationships in lightthe of gender theory, Institutethe of Research Literary of Polish the Academy ofhistorian literary Sciences, Katarzyna Nadana, PhD, member of research the group “Gender and Literature” in and journals. academic periodicals wobec innego. Zbiór esejów (2012).Published his essays and works literary innumerous Rana, która przyzywa O twórczości Boga. poetyckiej Janusza St. Pasierba (2006),Wiersze of Poet and historianliterary and critic. Interested mostly in contemporary poetry. Author Wojciech Kudyba professor at Cardinal the Stefan Wyszyński University inWarsaw. w weekend (2006). crisis. Published in“Polonistyka” tives of doll, mannequin and man-machine as figures the subjectivityof in modernism antropologia podmiotu w polskiej prozie międzywojennej (2010)was devoted to the mo- Jeannette Słaby i przemilczenia w narracjach XX wieku (2008). and volumes Teraźniejszość przeszłości i pamięć (2006)and (Nie)obecności pominięcia interwarin the prose writings. He published among others in dissertation was devoted to the constructions reality 2 inthe of social Questions of Literature Polsih inthe Studies Department of University the of Warsaw. His PawłowskiŁukasz PhD assistant professor in theDivision of theAnthropological “Aby mowę chrześcijańską odtworzyć na nowo…”. Norwida (2000), mówienie o Bogu Authors’ BiographicalNotes , Res Publica Nowa Publica Res PhD, her dissertation entitled Hominem imitantia. Modernistyczna , , “Podteksty” Kresy , “Teksty Drugie” among others. Member of the , “Refleksje”, as well as involume Gender “Przegląd Humanistyczny” nd Republic of Poland

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